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#864 2012 Monaco Grand Prix

2023-01-15 00:00

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#2012, Fulvio Conti,

#864 2012 Monaco Grand Prix

Open letter to the team. This is the latest move by Ferrari's president, Luca Montezemolo, who by now has really tried everything to spur the Maranell

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Open letter to the team. This is the latest move by Ferrari's president, Luca Montezemolo, who by now has really tried everything to spur the Maranello team to give their best. A difficult balancing act because - as it is known - everyone always lives under pressure in the factory and increasing that pressure even slightly can lead to disaster.

 

"The World Championship depends on us".

 

The opening sentence says it all, and in that royal we there is all the pressure that the president himself feels: another year of disasters would be unacceptable. Hence the open letter, a signal of great encouragement and trust, as explained by Luca di Montezemolo himself when handing out the famous personal letter to all the collaborators on the eve of the Monaco Grand Prix.

 

"The World Championship is wide open, until now there has not been a dominant force. A series of circumstances and the work done so far to improve the car, along with Alonso's great skills, have put us - after five races - at the lead of the World Championship. We must take advantage of this by trying to get the best out of each one of us, at home and on the track, including Massa who must deliver the results we expect from him. I’ve been told by Domenicali, with whom I am in constant contact, about how strong the commitment of everyone is. I am sure of this also because winning the World Championship depends solely and exclusively on us: on our skills, our creativity, our work method, our determination, our desire to prove that we are the best".

 

On Thursday, May 24, 2012, on the eve of the Monaco Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso briefly looks up and, beyond the cameras that besiege him, glimpses, outside the motorhome, the familiar unchanging Monegasque scenery, a picturesque setting with boats, six-star hotels, double-breasted jackets, twelve-inch heels and low-cut dresses, and casinos. He takes a breath and, adopting a poker face, sighs:

 

"It's like roulette. You can bet on red or black, just like that, without a reason, just because you feel like it...".

 

The question that had preceded this response was a classic of sports journalism: why should anyone bet a euro on the victory of the Spaniard here in Monte-Carlo? The reporters take note, Alonso smiles and everyone understands that it was not just a joke, it was a declaration of war, and behind the metaphor suggested by the context, there is a very clear concept. The most dangerous rival is Lewis Hamilton. When asked to clarify his thought further, Fernando Alonso becomes more vague and certainly less evocative:

 

"What I meant is that I sincerely believe that the balance that has dominated this world championship is destined to break sooner or later, I find it really hard to think that by November, we'll still be looking at a leaderboard where everyone is on an equal footing. Maybe not here in Monaco where the race is unique and what matters is strategies, tire consumption and what happens lap by lap, but I'm certain that at some point someone will emerge and disrupt the balance".

 

That someone is quickly identified: Lewis Hamilton.

 

"To be honest, more than a driver, I believe that what will make the difference will be a car, the one that will come up with the right development path, the one that will manage to find consistency. However, if I have to name a driver, it's clear that I am going to mention Lewis, I've always said that, after all: I always look at all my colleagues' results on the grid, but I pay closer attention to his because he, in my opinion, is the only one who, regardless of the car, can always bring something special out of every situation".

