The 2006 Monaco Grand Prix Preview

The Formula One circus returns to Monaco, where the drivers will again drive through the narrow streets at speeds approaching 200mph - often referred to as the jewel in the Formula One crown, this track is renowned for bringing driver talent to the fore.

Analysis

The tight, tortuous confines of Monaco will see the teams getting inventive with their aerodynamics. With the lowest speeds on the calendar, drag is not a factor, so teams work on ensuring every last bit of downforce is leveraged from the package. That said, the aero benefits are only a minor addition to mechanical grip and balance. The only compromise in dialling in the cars to handle the bumps, reverse cambers and slow corners is driver confidence. Knowing the car will respond precisely allows the best to - literally - brush the barriers in pursuit of the perfect qualifying lap.

Inevitably, mistakes happen and cars end up in contact with the barriers, so some teams use specially toughened suspension components, and some bring additional spare chassis, in case both drivers have accidents in testing. All told, there is a lot of benefit to preparing for driver mishaps.

That said, qualifying is the big unknown. The grip levels improve so dramatically though sessions that early laps are unlikely to suffice, so traffic at the end of the session will be intense. With so many cars on track, there will be a significant premium on finding a clear lap at the end of each of the three sessions in order to make it to the front of the grid; inevitably, there will be some upsets as faster cars discover others on in or out laps.

On the positive side, this should allow teams and drivers with vision, but perhaps not the best equipment, to punch above their weight - and perhaps capitalise with a point.

Although the race itself tends to be processional, strategy can make an impact, particularly for drivers who find themselves out of position after making a hash in qualifying. Expect little overtaking on the track, but if there is any, it should be memorable.

Flashback 2005

In 2005, McLaren demonstrated their ability to return to the fray, whilst Renault shot themselves in the foot with a poor tyre choice; with BAR absent whilst banned for their fuel tank irregularities, and Ferrari having an off year, only Williams were able to keep the front runners honest.

Qualifying was exciting, with Raikkonen taking a narrow pole from Alonso: each had a strong lap and a further slower lap aggregated, lending to the anticipation. Webber put his Williams third - even surprising himself - with Fisichella lining up alongside. Trulli was fifth for Toyota, with Heidfeld's sixth for Williams proof that the marque had plenty of pace. Michael Schumacher lined up eighth, and Ralf Schumacher was placed seventeenth after crashing, whilst Montoya was eighteenth and last after being penalised for brake testing Ralf Schumacher.

The race started with Raikkonen locking his tyres in to Sainte Devote, nearly seeing Alonso come through, but he held the place. Webber's Williams bogged down on the line, dropping back behind Trulli. The early laps were marked by Ralf Schumacher and Montoya passing tail markers, and retirements and a barrier related exit for Narain Karthikeyan (Jordan).

On lap 23, Albers spun heading in to a corner, leading to Coulthard braking and being rear-ended by Michael Schumacher, leading to his retirement; Villeneuve and Barrichello were also caught up, and a safety car came on track: it was bad timing for the race leaders, who had just passed the pit entrance. Raikkonen and Trulli opted to remain on track whilst Alonso, Webber and Heidfeld stopped a lap later.

Despite a heavy fuel load, Raikkonen pulled away at the front, whilst Alonso discovered mirrors full of Webber's Williams. Montoya stopped on lap 46, having moved up the field well on his heavy load, just before the remaining drivers made their second round of stops.

Villeneuve made a poor attempt to pass Massa late on in the race, with the resulting incident seeing Massa drop down the order and Villeneuve out of the race, probably costing five Championship points. but even before that happened, it was plain that the Renault drivers were struggling with their tyres. Alonso was passed by both Williams drivers. then faced being caught by Montoya.

At the end of the race, Michael Schumacher dived inside his Ferrari teammate at the chicane, gambling that Barrichello would cede the position rather than collide: the event started a rift that eventually saw the Brazilian leave for Honda. He then caused his brother concern for his sanity by attempting to dive past him on the finishing line.

