#602 1997 Monaco Grand Prix

In Monte-Carlo, in 1996, he took pole and triggered some controversy because he had inadvertently slowed down Gerhard Berger who was still in the middle of his fast lap. The next day on a wet track, he started off badly in the heat of keeping his rival Hill at reach. He crashed and was forced to retire. A year later, with two second places to his credit and the role of anti-Villeneuve, Schumacher only needed his first seasonal success to throw himself headlong into the search for the lost title for Maranello. For Schumacher, the previous season brings back bad memories, but the Monégasque track also holds good ones, such as the successes obtained at the wheel of the Benetton in 1994 and 1995, the years of his two world titles.

"It's a track that, with all its inherent faults, I like. Here the driving counts a lot, more than usual. And this circuit should adapt well to the characteristics of the car, although everything still has to be confirmed. It will be a good battle, starting from qualifying, because everyone knows that starting up front means having at least a good placing within reach. I am optimistic because we have made progress even without having implemented the planned changes on the car yet. We can compete on equal terms with Williams, but they are still the favourites".

But, before the next Monaco Grand Prix, Schumacher and Ferrari returned to Maranello to work on the development of the F310B. On April 28th, 1997, the Fiorano track is wet, but Ferrari is already at work. During the seventy-eight laps, Schumacher stops the clock at 59''545, setting the track record. The activity starts already in the morning, with a German television interviewing Schumacher, and then the day continues on various fronts, including the meeting with the president Montezemolo, who congratulates the team:

"We are finally a team, but you have to be aware that we are still behind Williams. We need patience, the road is still long, but we will reap the benefits of our work. On Sunday, I hoped for the victory, maybe we could have done something more between the stops and lapping".

Another meeting takes place in the workshop to prepare the twenty-day programme that begins on April 29^th, in the nearby wind tunnel.

"The minimum objective is to win at least four races, but I am also waiting to see the first victory. Now we have no more excuses. Maybe we expected more from this car, but we are doing well. We are the only ones keeping up with the Williams".

Says Jean Todt, who then goes on talking about the F310B's problems and the development programmes:

"Aerodynamic efficiency, which we have worked on and continue to work on, is the biggest problem. The most delicate part is the front of the car, but these three weeks of work in the wind tunnel will help us improve. Compared to the first race in Australia, we've already made progress, and you can see it in the performance. Now we need to take that extra step to get ahead of the Williams. I'm not saying we need to redo the nose of the car again, that would be impossible. It all starts at the front, and that's where we need to work. Wings, ailerons, deflectors, you must make the whole car work well and in all the conditions you encounter in the championship. It sounds simple, but it's not. That's why we lock ourselves in the tunnel. It's now that Ferrari is thoroughly working in Maranello. It's now that the team is on point in all compartments. It's now that we start. Do you remember long ago when I said that everything had to be done here? A year ago, that dark series of failures started and then a lot of things happened. But we've already recovered, otherwise we wouldn't be doing so well behind Williams. We still have to recover. In terms of aerodynamics but also of better mechanical efficiency. These are all things that take time, they have already improved in recent months. The engine, I mean version one, is doing very well and is very reliable. But there are other things. In the next few days, we will try the active differential again. We already have it, and it works well, but before we use it in the championship, we want to be completely sure. There isn't a single component that can gain half a second or a second. You have to improve in many things and then when you add it all up, the advantage reveals itself. We'll see a successful Ferrari at the end of June, so for the French Grand Prix, where we'll have all the innovations ready and usable. But that doesn't necessarily mean that Ferrari will be a winner from that day on".

In the meantime, on May 6th, 1997, John Barnard's hiring was made official, so he became the new technical director of Arrows starting from Montecarlo, replacing Frankie Dernie, the man who had led the design of the car driven by Damon Hill and Pedro Diniz, and that had not been very successful up to now, still with zero points in the classification. At Williams, Frentzen's first victory in his career at the same time as Villeneuve's retirement did not seem to help the morale of the whole team. Firstly, the Canadian is the undisputed number one in the team's hierarchy, but he anyway sees his certainties crumbling after the victory of the ex-Sauber and the declarations of the team's top management (which clarified the intention not to create favouritism in the internal fight between the drivers). With the success at Imola, Frentzen was no longer a factor to be ignored by Villeneuve, who, evidently annoyed following his second retirement of the season, deserted a press conference organised by a Williams sponsor he did not appreciate. Besides having to deal with a potential new rival, Jacques had also to solve his thorny contractual question: the agreement that bound him to Williams was expiring, even if there was an option for the 1998 season; Villeneuve, however, asked for a substantial increase of his salary, and in the background there was the strong courting by Alain Prost, who wanted to bring the champion of Formula Indy to his stable. When asked who he thinks are the favourites for the Monaco Grand Prix, Villeneuve replied:

"It won't just be him, Schumacher, on the track. Last year Panis won, also watch out for both Jordans. And then there is us, who have a great car".