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A declaration of respect that here in Monte-Carlo has a somewhat commemorative feel to it, given that it was right here, during their time at McLaren, that the well-known disputes between the two began. However, the impression is that Alonso's kind words also play an important role at a tactical, or rather, pre-tactical level. It is as if the Spaniard wanted to lighten the burden of Sunday's race from the weight of inevitable expectations. He arrives here as the leader of the championship, even accompanied by a letter from President Luca Montezemolo that states verbatim that Ferrari holds its future in its own hands. Quite an imprecise statement, considering that Ferrari's future is in the hands of Fernando Alonso. And the Spaniard knows it well. Just as he knows that Monaco is not a race like any other, that there are few places in the world where champions can go beyond themselves and become myths. And this is one of those: here, a significant victory for the championship, achieved with a car inferior to the competition, could allow him to take – if he ever needed to - an additional step forward in the hearts of the fans and in the history of this sport. But these are enormous and heavy thoughts, better not to dwell on them, better to have the illusion that simply spinning the wheel and betting on red will be enough. Following Sergio Pérez's accident, during the qualifying session of the previous edition of the Monaco Grand Prix, changes were made to the track. The protective barrier at the exit of the Tunnel, where the accident occurred, has been repositioned 14 meters further inside. Additionally, the asphalt at the point where the Mexican driver lost control of his Sauber has been resurfaced. The pit lane exit was also widened, and some of the barriers at the Sainte Devote and Piscine corners, previously made with tires, have been replaced with more modern materials. The track modifications were appreciated by Michael Schumacher, who has praised the organizers for their quick response in improving safety. 

 

Fortunately, Williams repairs the chassis of Bruno Senna's FW34 in time, which was damaged in the major fire in the British team's garage at the end of the victorious Spanish Grand Prix. On Thursday, May 24, 2012, Fernando Alonso sets the fastest time in the first practice session. The Spanish driver is ahead of Romain Grosjean and Sergio Pérez in the time rankings. The practice session is interrupted nine minutes early due to an engine failure on Heikki Kovalainen's Caterham, which occurred under the Tunnel, making visibility difficult for the drivers. Michael Schumacher damages his front wing on the curbs, while Kimi Räikkönen stops for a long time due to the need to replace the steering wheel, and does not set valid lap times. Rainfall characterizes the second Thursday session. Jenson Button sets the fastest time in the early minutes of the practice, using Supersoft tires. Romain Grosjean and Felipe Massa follow him. Rain hits the track about fifteen minutes into the session and no driver is able to set valid lap times. The intensity of the rain forces the drivers to switch to intermediate tires. In Monaco, Red Bull Racing once again draws the attention of rival teams. At least three teams, including McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes, are questioning the design of the RB8's floor, which features a suspicious hole in front of the rear wheels. Although an official protest could not be ruled out entirely, the possibility of a complaint appears rather remote at the moment. According to Article 3.12.5, teams cannot have holes in certain areas of the floor, and the controversy revolves precisely around the location of these openings. Red Bull Racing has not commented on the issue yet, but a team member reiterates that the solution had been deemed legal by the FIA since the Bahrain Grand Prix. At the end of the practice sessions, Fernando Alonso says he is satisfied with the work done:

 

"Ferrari started the weekend on the right foot, although rain spoiled our and others’ plans. Now we have to see what the weather will be like on Saturday morning: if it's dry, perhaps we'll do a few more laps than usual but, in case of rain, we'll have to work thinking about the race too".

 

Felipe Massa shares the same opinion:

 

"The car felt good to me right from the beginning of the first session, with good balance in all conditions and with slightly better traction than we expected".

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The scriptwriter is a genius. There are no other explanations. Because only a genius could have conceived of preparing in this way the Monaco Grand Prix, the race of legends, which this year in addition to its load of rhetoric and sequins, also holds incredible importance for the championship race. The plot is as follows: after five races the standings are a kind of jumble, with the drivers of the two fastest cars, McLaren and Lotus, inexplicably lagging behind those who have struggled more so far, Red Bull Racing and Ferrari. In general, there is no one who appears stronger than the others. On the contrary. As soon as someone seems to start going fast, something unexpected happens and someone else emerges from the pack, such as Pastor Maldonado. In this situation, we arrive at the craziest circuit in the Circus, the city circuit of Monte-Carlo, a tangle of narrow streets and unthinkable curves without escape routes, a place where if you are a true champion, you finish second, because to win you must be predestined. Engrossed in such a meticulously crafted plot, we were all waiting for the day of the free practice sessions for the Monaco Grand Prix to understand who, after all the mixing and shuffling, the true contenders in the field were. Once the day arrives, moments before the practice sessions, the media wanders around the pit lane, peeking into the garages, hoping to catch some sign on the faces of the mechanics - a brighter-than-usual glance, a sideways smile - that could give away something. Instead, nothing. At least until the roar of the engines. Once they were turned on, however, that genius of a scriptwriter had thought to further confuse matters: a light drizzle, almost imperceptible, began to fall from a sky laden with uncertainty and altered the asphalt, making only the initial laps of little significance. The rest was a lottery. And so, disheartened, the media wanders around the paddock during the evening, looking for some driver who could clarify the standings on the eve of such a prestigious and important Grand Prix. And here lies the only real surprise of the day. Because the drivers, typically inexpressive, seemed intellectually stimulated by this state of uncertainty, and so they were talking, explaining, illustrating. They were even giving examples and comparisons. What is sensed is that the car to beat is the Lotus of Kimi Räikkönen and Romain Grosjean. 