Pos  Driver        Team                  Time
 1.  Raikkonen     McLaren-Mercedes (M)  1h44:51.210
 2.  Heidfeld      Williams-BMW     (M)  +    13.877
 3.  Webber        Williams-BMW     (M)  +    18.484
 4.  Alonso        Renault          (M)  +    36.487
 5.  Montoya       McLaren-Mercedes (M)  +    36.647
 6.  R.Schumacher  Toyota           (M)  +    37.177
 7.  M.Schumacher  Ferrari          (B)  +    37.223
 8.  Barrichello   Ferrari          (B)  +    37.570

Fastest lap: M.Schumacher, 1:15.842

Weather

A dry weekend is in prospect, though there is always the risk of sudden showers at this event.

Tyres

As demonstrated by Renault in 2005, tyre choice is important at Monaco: too much wear will leave it impossible to defend positions.

That said, qualifying is vital, so the tyre manufacturers will be bringing their softest compounds: with relatively low speeds to offer aerodynamic performance, mechanical grip is the most important element for lapping fast here.

Strategy

In order to qualify well, most teams are expected to look at two-stop strategies: the one-stop option is potentially attractive to those who qualify just outside the top ten, or at the back of the grid, though capitalising will require some on-track passing.

With mistakes so heavily penalised, there is respectable chance of a safety car period, which means teams must always be considering the impact of changing circumstances.

Conclusions

With a package that has a reputation for delivering driver confidence, expect Renault to be very strong this weekend - Alonso will be looking for another win. Ferrari's Michael Schumacher has always been able to over-perform on this circuit, and particularly with their strong stratagems, he will be a solid contender in the race.

Keep eyes open for Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button, both of whom seem able to lift their performances here, whilst Toyota have hopes that their new B-chassis will lift them. Finally, it will be interesting to discover whether all the talk of Toro Rosso's V10 performance advantage is true, or just so much hot air.

A lap of Monte Carlo with Kimi Raikkonen

A lap of the Monaco Grand Prix circuit starts on the pit straight, which has a gentle curve to the right along its entire length. You reach 273km/h in sixth gear before braking hard as the track inclines for the infamous tight, bumpy, right of Sainte Devote, which is a virtual 90-degree corner taken at 94km/h in second gear and is usually the scene of first corner incidents.

Accelerating up the Beau Rivage climb, your speed reaches 270km/h in sixth gear as you approach the long left of Massanet, which is negotiated at 136km/h in third. Keeping close to the inside curb through Massanet, you dab the brakes slightly for the bumpy right of Casino Square, which is taken at 127km/h, in second.

A burst of acceleration follows, reaching some 209km/h in fourth gear on the downhill approach to the bumpy right-hander of Mirabeau. Keeping tight to the right as you reach the hairpin, you shift down through the gears to take Mirabeau at 80km/h in second gear. This is a possible overtaking opportunity.

A short spurt of gas takes you to the Grand Hotel Hairpin, the tightest, slowest corner on the circuit, which requires full lock to negotiate it and sees the track continue to plunge downhill and your speed drop to below 46km/h in first gear.

Two sharp right handers follow both in second gear, with a maximum speed of 87km/h, the second of which leads you to the entrance to the Tunnel. You have to be careful here as the armco on the exit is not straight.

Pushing hard on the throttle, you sweep through the covered right-hand curve, which is the only flat out section of the track. You reach the maximum speed on the circuit, 282km/h in sixth, as you burst back out into daylight by the sea wall.

Braking hard for the left-right Nouvelle chicane, your speed drops to 48km/h, before accelerating out along the run to Tabac. This fast left-hander is taken at 155km/h in third.

Entering the swimming pool complex, your speed increases to just over 186km/h in fourth gear for the first section of the left-right kink, before braking to negotiate the slower, revised section, which now sees a tighter entrance, at 112km/h. Another short period of acceleration follows as you continue along the harbour front, which sees you reach 193km/h in third on the approach to the Rascasse.

This sharp, right-hand hairpin, which poses a difficult braking manoeuvre as you swing round 180-degrees is taken at 48km/h in first gear. A short uphill straight leads to the final corner, which is taken in second at 88km/h, before accelerating up the hill along the pit straight to start another lap.

Team by Team

Renault

An exemplary weekend in Barcelona saw the Renaults qualify on the front row, then take first and third in the race; Alonso controlled the weekend from the front, and despite a mistake from Fisichella, always looked good for both drivers being on the podium.