Then he jokes about the difference that everyone says Schumacher can make despite not having the best performing car:

"I would like to see him in a Lola".

Talking instead about the street circuit, Jacques speaks of its charm, confessing to the press:

"Some corners are blind, beautiful, you have to trust the marshals because if you think there might be an obstacle, that's the end of it all".

In any case, Schumacher does not respond to the provocations. He prefers to close himself off in the technical briefing with Ferrari:

"I wouldn’t have anything new to add. Just one thing. I want to make up for the mistake I made last year".

Jean Todt speaks, looking tanned and relaxed:

"I am also convinced, like Michael, that we will have a competitive car here, more so than at other circuits. We have worked hard for this race, on all the details. On this circuit the engine is not important, the whole thing counts, and now we have a team where everyone is going in the same direction. We should use the standard engines, but we also have the step 2 available, which we hope to use for the whole weekend in Barcelona. We are not under the illusion that we have caught up with Williams. In Monte-Carlo, Schumacher can make his own contribution. But we are still slightly uphill. Maybe in two months the F310B will be able to make significant progress, to be competitive on all circuits, provided the others don't make new steps forward, too. Here we hope to qualify well and be on the front row. But it is a position that all our rivals also want to conquer".

Todt also tackles his medium-term plans. Ferrari is expecting a good result at Monte-Carlo, but above all the aim is to grow over the course of the season to fight at least for the Constructors' Championship:

"We are preparing important changes on the car. If everything goes well, they will be ready in a couple of weeks. We should reach our maximum level between the French and British Grand Prix. Among other things, we are still recruiting staff, to replace the technicians left at Guilford with Barnard. Soon we will be fully staffed, working on everything at Maranello, implementing a programme that I have dreamed of since I arrived in Ferrari".

Ferrari, like the other teams, is therefore aiming for a good qualifying: as it is a narrow circuit, where there is no overtaking, whoever starts in the lead wins. This is not as true as the premise is. In the last twenty years, only seven times has the winner started from pole. And it has only happened to those who were already or later became world champions. Scheckter in 1979, twice Prost in 1984 and 1986, three times Senna (1989, 1990, 1991) and Schumacher in '94 when he drove the Benetton. A tally that also continued in earlier years. Between the '60 and the '70, Lauda, Stewart and Hill (father) won from pole position. If we look at the roll of honour of the Monaco race, we realise another fact: champions and multiple world champions have almost always won at Monte Carlo. It is precisely the driver who can and does make the difference on this track. This could also be the year for Ferrari. Ferrari will not be as good as Williams, as many say, but that means little at Monte Carlo. If Ferrari has not won since 1981, then Williams, the magical and much-vaunted Williams, has not won for a long time too: since 1983, with the Finn Keke Rosberg. The Principality has also seen some resounding achievements in its history that have set milestones in F1 history. In '81, for example, Gilles Villeneuve managed to win despite having an engine considered the least suitable for a circuit like this: the turbo. Renault had already 'invented' it four years earlier, but it was still not going very well, and, above all, it was not breaking through at Monte Carlo. An engine, they said, that needed space, straights and time to be able to accelerate and express that angry charge that the turbo gave. Instead, Villeneuve managed to win with Ferrari's new turbo. Many years earlier, Montecarlo had been the catwalk for the affirmation of another novelty that changed the face of Formula 1: the rear engine. In 1957, Englishman John Cooper brought a Formula 1 car with the rear-engine, and at the wheel was an historical name, Jack Brabham. He did not win, due to a broken fuel pump, but everyone realised that this was the formula of the future. In fact, success came the following year. Ferrari built the first such car in 1961, but Cooper's recollection is curious:

"In 1959 I went to lunch in Maranello to see Enzo Ferrari: he told me he would never build a car with an engine in the back".

Instead, the story turned out differently because the advantages of this solution were many: lightness, compactness, manoeuvrability.

"Yet the drivers didn't like driving it, perhaps because they were worried about having almost nothing in front of them".

