Monaco F1 Grand Prix: live updates, blog
Roar Pro By Alistair Hogg, 27 May 2012 Alistair Hogg is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- Formula 1, Formula One, live blog, Mark Webber
Mark Webber will start from pole in tonight’s prestigious Monaco Grand Prix seeking a sixth career Formula 1 victory and his first in 2012 where he’s yet to podium. Join us for live updates and blog from 10pm AEST.
The Australian’s qualifying time of 1:14.381 was second-fastest, but a penalty incurred by provisional pole-setting seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher in the Spanish Grand Prix two weeks ago elevated the Red Bull driver to the front of the grid.
Webber’s love affair with the Monaco street circuit is no secret.
It was the scene of his first podium finish (third in 2005), his fourth career victory (2010) and the 35-year-old has not finished out of the points since 2008.
The Australian is not renowned for being the quickest off the line however and a good start is imperative to his chances tonight.
Nico Rosberg (Mercedes, second), Lewis Hamilton (McLaren, third) and Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault, fourth) are certain to be breathing down his neck once the starting lights extinguish.
Webber’s triumph two years ago also came from pole position, so the first corner will be decisive as to who tops the podium after 78 laps around the opulent streets of Monaco.
It is a short run to the first corner, but a poor start could be all it takes for Webber to blow his chances.
Last year’s race victor, world champion and current points leader Sebastian Vettel will start eight grid positions behind his Red Bull team mate after failing to register a time in Saturday’s third qualifying session.
Pour yourself a glass of French champagne, get stuck into the caviar, ensure your monocle is firmly attached and join us from 10pm AEST for live updates and commentary during tonight’s Monaco F1 Grand Prix.
The Crowd Says (62) | Page 1 of Comments
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3:05pm
zacbrygel said | 3:05pm | Report comment
A great race and GO WEBBER! Hope Webber can continue this way at Montreal in two weeks time.
12:07am
Alistair Hogg said | 12:07am | Report comment
Mark Webber is presented the trophy by Prince Albert II of Monaco and sings the Australian anthem with pride (although even in Monaco you can’t seem to escape the bogan “Aussie Aussie Aussie” chants!
12:01am
Alistair Hogg said | 12:01am | Report comment
Updated Drivers Championship:
Alonso 76
Vettel 73
Webber 73
Hamilton 63
Rosberg 59
Raikkonen 51
Button 45
Grosjean 35
12:00am
Alistair Hogg said | 12:00am | Report comment
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner; “He [Webber] drove immaculately today. Monaco with the threat of rain is very tricky, but he looked after the tyres, controlled the pace and had great self control here today. I’m delighted with his drive and also Seb’s [Vettel] recovery when he had some clean air to make it work. That was how he got past Lewis and Felipe, so not a bad team result today.”
11:53pm
Alistair Hogg said | 11:53pm | Report comment
“You guys have done a mega job” – Webber salutes his pit crew on the radio as he waves to the crowd gathered by the edge of arguably the world’s most picturesque sporting venue.
Final Standings (brackets denote grid position):
1. Webber (1) =
2. Rosberg (2) =
3. Alonso (5) +2
4. Vettel (9) +5
5. Hamilton (3) -2
6. Massa (7) +1
7. di Resta (14) +7
8. Hulkenberg (10) +2
9. Raikkonen (8) -1
10. Senna (13) +3
11. Perez (24) +13
12. Vergne (16) +4
13. Kovalainen (17) +4
14. Glock (20) +6
15. Karthikeyan (23) +8
16. Button (12) -4
DNF: Riccardio, Pic, Schumacher, Petrov, Kobayashi, Grosjean, De La Rosa, Maldonado
Just 6.195 seconds separated Webber and Massa in sixth. An extraordinarily close and entertaining race right until the finish line.
11:50pm
Alistair Hogg said | 11:50pm | Report comment
MARK WEBBER WINS THE MONACO F1 GRAND PRIX!!
A superb drive for the Australian who becomes the sixth different driver to win a race in season 2012. Absolute jubilation in the Red Bull garage after a near flawless race plan. Webber is the first Australian to win twice on the hallowed streets of Monte Carlo. A job very well done!
12:01am
Tristan Rayner said | 12:01am | Report comment
Wonderful stuff.
11:49pm
Mark Young said | 11:49pm | Report comment
What a mighty win!!! Now lets go Ryan Briscoe and Will Power
11:47pm
Alistair Hogg said | 11:47pm | Report comment
Two laps to go… Webber still leads Rosberg by almost a second!
11:44pm
Alistair Hogg said | 11:44pm | Report comment
No rain on the Monaco radar so it appears as though we’ll have a dry finish (which makes Toro Rosso’s decision all that more puzzling). Hamilton’s team is on the radio telling their man to attack, attack attack as he looks to make a move on Vettel and Alonso.