Giancarlo Fisichella and Fernando Alonso © LAT

A repeat of this feat in Monte Carlo could be on the cards; last year, although never really threatening Raikkonen's win, both drivers looked good until tyre wear issues caused them to fall back - something that is less of an issue this year, as they can at least change them.

Qualifying well is going to be important. Ferrari are the obvious threat, though there are a number of teams that are optimistic for Saturday: Toyota have a new chassis, McLaren often excel here and Honda are claiming better understanding of their tyres. Nevertheless, traffic issues aside, both drivers are expected to qualify on the first couple of rows.

Drivers: Fernando Alonso has not yet won Monaco - besides having an accident when teammate Trulli won in '04, he discovered McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen to be faster last year. That said, he has considerable talent and possibly the strongest package available this weekend, so there he should be favourite to win... even if that honour is shared with Michael Schumacher.

Giancarlo Fisichella continues to look a shade off the pace of his World Champion teammate. Despite being a 'Monaco specialist' and running strongly for many of his years in Monaco, he is not expected to perform on quite the level of Alonso or Schumacher - though he must be intent on proving that wrong on Sunday.

Objectives: Win the race - with two cars on the podium.

McLaren Mercedes

Things don't quite seem to be coming together for McLaren. In Spain, they made a mistake refuelling Montoya in qualifying, whilst Raikkonen only qualified ninth. Had the Finn not made a demon start, they could have struggled to score points - though finishing fifth is not where they expected to be right now.

Since then, testing doesn't seem to have shown they have found much more performance in the car: they are very likely to have some interesting innovations for Monaco, but they are unlikely to close the performance gap to Ferrari or Renault.

That said, if the Mercedes engine is their weakest link (as it was in pre-season testing), then this circuit is the place where that will carry the smallest handicap, and performances from both drivers will appear to be much improved over those from the first six races.

This team should never be written off lightly, but it remains difficult to see them improve sufficiently to win this race, unless Renault again make a poor tyre choice and Bridgestone have an off day: getting on to the podium would be a good result.

Drivers: Kimi Raikkonen won here last year, after a scintillating qualifying performance, followed by a strong race, whilst Juan Pablo Montoya raced to fourth from the back of the grid, after being penalised for blocking. Should either be able to make it to the second row in qualifying, they should have to pace to threaten a podium finish.

Objectives: Get on the podium.

Ferrari

Although Ferrari failed to win the race in Barcelona, they have to be pleased with the weekend overall: Schumacher was able to pass Fisichella for second, so they will be looking forward to a competitive weekend ahead.

The team have not had too much luck at Monaco in recent years; even with Schumacher on board, they have not quite picked up the points that might have been expected: they often come away with the comment that it is not the circuit best suited to their package, but that is not expected to be the case this year. Provided the Bridgestone tyres perform as expected, this should be a very strong race for the marque.

Michael Schumacher studies the qualifying times © LAT

Qualifying is going to be critical, particularly the prescience required to gain a clear last-moment lap when there is a high chance of red flags: this is something that plays towards the strengths of Ross Brawn and Schumacher: if they qualify on the front row, then there may be no stopping them on race day.

Drivers: Michael Schumacher is an acknowledged master of the Monaco circuit - his record there is outstanding, with five wins to his name. Then again, the last of those was in 2001, so despite being a favourite for this event, he can clearly be beaten.

Felipe Massa seems to have gone about settling into the team well: he is working hard on improving his interactions with the team and extracting more from the package, which is showing from his improved pace in qualifying and the race; he could have a good weekend in Monaco, though a podium finish would be impressive.

Objectives: Win the race.

Toyota

There was another awkward weekend for Toyota from their Barcelona outing: the team qualified well enough, but proceeded to struggle in the race, between Schumacher retiring as a consequence of hitting Trulli whilst the latter fought graining tyres to fall out of the points.

For Monaco, the team are expected to be running their almost all new, B-spec chassis, which appears to offer some gains. Particularly useful for Monaco, mid-corner handling is more predictable, which will improve apex speeds. On the downside, a new chassis means that dialling it in whilst the grip levels are changing rapidly - normal at Monaco - will be tougher than with the old chassis.