Cooper recalls. For Ferrari, unfortunately, the Monaco Grand Prix is also linked to a tangle of good and bad memories. In 1955, the two great rivals at the start were Manuel Fangio in a Mercedes and Alberto Ascari in a Lancia. On lap 50, Fangio retired and Ascari took the lead. At the chicane, he made a mistake and ended up in the sea. The tales of that time often border on legends and fairy tales. It was written that Ascari was distracted for a moment by the crowd applauding him to signal that he was in the lead. More likely, he was betrayed by a brake. The fact is that after the spectacular flight, he got away with a bath. Trintignant won in a Ferrari. A few days later, Ascari died in Monza while testing Eugenio Castellotti's Ferrari. A death that remains mysterious to this day. In 1967 at Monte-Carlo, another mourning for Ferrari and for Italy. Lorenzo Bandini, known as the Italian of Libya due to him being born on the fourth bank, crashed at the chicane and the car caught fire. It was perhaps the first accident broadcasted live on television. Bandini died three days later in hospital from the burns he suffered. At the time, there were no fire-fighting equipment as there is today, and the willing with their jackets did their best to put out the fire. Back to the present, the circuit has been modified for the race. The asphalt was partially redone and, above all, the curves around the pool were changed, they are now indeed wider and softer.

Until the previous year, the drivers had difficulty seeing the trajectory, and threw themselves almost blindly, hoping to come out without damaging the car.

"You will go faster, but there will be more safety and visibility. As for overtaking, however, it will be the usual story: close your eyes and put your foot on the accelerator".

Explains Olivier Panis, last year’s surprise winner. Starting from this edition, the Piscine curve has been changed. Up until last year the drivers had difficulty seeing the trajectory and threw themselves almost blindly hoping to come out without damaging the car. Jacques, not exactly happy with this choice, exclaimed ironically:

"Too bad, now the visibility is perfect".

Ferrari may not yet be the fastest car on the circuits, but it is certainly the most organised since in Monaco the team presents itself with four motorhomes, four trucks, old and new engines, four racing cars, a helicopter and even rubber dinghies to get from the hotel to the pits across the harbour.

"We have everything to win".

Says Jean Todt on the eve of the Grand Prix.

"Schumacher is very motivated this year and the car is going well".

On Thursday, the first free practice sessions are held, and Villeneuve has to temporarily update his prediction of potential competitors for the win. In first place now there is Johnny Herbert, in great shape on board of his Ferrari-powered Sauber. Ferrari is immediately behind with Schumacher, who however appears to be doubtful because of some problems in the set-up of the car, which tends to slide too much. The lap times suggest a very tight qualifying, as there are twelve drivers within just eight tenths of a second of each other. Everyone in the paddock cannot explain how the Ferrari-engined Sauber with Osamu Goto, sent to Switzerland, could have set a better time than the Maranello team. But Schumacher glosses over it, saying:

"I've always told you that engines are not a problem for us. The problem is finding the balance of the car. We haven't managed to do that yet, but Saturday will be something else. After all, even last year we did badly on Thursday and then on Saturday I took pole position. And Sunday? Well, let's forget about it. The first victory could also come here. The conditions were there last year, and they're there now, and it shouldn't be too difficult for me to do better than a year ago, right? I knew that at Ferrari it would have taken some time to be a winner, maybe I'm a bit late with the schedule, but now the season feels ripe. I don't feel frustrated at all. Maybe if I'd won a world championship and found myself like Hill, I might feel frustrated. I don't mean to offend, but it's not a happy situation for sure. For me, it's different, I feel that the fruit is ripening".

In Monte-Carlo there is also the Lawyer Agnelli who, as well as attending the most fashionable event of the season, has also come to meet Ferrari's new technical director, Ross Brawn. And as usual, Schumacher, Irvine, Todt and the new technical director Ross Brawn are picked up by a motor launch sent into the harbour, just below the pits, and then taken aboard the lawyer's yacht.

After this visit, once analysed the bigger picture, Jean Todt decides for a sudden change of programme: the new Step 2 engines, initially left aside for this weekend, are mounted on the two cars of Schumacher and Irvine, who in the meantime, on the day off on Friday, is sent by helicopter to Fiorano just to test a fourth car, chassis n. 174 (then sent to Monte Carlo, where it will serve as a reserve car). The Northern Irishman runs just seven laps for a total of twenty-one kilometres to make sure everything is working.

"In qualifying we will use the Step 2 engine, then we will see. For Sunday's race, the drivers are asking for more driveability. They don't need more horsepower. The Step 2 engine, on the other hand, offers something that can be very useful in practice, which will be intense and very hard. As we saw on Thursday, in the free practice session, albeit in different conditions that can't be reproduced on Saturday, there are a lot of cars within a very small time-window, and so you have to use everything you can and hope to find a free lap, a good lap".

With or without drawn-out free practice sessions, considering the four out of four poles obtained so far, the undisputed favourite on Saturday is logically Villeneuve, with Schumacher considered as the only serious antagonist. Schumacher actually managed to keep the lead for almost the whole duration of qualifying, but then, like a lightning bolt, Heinz-Harald Frentzen showed all his love for city tracks, setting a great lap time of 1'18"216, just nineteen thousandths faster than the one recorded by Schumacher. The Ferrari driver could not retort, but the mistake made by the leader of the standings Villeneuve, who crashed while he was setting record times and potentially a pole position, allowed him at least to hold on to the first row, which for the first time in the history of Formula One is composed entirely by two Germans.