 

That McLaren continues to be the most successful project and the once awful Ferrari has now become competitive: in the firts laps of the free practice sessions, when the asphalt still offered the necessary grip, Fernando Alonso showed good results, setting the fastest time. The one who could have a few issues, in the end, may be Red Bull Racing which, as Mark Webber admits, is likely to struggle in the fight for pole position. All of this, of course, theoretically. Because the words of the drivers do not take into account the will of the aforementioned scriptwriter - who is obviously only a rhetorical figure, we say this for those suspicious of Bernie Ecclestone and his unlimited power - who, it seems, is quite determined on sending more clouds and more rain over the quirkiest circuit in the Circus. Rain is expected both on Saturday and Sunday. If the meteorologists are not mistaken, any further forecasts are destined to be washed away. On Saturday, May 26, 2012, Nico Rosberg sets the fastest time in FP3. Felipe Massa and Sebastian Vettel set the second and third best times. The session is marked by two incidents: Paul di Resta breaks his front wing, after a mistake at the end of the Tunnel corner; Pastor Maldonado goes wide at the Casino, hits the barriers with the right rear and crashes at Mirabeau. The latter incident leads to the suspension of qualifying four minutes before its conclusion. Pastor Maldonado is also considered at fault for a contact with Sergio Pérez: for this reason he is penalized with a ten-position grid penalty. Nico Hülkenberg, on the other hand, only received a warning for an unfair maneuver involving Pérez himself. A few hours later, at the beginning of Q1 Sergio Pérez crashes at the Piscine corner and a wheel comes off his car. This incident forces the race director to display the red flag and halt the session. Later in Q1, the other Sauber driver, Kamui Kobayashi, also grazes the barriers at St. Devote, but without consequences. Nico Hülkenberg sets the fastest time, using Supersoft tires. Even the top team drivers are forced to use the most performing tyres to avoid elimination, such as Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel. The eliminated drivers are the ones from Caterham, Heikki Kovalainen and Vitalij Petrov, from Marussia, Charles Pic and Timo Glock, from HRT, Pedro de la Rosa and Narain Kartikeya, and Sergio Pérez, who doesn't set a valid time before the incident. In Q2, all drivers use Supersoft tires. Nico Rosberg sets the fastest time, but with a second attempt Felipe Massa takes the lead. Kimi Räikkönen secures a spot in Q3 only on his final attempt. 

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The two Force India drivers, Nico Hülkenberg and Paul di Resta, the two Scuderia Toro Rosso drivers, Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Éric Vergne, Kamui Kobayashi, Bruno Senna and Jenson Button are eliminated. In Q3 Romain Grosjean sets the best time, before Nico Rosberg manages to take the lead in the time rankings. Subsequently, at the end of the second and final attempt, Mark Webber improves on Nico Rosberg's time, but, in turn, the Australian is overtaken by Michael Schumacher. However, due to a penalty resulting from the incident with Bruno Senna in the Spanish Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher will start from sixth place. Therefore, it is the tenth pole position in Mark Webber’s carreer. On the second row, there will be the McLaren-Mercedes of Englishman Lewis Hamilton and the Lotus of Frenchman Romain Grosjean. Spanish driver Fernando Alonso will start from the third row with the best Ferrari, alongside Michael Schumacher's Mercedes. Behind them is the other Ferrari of Felipe Massa. Only tenth place for the reigning World Champion, Sebastian Vettel, with the Red Bull Racing team.

