Monaco Practice 1

[campbell]

I saw a video of the proposals. Looks impressive. No shortage of money to do it

Vid was linked through Joe Saward's blog

[Corranga]

I wonder whether they will try to introduce some overtaking. Everyone loves Monaco, but as an actual race it is usually a procession interspersed with crashes which can make it dull

I chuckled when the race started under the safety car - an enforced procession at Monaco!

I watch it for the on boards, for me, it's the best view of drivers skill on the calendar.

Prior to crashing out young Max was pretty impressive.

In the end, Red Bull through it all away! Odd to see them floundering when they are usually so slick..

Chris

[kerryxeg]

We listened to the radio 5 commentary while having lunch in the motorhome. Great commentary, the race sounded much more exciting than the highlights I watch later. Alan McNish's comments and first hand experience really gave an informative understanding of the race, without the distraction of pictures.

Overall the weather gave an unpredictability which made it interesting, and the odd permutations of soft tyres just made the pace differentials confusing.

[tut]

Pretty sure that it will be Palmers last season, he was abysmal.

Verstappen will need to add consistency to his talent, he is not going to get away with smashing two cars in a weekend.

tut

[Scuffers]

Pretty sure that it will be Palmers last season, he was abysmal.

you're not wrong, classic case of money/dad over talent.

Verstappen will need to add consistency to his talent, he is not going to get away with smashing two cars in a weekend.

tut

yes and no, he did OK, the mistakes he made were ones that everybody does, just he did not get away with them - like Vettel did in the race...

he will only get better, he seems to have the right balance of speed/attitude/demeanour

[scott_e]

Interesting article post Monaco:

'Lewis Hamilton shows difference between a good & great driver'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/36409542

[rossybee]

Red bull gives you wings, but it doesn't give you tyres...

[robin]

Pretty sure that it will be Palmers last season, he was abysmal.

Verstappen will need to add consistency to his talent, he is not going to get away with smashing two cars in a weekend.

tut

I think it's too soon to judge him on that one ... his in-race crash was caused by catching up with a back marker and not being able to scrub off enough speed before heading out onto the wet. Sure it was a mistake, but it's very much the sort of "mistake" that can only be avoided by driving slowly ... it wouldn't have happened to Rosberg, for example

[tut]

Palmer or Verstappen Robin?

tut

[Dominic]

Red bull gives you wings, but it doesn't give you tyres...

[robin]

Palmer or Verstappen Robin?

tut

Oh, Verstappen. Palmer's accident appears to me to have been too much throttle with total failure to react to the wheel spin. Unforgivable if you want to drive modern F1 cars because they have more torque than this forum and no traction control ... I think it has gotten harder to manage this in the hybrid era because they have so much torque lower down. I don't know whether they have wet maps but I would assume they do - perhaps he failed to engage the correct engine mode and so booted it with confidence only to discover he was still on the dry qualifying engine mode

Cheers,
Robin

[robin]

In fact a quick google:

“The traction was appalling after the safety car and I got caught out,” the Briton, who had lined up 18th on the grid, explained, “I had wheelspin in fifth gear on the white line that crosses the track and there was nothing I could do – I was just a passenger and went straight away into the wall.”

Didn't happen to the other 18 cars that crossed that same white line before he did, though, did it ...

[Scuffers]

In fact a quick google:

“The traction was appalling after the safety car and I got caught out,” the Briton, who had lined up 18th on the grid, explained, “I had wheelspin in fifth gear on the white line that crosses the track and there was nothing I could do – I was just a passenger and went straight away into the wall.”

Didn't happen to the other 18 cars that crossed that same white line before he did, though, did it ...

I watched the start laps again, most of the other drivers were avoiding the white bars of the crossing.

smacks of lack of precision coupled with a lack of perception.

[Kelvin]

I have a little bit insight into the Palmer situation insofar that the founder of our Company is a business partner of JPs and has part funded the seat. I suspect it will indeed be his only season in F1...

[j2 lot]

After so much pontificating I would be surprised if Renault aren't regretting getting back into F1 with a works team, 6 races in and one 7th place