"I lost a little bit at Casino and Mirabeau corners, I didn't have good grip on the tyres any more".

Declares Schumacher, who then adds:

"Frentzen was very good, and I'm fine with that. Now I just have to think about finishing the race because if I do, I'm sure I'll get on the podium and score some useful points. I knew it would end like this. I knew it because I know that Frentzen is good and as soon as they told me he was going to switch to Williams, I immediately thought that I was going to end up with two tough guys. Traditionally, Williams drivers always need some time to get used to the car, but now that time has passed and Frentzen is there too. Of course, it's one thing to take on one opponent at a time and another thing to take on both at the same time".

And when asked which engine would be used for the race, Schumacher concluded by saying:

"We will decide tonight".

But in reality, Ferrari had already decided at the end of qualifying. They will race with the step 1 engine because the step 2 has problems with the exhaust manifolds, which on more than one occasion have been found with small cracks or fissures. After his first career victory at Imola, Frentzen maintained the same trend as in the weekend in San Marino and celebrated his first career pole. His box mate, despite a mistake on his good lap, is third. Giancarlo Fisichella also continued to impress, overshadowing the other young up-and-comer of the season in his car, Ralf Schumacher; the Roman was fourth, and he is dreaming of his first podium on the streets of the Principality, after having just missed it at Imola:

"It's already exceptional to be together with the best, getting on the podium would be a further satisfaction. It is not impossible, of course I will have to fight as much as I can, try to maintain concentration and not let myself be tempted by the desire to overdo".

McLaren also appeared in the top positions in the qualifying session, with great difficulty in the last races in finding a lap time on Saturday; Coulthard was fifth, Häkkinen eighth. Better to draw a veil over Eddie Irvine's performance, fifteenth, who had one of those days when he does not know where to put his head:

"I had too much understeer and the car was undriveable. I hope I can climb back up and score some points for the team".

Montezemolo, who followed qualifying from the Ferrari pit-lane, arrived a few minutes after midday, and left in the early afternoon after brief talks about sponsorship contracts with managers from Shell, Philip Morris and Telecom.

"I'm going back to my home in Bologna. I will suffer in front of the TV, following the race live stresses me out too much. And I am also useless here".

He says with a smile on his lips.

"Even at the trackside I have seen the right atmosphere, you work well. Of course, if it had been up to me, I would have kept Schumacher on the track for the whole duration of practice".

Montezemolo, asked to give his impression on his second driver's day, was laconic:

"I was hoping to see him further up in the field".

Afterwards, he comments on Fisichella and the competitiveness of the F310B:

"Giancarlo is a very serious and fast guy. If he continues like this, he will be among the best drivers in Formula 1. I am very happy to see Ferrari in the lead for the first time in practice, and in pole position until two minutes from the end: only a year ago it would have been impossible to think that possible. I wasn't surprised that Frentzen snatched pole position from Schumacher because the Williams cars have been the ones to beat so far, and even Villeneuve, without the mistake at the end, would have set a great time".

In any case, for Eddie, there is a very interesting precedent that can hearten and motivate him ahead of the race. A precedent that dates back to the previous season, when Olivier Panis started from the fourteenth position and went on to sensationally win a race that saw only three drivers make it to the finish line. Between the two races, there is a significant factor that unites them, namely the strong risk of rain, which in 1996 fell on Monaco a few minutes before the start of all hostilities. Monaco always irresistibly attracts tens of thousands of fans from all over the world and is undoubtedly the most sought-after track. Sold-out tickets, crowded terraces and balconies, full hotels and a picturesque and cheerful hustle and bustle of people on foot invading the small Monégasque kingdom. All around Monaco it is activity, with cars and caravans parked everywhere and also serving as homes for those who do not want to or cannot afford millionaire stays. The Franco-Monegasque law and order service is imposing to get the whole situation under control. In this case, on Sunday, May 11th, 1997, the warm-up took place in dry conditions and was monopolised by the two Williams, but about thirty minutes before the lights went out the rain began to fall intensely on the track, unleashing an inevitable chaos in the pits, on the grid and in the minds of strategists, engineers, drivers, and meteorologists. One wrong decision can lead to the total jeopardy of one's race, a risky but right choice could lead to the exact opposite.

The key choices are set up and tyre compounds. Interviewed on the grid, Damon Hill represents all the indecision of the moment:

"The track is slippery for now, but not enough to mount full-wet tyres. We'll see".