 

"I am very excited. It is fabulous to secure pole position here, on such a prestigious track, after what I've been through in the last two years".

 

Michael Schumacher enjoys his result in qualifying.

 

"Pole position - even if virtual - is very important for me, but I leave the judgments to others. I managed to put all the ingredients together at the right moment".

 

Since his return to the circus in 2012, the German driver had not experienced a qualifying day like this one.

 

"The results of our work are finally evident, I thank the team and Mercedes who supported me. With this result I have given something back, and now I hope to return something more in the race. I'll aim to win even though I'm starting from sixth place".

 

Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso tries to see the bright side after the qualifying session.

 

"Fifth place is fine. It's important to start on the clean side of the track. The races this year always offer surprises. In Monaco, perhaps they will be less frequent, because overtaking is difficult. But there will be moments when the safety car will come out, there will be incidents: you have to be ready to take advantage of every opportunity. Qualifying this season is as surprising as the races. It's a pity that Michael can't fully enjoy the pole. I'm a bit sad for him, after so many years he can't celebrate to the fullest".

 

And Mark Webber does not hide his surprise:

 

"I thought I had been penalized. My engineer was saying: great lap, blah blah blah, penalty... I didn't know what I had done. In any case, this is Michael's day. He did a great lap in a session where many drivers arrived at the end with different tire situations. We have an excellent car and now we are in a great position".

 

That Schumacher who celebrates like a madman for his pole position and is almost moved to tears is not dressed in red. He drives a Mercedes and now only the Germans go crazy for him. Dressed in red was the Schumacher who in 2001, during his first life in Formula 1, among the narrow streets of Monte-Carlo led Ferrari to victory, the last full joy for the Maranello team in the Principality, eleven years ago, an eternity. Since then, Ferrari has celebrated a lot, with 79 victories, on tracks all around the world, but never again in Monaco, the most enchanting and magical Grand Prix on the calendar, a kind of curse that Fernando Alonso wants to break. 

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Superstition, which the Spanish driver often clings to, might help: the last victory, Michael Schumacher's, is dated May 27, 2001. The date coincides. But above all the encouraging performance of the Ferrari car can help, better in the various practice sessions than in qualifying, for the first time capable of placing both its drivers in the top ten. Giving hope to Alonso, who is sixth in terms of lap times, fifth on the starting grid due to Schumacher's penalty.

 

"It's a nice stroke of luck to be able to move up one position, I'm starting from the clean side of the track, and that's no small advantage here".

 

It is especially a first one for Felipe Massa, who has never entered the top ten before and is now seventh with regrets:

 

"Because I deserved at least fifth place (ahead of Alonso, Ed.) and I didn't get it because of the traffic".

 

If Massa, who in this 2012 usually has a slower pace, is able to compete with the front-runners, it means that Ferrari is in the game and can allow Fernando Alonso to defend his world championship leadership. This is probably what the Spaniard is thinking, who candidly admits his focus on Lewis Hamilton:

 

"In my opinion, he is the most dangerous opponent in the title race and he's not far away, we could beat him and gain more points. We're improving with every race, taking small steps to get to the top, and living often in Italy, I've learned that saying, chi va piano, va sano e va lontano - those who go slowly, go healthy and go far".

 

But in the meantime the Spaniard also shares his dreams for the race:

 

"The podium and maybe something more, hoping of course that those ahead of me make mistakes".