11:41pm
Alistair Hogg said | 11:41pm | Report comment
Button has been forced into retirement with a collision at the back of the field, but make no mistake… all of the action is up front. Still Webber, Rosberg, Alonso, Vettel,. Hamilton split by just half a second with five laps to go.
11:40pm
Alistair Hogg said | 11:40pm | Report comment
Verge has taken a huge gamble by applying intermediate tyres. The youngster was seventh and is now 11th with just six laps to go. That’s an extraordinary decision for a man who was looking at picking up points.
11:38pm
Tristan Rayner said | 11:38pm | Report comment
This is fabulous stuff – top six within two or three seconds. Right on each other.
11:38pm
Alistair Hogg said | 11:38pm | Report comment
There is FOUR TENTHS OF A SECOND between Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton in fifth spot. Webber’s lead is dwindling and if this wasn’t such a tight street circuit, he may have been overtaken by now. Just eight laps to go and the Aussie will have to pull out every bit of defensive driving experience that he has.
11:43pm
Mark Young said | 11:43pm | Report comment
I am way to excited to blog anymore! Enjoy the race Al and Tristan!
12:02am
Tristan Rayner said | 12:02am | Report comment
Good stuff! Great win in the end.
11:36pm
Alistair Hogg said | 11:36pm | Report comment
Two more retirements; Michael Schumacher calls it a day and Toro Rosso pulls the pin on Daniel Riccardoi’s race.
No change at the front though as Webber clings to a narrow lead which is now under a second with nine laps to go. Strap yourselves in – this is about to go up a gear!
11:31pm
Alistair Hogg said | 11:31pm | Report comment
Hold the phones… the Monaco elite are clamouring for their furs and umbrellas as rain begins to fall. It’s not too heavy right now, but it can’t be a welcome sight for Webber who has lost a few tenths of a second on the rapidly-gaining Rosberg.
11:28pm
Alistair Hogg said | 11:28pm | Report comment
Schumacher is clearly having his issues with his car, yielding to Jean-Eric Vergne who goes past and into seventh place. His best F1 finish is eighth and this has been one monstrous race from the Frenchman who qualified in 16th – one ahead of his Aussie team mate Riccardio.
11:24pm
Alistair Hogg said | 11:24pm | Report comment
While Mark Webber is the main focus for Australia tonight, it should not be forgotten that Daniel Ricciardo is plugging away valiantly. The 22-year-old of Torro Rosso sits in 15th spot, just a tenth of a second behind Button.
11:19pm
Alistair Hogg said | 11:19pm | Report comment
You know Webber’s faring well when the TV cameras are focused on the “battle for third” – it’s a case of no news is good news for Aussies right now. We’re through 56 of 78 laps.
11:16pm
Alistair Hogg said | 11:16pm | Report comment
Massa’s Ferrari garage requests the Brazilian to keep his tyres fresh in the hope of having a go at Hamilton towards the end of the race. McLaren telling Button that there is still a chance of rain – make up your mind guys!
11:13pm
Alistair Hogg said | 11:13pm | Report comment
Webber retains a 1.4 second lead over Rosberg with Vettel just three seconds behind. There is a mere five seconds between the top six as we race toward the finish. Twenty-eight laps remaining…
11:11pm
Alistair Hogg said | 11:11pm | Report comment
“Kimi – the rain has disappeared. We expect no rain, so we have to go to the end” [on these tyres]
So there you have it! A dry race (at least according to the Lotus garage).
11:09pm
Alistair Hogg said | 11:09pm | Report comment
It took 46 laps, but Vettel is in to the pits! A great stop for Red Bull vindicates their strategy. Webber takes over as race leader but importantly, Vettel manages to sneak in to third ahead of Hamilton. He wasn’t able to edge Alonso, but Red Bull would feel pretty happy after that series of events.
11:07pm
Mark Young said | 11:07pm | Report comment
This is looking very very good for Mark
11:06pm
Alistair Hogg said | 11:06pm | Report comment
It must be said this is playing out rather nicely for Mark Webber (touch wood!) The 2010 winner remains in second place, but will re-assume the lead once his team mate pits imminently. Nico Rosberg occupies third place a further two seconds behind with Alonso and Hamilton battling for fourth spot. Vettel’s stop now looms as the key to this race. If he can re-join the race in that traffic behind Webber, he might be in the position to do his Aussie team mate a favour.
11:03pm
Alistair Hogg said | 11:03pm | Report comment
Ferrari tells Massa to start closing the gap on Hamilton. They inform him that Vettel is slowing and that he needs to step up the pace to prepare for Vettel’s inevitable pit stop – which could see him re-emerge right in the mix of the minor placings. Latest weather report indicates that while there are sprinkles of rain about, the heavy stuff is still a good half hour away (if it arrives at all).
