Qualifying concerns ahead of Monaco Grand Prix
Monaco is one of the tightest circuits on the Formula One calendar. The twisty nature of the famous streets allow no room for errors and with 24 cars on the grid this season, this will be the most chaotic qualifying session of 2010 for the teams and the drivers.
The first part of qualifying (Q1) sees all the cars on the grid looking to get into the second session (Q2), with seven drivers dropping out. It runs for 20 minutes, but this may not be enough time for the front runners, as looking for space to set a clear lap is vital. With the backmarkers at least four seconds off the pace, they will constantly be looking in their mirrors for the faster cars on a flying lap. With these cars slowing down and others looking for space, there might not be enough track for both.
Over the first five races in 2010, the cars further down the grid have been lapped more than once, with some even lapped five times. This is the concern for the teams and the drivers. At the Spanish Grand Prix last weekend, there were nearly a few crashes involving lapped cars. McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton lapped Virgin’s Lucas di Grassi four times, and they almost collided when Hamilton exited from the pits.
“You catch them so quick, it's just unreal. When you see them you are wondering where they will move out of the way, and then they move into the wrong position. They'll go on the inside and be in the corner as you come up to them, so it gets quite tricky. So far, fortunately, there have been no incidents and it's been OK, but Monaco will be very tough. They are trying to run their own race,” said Hamilton.
The Briton was even on the radio to race director Charlie Whiting during the race, saying that it was becoming dangerous at the amount of times he lapped cars.
Felipe Massa, of Ferrari, was lapping Hispania’s Karun Chandhok and clipped his front wing as a result of trying to get ahead of the backmarker.
There were suggestions from the teams that Q1 should be split into two, but it is unlikely the sport’s governing body, the FIA, will listen.
The current world champion, Jenson Button, is also concerned. “When they are fighting for 20th place they don't want to let you past. They are so much slower than us and if you are behind them for four or five corners you have lost seconds. I didn't think the backmarkers did a very good job in Spain,” he said.
Qualifying is always very tricky for the teams and the drivers. Teams normally fuel their drivers for a three or four-lap stint. When to leave the garage and find clear space is carefully planned. Overtaking at Monaco is impossible, and as there will be more cars vying for places in Q2, this year’s approach to qualifying will certainly have to change, otherwise some big names might not be able to set a fast time.
“Getting the car to work as well as possible on Saturday afternoon will be even more important than usual, because traffic has always been a problem at this race, and with four more cars out on track at the same time this year, without wishing to be too critical, I would say six rather slow cars out on track, Q1 can become a lottery. No doubt we will use a different strategic approach to qualifying, maybe fuelling the car to do a few more laps than usual, to have a safety margin, so that you are not left without a competitive time in Q1,” said Massa.
Red Bull have set the pace this season and are currently the ones to beat, and team principal Christian Horner doesn’t want his drivers to get caught up in traffic. "It's about getting a lap that is sufficiently clear to post a time to get through. Unfortunately, in terms of statistics, there will be a car every 140 metres if they all run, and there's obviously a big difference in pace between the cars. The worst thing will be when you come round into La Rascasse every lap and there is a queue of five cars. One way of looking at it is maybe you run for the full 20 minutes in the hope of getting a clear run."
Q1 will be the most eagerly anticipated session for a number of years, which will be good for the Formula One fans, but one that the paddock will be dreading.
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