 

He's referring to Mark Webber, who didn't secure pole position, but will start at the front, true Red Bull Racing compared to the faltering steps of Sebastian Vettel (ninth place and fifth row), to Nico Rosberg, and even to Romain Grosjean, who was deemed by many as favourite, but hasn't confirmed the announced dominance yet. Alonso’s main focus is on Lotus:

 

"They should be the strongest, but they didn't show it in qualifying. Strange. In this 2012 season surprises are always just around the corner".

 

Now Ferrari hopes that Alonso's car number will unexpectedly come out as the lucky number.

 

"Starting well will be crucial".

 

Should he succeed, let's prepare ourselves to witness a fierce battle unfold. Meanwhile, for Michael Schumacher it has been the worst week of his life. He was stabbed in the back by a poll indicating that 55.4% of Germans considered his career over and wanted him out of Mercedes, humiliated by rumours of an imminent replacement with Paul di Resta, abandoned by his team that didn't defend him and even showed clear signs of impatience. It has been the worst week of his life, this one. Until 3:06 p.m. of Saturday, May 26, 2012, a date that rightfully enters the history of Formula 1. 

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The day when the old lion teetering on the brink roared and silenced everyone, from Monte-Carlo to Stuttgart. The day of Michael Schumacher's comeback. It happened suddenly but with great spontaneity. The car was doing well, the sun was shining brightly on the friendly asphalt of Rascasse, Piscine and Tabac corners, and everything seemed enveloped in a homey and gentle atmosphere. Mark Webber and Nico Rosberg were leading. But he, Michael Schumacher, still had to have his say. So he lowered his visor and pressed the accelerator pedal. But without the anger or resentment one might expect. Simply with talent and that hunger for perfection that have always made him stand out. One corner after another, tracing a perfect lap that took him back to that 2006 which was the last year of his first life, as he calls it. One corner after another, without taking a breath, until the checkered flag. Only then he lifted his gaze, saw the number one light up again on the big screens, as it always did in that first life. The rest was just clapping, measured words and regal gestures, like that kiss he planted on the forehead of Matteo Bonciani, the FIA manager who turns 42:

 

"We're about the same age, brother".

 

Michael Schumacher whispers in his ear. An intimate gesture, for a friend. But also symbolic, for everyone. As if to say, no, I am not mad at FIA for the disqualification that will now force me to start from sixth position instead of first, I am not mad at anyone:

 

"I always look forward, never backward".

 

Even that Ross Brawn, who until the day before doubted him and is now beating his chest:

 

"After what we've seen we hope he stays with us for a long time".

 

Michael looks at him and smiles:

 

"It's the best day of my second life".

 

He whispers, but it is evident that it is just a phrase prepared for him by the press office. In reality he is looking ahead. And ahead there is still a race to run. On Sunday, May 27, 2012, at the start of the Monaco Grand Prix, Mark Webber keeps the first position, followed by Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa and Sebastian Vettel. Romain Grosjean attempts to pass Fernando Alonso, but squeezes Michael Schumacher against the barriers: the two cars touch, the French spins and is forced to retire. Other drivers are also affected by the incident: Pastor Maldonado and Pedro de la Rosa, as his rear wing is damaged, are forced to stop. The Safety car is deployed for four laps. When the race is resumed, the positions remain unchanged. Rain is indicated as imminent on the circuit, prompting teams to delay their first tire change as much as possible. The first driver to pit is Nico Rosberg, who switches to Soft tires. Meanwhile, Kimi Räikkönen, struggling with his tires, blocks a large group of drivers. On lap 29, Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton pit. When, during lap 30, Fernando Alonso enters his box to change tyres, he gains a position on the McLaren British driver. Sebastian Vettel - who still has to change his tires - takes the lead of the race, followed by Mark Webber, Nico Rosberg, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa. During lap 40 Sergio Pérez serves a drive-through penalty for an incident with Kimi Räikkönen as they entered the pit lane. On lap 46, Sebastian Vettel makes his pit stop and returns to the track in fourth place, managing to overtake Lewis Hamilton by a few centimetres. Despite the obvious difficulty of overtaking, the race maintains a certain suspense as the top six drivers are very close to each other. During lap 71, Jenson Button attacks Heikki Kovalainen at the Piscine corner, but he spins and his race ends. 