11:00pm
Alistair Hogg said | 11:00pm | Report comment
Red Bull radio informs Webber that he can step up the pace and the Australian responds, shaving three tenths of a second off Vettel’s lead. Going against McLaren’s prediction (and gamble), RB doesn’t believe there is any rain on the way. While we’re on radio chatter, Hamilton has informed his engineer that his tyres will not last much longer, so we might see the Brit in pit lane shortly.
10:59pm
Mark Young said | 10:59pm | Report comment
Well that is an almighty stuff up by McLaren… After half the race behind a Caterham they manager to get Button out right behind.. the same Caterham!
10:58pm
Alistair Hogg said | 10:58pm | Report comment
Button has rolled the dice and pitted. Weather depending, this may be a race-defining gamble. McLaren has applied the super-soft tyres to complete their one-stop strategy, however the Brit doesn’t get out of pit lane quick enough to hold off Kovalainen. That’s a bitter blow for Jenson who would have been hoping for some clean track.
10:56pm
Alistair Hogg said | 10:56pm | Report comment
Vettel’s lead is approaching 17 seconds. This almost equates to one pit stop, so Webber needs to pick up the pace.
Towards the back of the field, Sergio Perez is handed a drive-through penalty for late pit entry which impeded Raikkonen.
11:00pm
Mark Young said | 11:00pm | Report comment
Very intriguing up front, Vettel and Webber matching times with each other.
Clearly Mark has something in the bank
10:55pm
Mark Young said | 10:55pm | Report comment
Button’s crew calling the rain…. This could pretty hairy….
10:54pm
Alistair Hogg said | 10:54pm | Report comment
Rosberg’s team radio informs their man of the Vettel situation. He also suggests that Webber might deliberately be holding back to protect his team mate when he eventually pits and re-joins the race. Meanwhile, Schumacher pits and returns ahead of Raikonnen. The talk of rain has also dissipated – will we have a dry race?
10:51pm
Alistair Hogg said | 10:51pm | Report comment
Superb driving by Vettel who is completing laps of 1:19 while Webber is driving at a pace of two seconds slower behind him. The gap is 11 seconds, which should see Webber emerge comfortably in front, but his Red bull team mate is brilliantly playing himself into this race. The team radio tells him to continue pushing as rain may only be five minutes away.
10:49pm
Alistair Hogg said | 10:49pm | Report comment
Alonso pits and emerges in front of Hamilton who didn’t benefit from a sluggish stop by McLaren. Massa pits as well, but Vettel has stayed on the track with his soft tyres. Updated leaders through 32/78 laps: Vettel (yet to pit), Webber, Rosberg, Alonso, Hamilton, Schumacher (yet to pit) and Massa.
10:45pm
Alistair Hogg said | 10:45pm | Report comment
Pit crews manning their stations!! The big guns are coming in. Webber in and out safely. Great stop for Red Bull and the Australian. Hamilton is also in and out, Raikkonnen, Senna and Rosberg likewise. Webber slips back into fourth spot, trailing new race leader Alonso, Massa and Vettel – all of who are yet to pit.
10:41pm
Alistair Hogg said | 10:41pm | Report comment
Raikkonen looks like a Volvo-driving grandma, holding up six cars in very close proximity. A tenacious Michael Schumacher is leading the charge nipping at his heels. Meanwhile, Rosberg has gambled with an early stop. Will it pay off? Much of that depends on what the weather decides to do in the next 15 minutes…
10:37pm
Mark Young said | 10:37pm | Report comment
Looks like Kimi may have cooked his tyres, backing Schumi right up
10:43pm
Alistair Hogg said | 10:43pm | Report comment
Raikkonen is under IMMENSE pressure here. Schumacher makes a move but is forced to retreat. This is doing the six in front of this pack a huge favour. There is absolute daylight between Rosberg and Kimi now.
10:33pm
Mark Young said | 10:33pm | Report comment
Great blog by the way Al!
10:31pm
Mark Young said | 10:31pm | Report comment
Oh what a dillema!
Pit now, lose time and then pit again if it rains
OR
don’t pit, risk losing time as your tyres go off but pay off when it rains!!
What to do! What to do!!
10:35pm
Tristan Rayner said | 10:35pm | Report comment
Ahh the uncertainty. I can’t take it!
10:35pm
Alistair Hogg said | 10:35pm | Report comment
It’s what makes this sport so bloody interesting! One big, high-powered (and very, very expensive) game of chess.
10:41pm
Mark Young said | 10:41pm | Report comment
Rosberg rolls the dice and comes out behind the Ferrari’s.
I think the race will be decided on that move.. RAIN COME NOW FOR MARK!!!!!!!