In the meantime, under the watchful eye of Schumacher, the Ferrari is completely stripped bare with the mechanics working frantically to make certain changes, hoping that nothing is left to chance in the heat of the moment. Five minutes before the start, the German driver is already inside the car, ready for the start, but he gets up and runs to another Ferrari parked nearby. He consults Todt and then gets behind the wheel of the reserve car. It will be the winning choice. When taking off the tyre covers, the choices of the various teams are revealed: almost all of them go on intermediate or extreme wet tyres, except for three drivers, who attempt a gamble that would have normally been more appropriate for low-ranking teams attempting the coup de grâce of the day. Villeneuve, Frentzen and Häkkinen mounted slick tyres, hoping that the rain would stop, and the track would dry out. Already from the reconnaissance lap, however, the choice of the latter seems a real madness since the track is completely wet starting from the Casino. At the start, of course, the three drivers who had chosen dry tyres were struggling to keep their cars on track, with the guardrails closer than they already were. As a result, Frentzen and Villeneuve were easily overtaken by Schumacher and Fisichella, who took first and second place. Frentzen tried in some way to defend himself from the attacks of those who were following him, but the few overtaking points helped him only up to a certain point. Barrichello's Stewart, who started tenth and was already fifth at the end of the first lap, was able to exploit the chaos caused by the drivers with dry tyres and Bridgestone tyres, which worked better than Goodyear in wet conditions. The most striking thing, however, is the gap between Schumacher and Fisichella after just one lap on a track that, just for the record, is little more than three kilometres long. The Jordan was 6.6 seconds faster than the Schumacher and Fisichella, eleven seconds faster on the second lap and sixteen seconds faster on the third lap. While the others skidded all over the place and avoided the barriers by a few centimetres, Schumacher drove as if he were on dry ground, exploiting the intermediate tyres on his Ferrari in a masterly way, with a set-up adapted to the wet track, but above all, helped by his sensitivity to driving on such an insidious track. This is the team radio between Michael Schumacher and Jean Todt:

"How are they doing at the back?"

Todt:

"You're doing well, Michael, you're doing well, but now you have to manage".

Schumacher:

"I don't understand if the car is going well or not. At the station turn I was almost stopped... and before the tunnel, too".

Todt:

"Michael... the last lap, you were six seconds faster than the one behind you. Manage, don't push. At this rate, we'll lap them in ten laps".

Schumacher:

"If I don't push, I don't concentrate. And if I don't concentrate, I risk making a mistake".

Just three laps in and the German has already given everyone a driving lesson; a lesson that will continue for all the remaining laps. In the meantime, the Williams were gradually being pulled out of the group, as for the other Jordan driven by Ralf Schumacher, it took the provisional third place, ahead of Barrichello, Herbert and Panis. During the first lap, at the Nouvelle Chicane coming out of the tunnel, McLaren faced a disaster: Coulthard spun while entering the bend, the others slowed down to carefully avoid the Scotsman's McLaren, but Häkkinen, who with slick tyres had less grip, could not brake enough and hit Alesi's Benetton, destroying the nose and the front right suspension of his car. With even Coulthard unable to restart, in a matter of seconds McLaren realises that they already need to dismantle the pit equipment to return home. Coming out of the Nouvelle Chicane, at the same time, Hill hit the rear of Irvine's Ferrari, and he too damaged the right suspension irreparably; for the Briton this is the fifth retirement in five races. After three laps of agony, Williams calls Villeneuve back to the pits to mount intermediate tyres, and immediately afterwards it is Frentzen's turn. The Canadian found himself seventeenth, he recorded an illusory fast lap beaten on the following passage by Schumacher, but in any case, his race was already considered compromised. By taking advantage of Ralf Schumacher's slight spin at Loews, Barrichello continued to climb up in the classification taking the third position in a skilful and without consequences manner, just to later successfully attack Fisichella, too. The Roman driver did not seem very at ease in the wet, as his teammate Ralf also overtook him with a great manoeuvre at Louis Chiron. After seven laps, the Brazilian's Stewart pays twenty-seven seconds from the undisputed outrider. Making mistakes in the rain is already quite common, but if you drive in Monte-Carlo, the chances of making a mistake are doubled. Jarno Trulli knew something about it, who crashed at Mirabeau, just as Herbert, who did the same at Sainte Dévote, Ralf Schumacher, who had to leave his Jordan unattended in the escape way at Piscine, and Gerhard Berger, who escaped retirement but lost his front wing and had to go back to pits to mount another one. Same thing for the leader of the standings, Jacques Villeneuve: dispersed in the back rows and with no good perception of a car set for a dry track, after twelve rounds he found Schumacher behind him, ready to double him.

