After a breathless and frenetic qualifying section at the Formula One 2090 Monaco Grand Prix, I feel like I need a holiday! Hardly a pause in the action. This is how it went:
In the first session, the five cars who went were quite surprising. Both Toyotas went – a team who are currently third in the Constructors’ Championship, and locked out the front row of the grid in Bahrain. Where did it all go wrong? Even if the car is bad in low-speed corners, they should be a bit higher than that, surely? Also in the first session, both BMW Saubercars lost out. Not as much of a surprise as Toyota, and their car hasn’t really been working this season, anyway. The last car to go out? Not a Force India. No. Lewis Hamilton. The 2008 World Champion lost control of the car going into a corner, and then the car twisted round, crashing the left rear tyre against the wall. This was Hamilton’s qualifying session over – and all those people who were predicting a good result were left shocked. Hamilton said that it was a driver error. After coming here with such high hopes, he again will go away disappointed. Worth noting, as well, that Felipe Massa of Ferrari seemed to have a similar problem – although he ended up smashing up his nose, rather than a wheel, meaning that the team could replace the nose and carry on. As suggested on BBC coverage, could it be KERS related? Both incidents seemed to be rather strange, so it is possible, although Hamilton’s looked more like a driver error to me.
In the second part of qualifying, both Force Indias went out. Not a surprise, and I think the team will be pleased that both cars managed to get of Q1. Some progress, at least. Also going out were both Toro Rosso cars, who will, also, be pleased at just getting through Q1. The other car was Renault’s Nelson Piquet. He is my tip for getting the sack first this season – he doesn’t look happy, doesn’t driver well, and hasn’t been getting results. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a question of when, not if.
Into the final session of qualifying – and what a session! Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel seemed to have done a good enough lap, but Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari got quicker and quicker in his laps, and then on his final lap, he took first. However, just behind him, the championship leader, Jenson Button, came in to take pole! Button hadn’t been spectacular – in fact, he struggled in Q2 – but once again, showing the true mark of a champion, he brought out a brilliant lap right at the death. The other drivers were ordered: Raikkonen, Barrichello, Vettel, Massa, Rosberg, Kovalainen, Webber, Alonso and Nakajima. Ferrari and McLaren have both made obvious progress, with both teams having good finishes. Red Bull, I think, will be slightly disappointed with fourth and eighth, as they would have hoped for more.
After the car weights were published, Button’s position looks stronger than ever. He is heavier than all the top 10 apart from Barrichello in third, Alonso in ninth and Nakajima in 10th. Vettel, in particular, is light.
So my prediction is Button – all the way.
Also, don’t forget to vote on my poll -
http://andrewswitterings.wordpress.com/2009/05/22/who-will-win-this-weekends-monaco-grand-prix/