10:44pm
Mark Young said | 10:44pm | Report comment
Nice cover by Red Bull – ALL IN ALL CHANGE for the pits now
10:31pm
Alistair Hogg said | 10:31pm | Report comment
Fernando Alonso is flying – just set a new fastest lap of 1:19.190, although this is still considerably slower than the pace set at Saturday qualifying, indicating that teams are being extremely cautious early.
10:29pm
Alistair Hogg said | 10:29pm | Report comment
We’ve hit the quarter-mark of the race and the Top 10 looks like this: 1. Webber 2. Rosberg 3. Hamilton 4. Alonso 5. Massa. 6. Vettel 7. Raikkonen 8. Schumacher 9. Hulkenberg 10. Senna
Retirements include: Kobayashi, De La Rosa, Maldonado and Grosjean
More talk of rain on the way…
10:24pm
Alistair Hogg said | 10:24pm | Report comment
Kimi Raikkonen’s team radio reports that rain might be on the way in the next 15 laps. They also remark that the pace of the race is extremely slow – and they’re right. Most of the leaders are lapping six seconds slower than Webber’s pole-setting mark yesterday.
10:24pm
Mark Young said | 10:24pm | Report comment
Vergne going BESERK on team radio when asked to give a spot to Perez!
10:25pm
Alistair Hogg said | 10:25pm | Report comment
I wouldn’t be happy either being asked to give way to a bloke that started eight grid positions behind me!
10:20pm
Alistair Hogg said | 10:20pm | Report comment
Webber continues setting fastest lap times and in doing so, has more than doubled the gap between he and Rosberg to 1.4 seconds. And to think commentators infer that he’s driving conservatively to preserve the rubber- much like he did when triumphant in 2010.
10:18pm
Alistair Hogg said | 10:18pm | Report comment
Race control advises that no action will be taken on any drivers after the stewards investigated the first corner carnage. Nothing reckless or intentional in it. Good decision.
10:14pm
Alistair Hogg said | 10:14pm | Report comment
Jenson Button’s team tells him to look after the tires as the commentary team speculate that he’ll seek to run a one-stop race. You’d certainly hope so at this point with the Brit in 14th position.
10:11pm
Alistair Hogg said | 10:11pm | Report comment
The safety car pits and we’re back at full speed in Monaco. The Australian away beautifully as Rosberg nips at his heels. The gap is seven tenths of a second which isn’t much, but the most important thing is that Webber is away. Just 5.2 seconds between the top eight cars at this point!
10:08pm
Alistair Hogg said | 10:08pm | Report comment
Well this would be one way for Mark Webber to win the race… safety car still leading the pack through three laps. Here’s your current Top 10: Webber, Rosberg, Hamilton, Alonso, Massa, Vettel, Raikonnen, Schumacher, Hulkenberg, Senna.
10:06pm
Alistair Hogg said | 10:06pm | Report comment
To quote the legendary Murray Walker, it’s “Go Go Go” in Monaco and it’s terrific news for Australian fans as Mark Webber gets away cleanly and holds the lead through the first corner!
Romain Grosjean makes contact with the rear of Felipe Massa’s Ferrari and causes the chaos that we’re all too used to seeing at this track once the lights go off. Some of the passers-by may have taken some damage from the debris on the track. Pastor Maldonado has also gone off and appears to be an early casualty.
Cars are pitting left right and centre as the safety car comes on to the track just one lap into the race. The important thing you need to know is that Mark Webber got away cleanly and holds first position.
10:02pm
Alistair Hogg said | 10:02pm | Report comment
The boys are off on their formation lap as the grid explodes into a hive of activity. The overhead shots of the track and surrounding coastal scenery are spectacular. This is one of those events that really should be on the bucket list of every sporting fan – regardless of whether they are an F1 die hard or a casual observer.
9:58pm
Alistair Hogg said | 9:58pm | Report comment
Current weather in Monaco is an overcast 22. Light showers were forecast, however it appears as though we may get through the race without rain. For some of you, that’s good. For others who enjoy the carnage this street circuit typically produces, that’s bad!
In Mark Webber’s 10 races in Monaco, he’s retired on four occasions, however just one of those starts was with Red Bull. In the five Monaco campaigns with his current team, Webber has a DNF (2007), 4th (2008), 5th (2009), 1st (2010) and 4th (2011).
9:51pm
Tristan Rayner said | 9:51pm | Report comment
Suuuuper, super Mark, super Marky Webber… I’m hanging on way too tight here.
9:48pm
Alistair Hogg said | 9:48pm | Report comment
Step right up folks and place your bets in the Mark Webber sweepstakes. Where will the Australian be placed after the first lap? Do you think he can put starting woes behind him and jump positively from the grid?