Slower by three to four seconds per lap than the German, the Williams driver hesitated to step aside, thus forcing an attentive Schumacher to spend two laps behind him, and at the end he decided to lift his foot at Massenet, not exactly an ideal point considering the conditions, but in any case, that did not help to upset the Ferrari driver. A few laps passed, and the race also came to a premature end for him, following a collision with the barriers that proved fatal. Five races run, two successes, but already three retirements; for Villeneuve a weekend that had to be of redemption turns into another nightmare. All this plus observing from the pits his rival on his way towards victory, thus taking away from him the first place in the ranking. After 25 of the 78 foreseen laps (impossible to complete due to the wet track that inevitably required the passing of the two hours limit), the situation is the following: Schumacher leader undisturbed in total solitude, as well as Barrichello, who drives without anybody near him, but always on the alert, praying that his Stewart does not break this time too; then Fisichella, Panis, Irvine and Mika Salo with Tyrrell to close the points zone. Among the many mistakes and retirements (only thirteen drivers remained in the race up to this point), the historic English team, far from being one of the '70s, dreamed of a feat, just like the newborn Stewart of Barrichello. On lap 32, Schumacher goes to the pits for his only pit-stop, where he is fitted with extreme wet tyres instead of the intermediate ones used up to that moment, a sign that the rain is not stopping, on the contrary, it is intensifying. Meantime Olivier Panis showed off all his skills and his love for rain, reaching Fisichella and - after a few laps of study - not hesitating to make a great overtaking just after the Piscine on the Roman driver, who was on a clear crisis with the tyres, given that not even one lap later Irvine passed him coming out of the tunnel. The stop for him was obligatory, but - considering the amount of water on the track - at the pits they made a mistake and put back on intermediate tyres instead of the more appropriate full-wets. Frentzen, Saturday's pole man, also drowns in the rain, like Villeneuve, first lapped and then on the wall at the Nouvelle Chicane, after jumping on a kerb and breaking his suspension. Needless to say, the Mönchengladbach native had imagined this day quite differently. While Schumacher continued to lap two seconds faster than everyone else, Irvine delayed his stop to try and snatch the third place from Panis.

The aggressive strategy succeeded and at the exit of the pit lane Eddie could manage to get a considerable advantage of ten seconds over the Frenchman of Prost. The rest of the race went on waiting for the two hours to elapse and with all the drivers scattered along the track, careful not to fall into fatal mistakes; the only emotions were offered by Schumacher, who frightened all the Ferrari people by going down at the first bend, yet coming back on track without any damage. The German driver said at the end of the race:

"I had a lot of problems, every time I braked it was difficult to hold the car. When towards the end I was approaching Sainte Devote, I felt the skid and tried to limit the damage".

Mika Salo arrived at the chequered flag without a pit-stop and with a slightly damaged wing, finishing fifth ahead of Fisichella. In the final corners, Schumacher, from his huge lead, almost stopped to provide those few seconds needed to reach the two-hour mark and avoid another tricky lap. Michael arrived at the chequered flag, which sanctioned his triumph under the deluge of Montecarlo, and then he could finally celebrate his first seasonal success, also breaking what had become a real taboo for Ferrari. The Red car had not won on the Monégasque streets since 1981 with Gilles Villeneuve at the wheel of the 126 CK, without forgetting that the last success in order of time was eight months earlier at the Italian Grand Prix, again with Schumacher. Almost a minute later, Rubens Barrichello arrived at the finishing line, who - at the first race completed for the young Stewart - could even afford to celebrate an unhoped-for podium, together with the two Ferrari drivers, as Irvine kept the third step of the podium ahead of Panis. Immediately after the end of the race, journalist James Allen approached the Stewart pit wall to get a few words out of Sir. Jackie, who, although trying not to, bursts into tears of joy and walks away. Only a few minutes later he pulls himself together and declares:

"I have never been happier in my life, neither with my victories nor with my World Championships. I'm happy for everyone, everyone who contributed to the car, the mechanics, Ford, Bridgestone, and everyone who supported us. It should have taken years to get results like this, but after the fifth race, we are second. I, in my whole career, have never been second in Monaco! Rubens did an extraordinary job, he drove divinely".

That's actually true, Sir. Jackie has never been second in Monaco, but in the euphoria of the moment he must have forgotten that in his exceptional career as a driver he has been on the podium three times as a winner. Rubens Barrichello could not contain his excitement either:

"It's fantastic, I'm proud of myself and the team. I am happy to be part of this family. It wasn't so long ago that I turned on the television and watched Ayrton win here, to be able to drive personally is worth a lot to me. It's like a victory".

In the parc fermé, Jean Todt rushed to embrace both his drivers, authors in their own way of two performances to remember.