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Shortly after Sergio Perez also tries on the outside at the St. Devote, but Heikki Kovalainen resists: the two cars touch, they run wide, but manage to continue, although the front wing of the Caterham is damaged. Eventually Perez manages to overtake Kovalainen who then stops in the pits to change the wing. In the last five laps, light rain falls on the track, prompting Jean-Éric Vergne to switch to intermediate tires. None of the leaders follows suit: the standings remain unchanged with Mark Webber winning the Monaco Grand Prix, preceding Nico Rosberg and Fernando Alonso at the finish line. This is the eighth career victory for the Aussie and it is also the sixth different winner in the first six races. Sergio Pérez sets the first fastest lap of his career and becomes the first Mexican to do so since Pedro Rodríguez at the 1968 French Grand Prix. Sebastian Vettel finishes in fourth place, followed by Lewis Hamilton, Felipe Massa, Paul di Resta, Nico Hulkenberg, Kimi Raikkonen and Bruno Senna. Sometimes it still happens: a nice sprint to the finish line, after 78 intense laps with the unpredictable weather that could disrupt everything at any moment. This was the exciting Monaco Grand Prix that saw the top three drivers, Webber, Rosberg and Alonso, finish within less than a second of each other. It was a very balanced race that reflects an equally balanced championship: never before in Formula 1 history there had been six different drivers winning the first six races. So, even without overtakes, the Monaco Grand Prix managed to capture the attention of the large audience, always in doubt about who – in the end - would ultimately prevail. Also because with only 11 laps to go, rain decided to stir everything up. In the end, the leading group remained the same as at the start, while further down the podium there were Vettel, Hamilton, Massa, di Resta, Hulkenberg, Raikkonen, Senna. Good race for Ferrari: Fernando Alonso managed to pass Lewis Hamilton during the first pit stop, while Felipe Massa - after a strong start - set lap times similar to his teammate's (at the beginning of the race he even seemed faster...) and achieved his best result of the season. And now the Spaniard leads the World Championship on his own. Ferrari dreams, but the lack of contribution from Felipe Massa becomes evident when looking at the Constructors' World Championship standings, where Red Bull Racing dominates with 146 points, followed by McLaren with 108 points. Here Ferrari is currently only in third place, tied with Lotus, with just 86 points. 

 

After the prize-giving ceremony, Mark Webber is still wearing his fireproof suit soaked in rain and champagne and he is unable to stop smiling. Nico Rosberg is besieged by fans who block his scooter to get an autograph or a kiss, Fernando Alonso calculates his average points in the World Championship (apparently with 12.6 points per race there is mathematical certainty), Lewis Hamilton complains about his team. The paddock is bustling with activity. However between one activity and another, in the rare moments of respite, one question keeps coming up in conversations and thoughts: who will be next? Yes, because the World Championship with six different winners in six races, apart from being a record, is unpredictable. And really, from this perspective, the Canadian Grand Prix appears like a mysterious object. Who will win it? McLaren with its fast car and its unhappy drivers? Ferrari with the Spanish driver? Or perhaps Red Bull Racing with its aerodynamic arsenal? It could even be, finally, Lotus's time, great only in theory, or maybe Michael Schumacher's turn, once again king - but only for a few hours - in Monte-Carlo. Who knows. No one was accustomed to such balance in Formula 1 anymore, a world that, due to its very nature, made of technological research and development, of money and creativity, is forced to think in terms of cycles and dominance, now Ferrari, now Red Bull Racing, now McLaren, depending on who has invented the best electronic, aerodynamic, or mechanical device. And so are wasted chatter and reasonings, sometimes, often even, becoming rambling. The most popular theory, right now, sees Fernando Alonso as the favourite if this balance were to continue for a long time. Among the drivers, the Spanish is the one who can maximize his resources the best, no matter how limited they may be. Just as he has done up to this point in the World Championship, he is first with a car that is supposed to be sixth-best; and just as he did in Monaco, he finished third without taking any risks (except for one lap, just one out of 78, where he made the difference and overtook Lewis Hamilton). According to the same, widely popular, theory, if someone were to break this equilibrium, Fernando Alonso could find himself in serious trouble.