Additionally, running the new chassis raises the odds on reliability issues: and considering that if there is ever a circuit where finishing is more important than outright performance, then this might not be the wisest time to introduce it. On the other hand, a strong qualifying performance and a podium finish would be an interesting vindication of the departed Mike Gascoyne's vision.

Drivers: Ralf Schumacher's performance in 2005 was outstanding, finishing sixth from the back row of the grid; should he perform at the same level this year, except with a solid qualifying session, then he has a genuine shot at surprising the front runners with a podium finish.

Jarno Trulli has been qualifying well, for the most part, but seems to be struggling with tyre performance on race day. If the new chassis allows him to qualify well, and he uses the tyres better, then he should be difficult to pass on race day.

Objectives: Score points - get the new chassis on the podium.

Williams Cosworth

Another disappointing outing for the outfit in Barcelona belies their decent race pace, which perhaps is a sign that they have an understanding gap with their new (this season) Bridgestone tyres. Certainly, they have not seemed to benefit in the same was as Ferrari as the season has progressed.

That said, Williams can never be entirely ruled out of the equation: last year, they qualified strongly, then raced to a double podium finish, a result that few predicted ahead of the weekend. In testing since Barcelona, they don't seem to have made any breakthrough that would deliver a qualifying advantage, so doing well on Saturday will be more about traffic management than outright pace.

Williams nosecone © LAT

It would come as little surprise to see both cars finish in the points again, provided they don't make a huge mess of the qualifying sessions.

Drivers: Mark Webber regularly shows impressive qualifying form, which is particularly likely to stand him in good stead at Monaco; his race last season left him slightly disappointed after the pitstops saw him passed by his teammate, but he will be looking for points in the principality.

Although the furore seems to have died down over the potential shown by Nico Rosberg, there should be renewed interest in Monaco - it is rare for any driver to be considered 'great' unless he can raise his game at this circuit.

Objectives: Get both cars in the points.

Honda

In Barcelona, Honda seemed off the pace, which, considering their off-season form at the circuit, rather implies that their rivals are developing faster during the season. Press releases after tests repeatedly state that the team have improved their understanding of Michelin's tyres, but this has not really been demonstrated on track so far.

After missing the race in 2005 due to being penalised for irregularities with their fuel tank, the team have much to make up for. They have two drivers who can run very well here, but in order to really deliver on their early season promise, this needs to be an outstanding weekend with a podium finish.

This is one circuit where getting both cars to the front for qualifying could allow them a chance to score that illusive first win: should they be 1-2 after the opening corner in this race, with overtaking almost impossible, the rearmost driver could simply back off enough to open a race-winning gap to the leader. This is a team sport, after all.

Drivers: Jenson Button seems to have a real affinity for this circuit, so this could be his best chance of the year to do something special. Another front row qualifying session would be nice, but the real goal should be a podium finish. Beating the on-form duo of Alonso and Schumacher would be a surprise, so it would be more likely to see him competing with Raikkonen for the final podium spot.

Rubens Barrichello seems to be getting on top of his car, and his qualifying pace is stepping up. If he performs again on Saturday, then outqualifying his teammate is possible. Maintaining that pace on race day continues to be problematic, but things do seem to be coming together overall.

Objectives: Get on the podium. And, if they can, qualify 1-2.

Red Bull Racing Ferrari

Red Bull had something of a disappointing outing in Barcelona: poor reliability wrecking Coulthard's car in qualifying, before the team made a long day of racing against their supposedly junior counterparts on Sunday.

It is difficult to see how much their prospects will change in Monaco. The team will surely have several developments to try on the car - at least for their aerodynamics - and perhaps they will be able to make a better fist of qualifying than most of their mid-field rivals, progressing into the top ten. Even so, it is difficult to see how they will finish in the points, except for mistakes by the front running teams.

Red Bull Racing © GEPA/Red Bull

The team have some work to do if they are to close the gap sufficiently to pose a real threat of their own; in the meanwhile, it will be interesting to discover whether they can make any impression on the points paying positions: this will largely be down to any difference the drivers can make.

Drivers: David Coulthard has tremendous experience, and can go very well indeed in Monaco. If he has an excellent weekend, then it is very realistic that he may finish in the points. That said, his luck here tends to be lacking: it seems that if anyone is going to get hit from behind, or pushed into the barriers, it is most likely to be this Scot!