"It's a dream that we will live for at least twenty-four hours before diving back into solving the problems for the next race".

The Ferrari team manager recounts:

"It is a Sunday that puts us in a great position of commitment. But what also makes an impression on me is to think that it is half a century since Ferrari's first race. It makes me think of Enzo Ferrari, it makes me think of the first driver who was Cortese. I am happy that this half-century is being celebrated in this way. The lawyer wanted to congratulate the drivers".

And he adds:

"They have done very well. Even Irvine, whom you often criticise. Of course, he started far behind, but we told him to come up and score at least one point. He did much more than that. A first and a third place were never scored, and I'm happy because in Monte Carlo we didn't repeat the experience of other times, when we went well until Friday and less well when we had to get serious. Here we have always been protagonists. Four years ago, Ferrari's journey was uphill: from the zero of those days, we have passed to the reality of today. But we mustn't get carried away by euphoria: the car is competitive, and it will only remain so if we continue to improve it".

Then, talking about the choice of tyres and the set-up of the car that made the victory in Monte Carlo possible, Jean Todt admits that:

"Schumacher decided both the set-up and the tyres. And he did the same for Irvine, whose comeback from fifteenth place was exciting: well done to them both. Our goal? When I presented the season at Maranello I said that we were aiming to win four Grands Prix, one more than last year, while success in the World Championship was planned for the following year. I haven't changed my mind".

In turn, Schumacher and Irvine celebrated the French manager by lifting him and throwing him up.

"It's one of the most beautiful victories of my career".

Michael declares during the interview round.

"It was wonderful and also fun for us. We had prepared two solutions, but when choosing, we didn't know if our intuition would be right. It was decided at the last moment, and it worked out very well for us. At the first corner there were a lot of fans with Ferrari flags, so I thought I should do something for them. The only worry could have been the lapping in the water, with very little visibility".

On the small mistake he made in the closing stages, he jokes:

"I was afraid the engine would die because there was no other risk as the advantage over Barrichello was pretty big. I kept the revs up, the car moved, I turned it around and drove away. I wasn't tired. This is a track that engages your concentration but doesn't fatigue you if you get ahead. Excluding the mistake at Sainte Dévote I always had everything under control. Without the rain, I think I would have had a good battle with Frentzen. In '96 I had the disadvantage of starting from the wettest part of the track, but in this case, I was on the dry side. I had intermediate rain tyres, which are softer, and little fuel in the tank, everything was perfect. On the last lap, I looked at the stopwatch so that I would cross the line after the two hours needed to finish the race. I had no desire to take another walk around the circuit. I am proud to have brought Ferrari back to victory at Monte Carlo after so many years. I dedicate this success to the fiftieth anniversary of the team. So far, a lot of things have turned out well, and we have also been lucky because Williams had a lot of problems: today, for example, they got the tyres wrong, I was told, and I don't know why that happened. But the race for the title is still long and there will be more ungrateful circuits than this one: in Barcelona I don't think Ferraris will be able to do well because the characteristics do not suit our car. And Canada doesn't favour us either. We'll have to work hard to be competitive at the end of June, after the Montreal race".

The great joy for the victory obtained does not make Luca di Montezemolo lose lucidity, who remains firmly with his feet on the ground:

"We have to be very satisfied with the beautiful result, but let's be clear, we only did our duty. We must keep our feet on the ground, but I am well aware that all the sporting management staff are the first to be aware that there is still a lot of work to be done. Ferrari is a team that can still make mistakes, but today it is the best organisation on and off the track. I am very confident, but I don't forget all the work that brought us here, and I thank all those who have waited for us, our shareholders and above all our fans. On Saturday, I left the circuit confident because, finally, we could say: this time we are going to win. The team did not make any mistakes, making and getting right all the difficult choices with incredible calm. To all those who have worked for the rosse over 50 years: technicians, engineers, mechanics, drivers. Starting with Enzo Ferrari, the first. This is the feeling today, to have honoured such an important company that is a symbol of Italy, sport and technology. It was said: Ferrari is a myth that never wins. We haven't won anything yet, but to celebrate 50 years with such a categorical success, two drivers on the podium and the lead in the World Championship is no small thing".

Irvine also celebrated his unexpected third place despite starting fifteenth, and during the race his car had suffered quite a few bumps:

"I'm going to do everything I can to stay on top and show that I don't deserve such criticism. I am very happy. After Saturday's fifteenth place I didn't get demoralised, but it seemed difficult to make up so many positions on a track like this: I did it. My car was set up for the dry but on the starting grid I increased the aerodynamic load, and it became drivable even in the rain. I got a good start, but the first six laps were unbelievable: I was sandwiched between all those cars, touching each other from all sides. My Ferrari proved to be strong and effective enough to face that. Now, with these results, I'm starting to feel like a different person, so let's hope it continues like this".

The mood is logically the opposite at Williams, who has been aware since the start of the season that they have the strongest car but have so far been unable to exploit it properly; a total of seven retirements in five races is a figure that must sound the alarm for Frank Williams and his team. The scapegoat of the day is the weatherman: the British team has relied on a private English weather service that, minute by minute, broadcasts the forecast.

"The data in our possession told us that it should not have rained for half an hour - said a disappointed Villeneuve - so we opted for dry tyres and set-up. At that point, even with intermediates, the car was undriveable".

The English team manager made the same point:

"The weather information announced a clearing just after the start, and the team decided to fit dry tyres to take advantage of it. It did clear up, but it was around seven o'clock in the evening when the grandstands were already being cleared. My drivers are not to blame and cannot be criticised for the result".

Rubens Barrichello is beaming, who with his second place brings Stewart GP on the podium for the first time:

"It seems like yesterday that I was watching Senna on TV winning here in Monte Carlo. For me, being on the podium is like a victory. It was a very hard battle, but also a beautiful one, the best result of my career. And also, the first great result for Stewart, who is just five races old".

Giancarlo Fisichella, on the other hand, was pleased with the point gained, but sorry for a podium finish that was within reach and lost not for his fault. It was the tyres that betrayed him, at least partially.

The Italian driver had started with a wet compound, but an intermediate type, with too little grip. So the Jordan driver asked loudly, via radio to his pits, to prepare him a set of real rain tyres. But when he returned to the track after the pit-stop, he found that they had fitted him with the same tyres:

"It was a very tough race. In the beginning, I thought that it would not rain much and that the asphalt would dry out. But no, the water came down harder and harder. The car was difficult to drive, and I could never push on the accelerator. I had to use a third of the engine power to avoid going straight everywhere. It was a miracle that I finished the race. I will make up for it soon, I promise".

His teammate, Ralf Schumacher, comments on Fisichella’s race:

"He started fourth, and he settled for sixth place, I, instead, drive to win".

With the ten points gained by Schumacher, he now has 24, he is leading the drivers' championship, a pleasant feeling that Ferrari has not had since 1990 when Alain Prost overtook Senna after the British Grand Prix. There were also smiles in the constructors' standings, where the red car, thanks also to Eddie Irvine's excellent results, took the lead with 38 points, with Williams at 30 points. After such a high-level performance, the top of the classifications conquered, and a stunned opponent, the fundamental question for the continuation of the season is one: will Ferrari be able to remain constant in the results and in the level of competitiveness in the two-way battle with Williams? The drivers and Todt are the first to put their hands up. Williams still has the fastest single-seater, McLaren has several innovations in sight that should take it back to the top, and Benetton has every reason to work hard and try to catch up. Then there are the emerging teams, which on certain circuits could also be a relative surprise. On one side, the Jordan of young Fisichella and Ralf Schumacher, on the other, the rookie, yet aggressive Stewart. Barrichello's second place proves it. Then there is always Prost, threatening, even if so far in a patchy manner. In a climate of uncertainty, however, taking advantage of the rivalry that exists in Williams between Frentzen and Villeneuve, of points snatched here and there by other competitors, Ferrari announces itself competitive to fight until the end of the season. No illusions, though: already in the next race in Barcelona, in a fortnight time, Maranello has to wait for the reactions of its rivals on a track that in theory should be very hostile. But certain injections of restorative, like today's success, can only be good for the health. From Vienna, Niki Lauda gives a quick interview. The kidney transplant he underwent a few days ago was successful: it will still take him five to six days to make a full recovery. It is almost certain that he will be back in Barcelona. Talking about the Grand Prix he watched on television, Lauda comments:

"I witnessed the spectacle of perfection. Drivers, cars, strategy: nobody at Ferrari made a single wrong move or choice. Around Schumacher, with time, the whole team grew. But just as he was unbeatable in the race, so were the technicians and mechanics in the pits. And not only in the race, Ferrari's entire weekend was conducted without error. So much so that in the end, there were two cars that finished on the podium, not just Schumacher's. Micheal, again assuming there was a need to highlight the obvious, confirmed that he belongs to the category of true champions. Let's consider the race he just won: it wasn't easy with all that water on the track to get immediately away after the start and then retain the lucidity and focus to keep pushing. Impressive".

#602 1997 Monaco Grand Prix

#1997, Fulvio Conti, Davide Scotto di Vetta,

In Monte-Carlo, in 1996 he took pole and triggered some controversy because he had inadvertently slowed down Gerhard Berger who was still in the middl