Christian Klien has been quicker than his teammate on occasion, but seems unable to really capitalise on it. Although racing with a far more mature head than when he started last season, getting into the points is proving difficult.

Objectives: Score a point.

BMW Sauber

After a solid showing in Spain, where Heidfeld scored a point and Villeneuve worked back to twelfth from dead last, BMW-Sauber head to the circuit where they were strongest last year with some justifiable optimism. Heidfeld finished second in a BMW-powered Williams last year, and Sauber were in the hunt for a double points finish.

This season, getting the car dialled quickly - relying on third driver Robert Kubica - will be important to getting the most out of the package. A strong race will do much to improve prospects for their Constructors' Championship aspirations, as Williams look set to take fifth place. For BMW, beating the team they dropped would be a good result, even if they don't take points from the weekend.

Drivers: After beating teammate Webber at Monaco last season, finishing second overall, Heidfeld should be looking forward to returning to these streets. Should BMW be on form, he will be looking to deliver points.

Jacques Villeneuve has rarely shone in Monaco: last season, a poorly judged attempt at passing his teammate cost five points, so a cooler attitude will probably be in order this time out.

Objectives: Score points; in any event, beat Williams.

Midland Toyota

After another disappointing outing in Barcelona, the team are planning to update their car in Monte Carlo; chassis and engine upgrades are expected, along with new aerodynamics, of course.

Realistically, the team are still expected still to be a little off the pace of the midfield runners; but with some lucky breaks in qualifying and the race - plus a couple of key retirements - perhaps they will score a point. More likely, though, they will fight to stay with the midfield teams, dropping places as the strategies unwind.

Drivers: Tiago Monteiro generally prefers street circuits, and ought to be in line for another respectable drive to the finish - though it is hard to see him competing with anyone other than his teammate.

Christijan Albers is saying he will be taking risks in the quest to make something of what will probably be Midland's only chance of scoring points: if he does, then he'll beat his teammate, or finish in the wall.

Objectives: Get both cars to the finish.

Toro Rosso Cosworth

Barcelona was not good for Toro Rosso, who came home with a double retirement - including the first failure from one of their V10 engines this year.

The Toro Rosso air restrictor © XPB/LAT

Throughout the off-season, opponents have ranted about the V10 advantage, particularly pointing to the torque: they have cited Monaco as an event where this will be especially evident, saying that the car might even be capable of winning races.

Of course, despite the odd excellent lap, they have yet to score a point, so it seems unlikely that the early predictions will suddenly prove true. The V10 engine is usefula and, despite the restrictions, torquey, but it is also heavier and bulkier than the V8s being packaged by the competition; perhaps they will gain some advantage here, but probably not a lot.

Still, they must be aiming to make the most of this unpredictable event to score a point on merit, or at least to embarrass the Red Bull team.

Drivers: Scott Speed has demonstrated he can put together quick laps, but consistency will be key to staying out of the wall in Monaco. Vitantonio Liuzzi is no slouch either, so competition between the pair should be interesting. Furthermore, considering the form of the 'senior' Red Bull team in Spain, they will probably be aiming to scalp their leading counterparts - and certainly are likely to take risks in order to do so.

Objectives: Score a point - beat Red Bull.

Super Aguri Honda

Although this circuit allows driver skills to make up for some of the deficiencies they may face with a chassis, the Super Aguri design is so outmoded that they will continue to struggle to make any impression on the remainder of the field: for the most part, they will do well if they can avoid being a nuisance to cars attempting to lap them.

That said, this is still a prestigious event, and just taking part has its place. Of all the circuits they will see this year, this has the greatest potential for enough retirements for them to sneak into the points - so getting both cars to the finish is the only priority that matters.

Drivers: Franck Montagny must be very pleased to run his first Monaco Grand Prix in Formula One with a team that considers 'finishing' to be a success; anything he does well here will be a positive reflection of his driving skills, whilst anything else can be attributed to the car. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see what he can make of it, and in particular, what he can do against his teammate.

Takuma Sato has never been slow on this circuit, though outclassed by Button when he was at BAR; that said, if there is any sign of his old tendency to push too hard and make mistakes, he will not finish the race.

Objectives: Get both cars to the finish.