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"It will be a machine, not a driver, to break this balance".

 

And from this perspective Ferrari, even though it has made significant progress, still seems quite behind the competitors. Competitors that, however, are starting to feel the pressure also from a technical point of view (from an agonist one it is even behind). This is evident in the move made by Red Bull Racing, which introduced a very particular innovation in Monte-Carlo, a floor with an aerodynamic device that, according to the opinion of their rivals, would be blatantly illegal (apparently, it might not provide decisive advantage, but it is a fact that Red Bull won with this device). There was even a protest sketched out before the race and then withdrawn, but in the end the impression is that everything will dissolve into nothing and that Red Bull Racing will return to a more conventional floor in Canada. In this paddock disrupted by the balance, there are many other theories that are not worth mentioning. Except for one. The theory that it is not true that there have been six different winners so far. Actually the winner has always been the same one: Bernie Ecclestone. All this uncertainty, all this battling is doing wonders for his business, to the point where some argue that this variety of winners is not random. But - of course - these are just ill will. In any case, Mark Webber is the sixth different winner of the 2012 Formula 1 World Championship season. The Red Bull Racing driver, starting from pole position, triumphs on the Monte-Carlo track:

 

"I feel really incredibly good. It was an interesting race, straightforward at the start where I was immediately able to handle the car well and lead into the first corner. I built a gap with the Supersoft tires keeping Nico Rosberg behind and we tried to create some distance. At the time of the pit stop, Nico came in before me and we had to react to his move. During the second part it was difficult to get the Hard tires up to temperature, we were waiting for Vettel to pit. At this point I tried to keep Nico behind. In the final part there was rain, we all started praying a bit. A fantastic day for me and the team".

 

Nico Rosberg, second at the finish line, says it was impossible to do better:

 

"In general I can say I had a good start, then I tried to manage the tires, I was surprised by how fast Webber was. The Red Bull was faster. We are making progress and that’s good, but I couldn't get to in front of him. I'm happy with the second place. When it started raining we had some difficulties, but I'm satisfied".

 

Regarding the race strategy, Nico Rosberg explains that it was quite straightforward.

 

"We had two ways to beat Webber, either extend the stint and push as much as possible in the first part of the race or pit earlier and be fast afterward, but given the traffic it was difficult, especially because the tires weren't warming up".

 

According to Fernando Alonso, now anything can happen:

 

"The goal was to finish ahead of Vettel and our direct rivals. I have to say that as each race goes by we focus on different opponents and now Mark is among them, second, just three points behind. There are constant developments in the cars and anything can happen, you can't predict who will be on pole next time. At the start I had a contact with Grosjean, I thought my car was damaged, but it wasn't. In the first ten meters I was alongside Romain, he approached me, I touched with Romain and he spun. We were lucky, then the positions got a bit mixed up. It's not easy to overtake here, I did it during the pit stop with Hamilton, and I have to thank his entire team".

 

Lewis Hamilton appears visibly disappointed at the end of the Monaco Grand Prix, where he finished in fifth place.

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"I'm always among the first ones but I'm falling a bit behind in the standings and it's tough for us. We'll certainly keep pushing. When you go backward it's not nice, I lost a lot of points today, we'll have to try not to lose any more".

 

The McLaren driver is already thinking about the next race in Canada:

 

"We'll have to try to find a better pace, the others are faster in terms of race pace".

 

Felipe Massa finally achieves his best result of the season, finishing in sixth place at the Monaco Grand Prix.

 

"It was important to get back to scoring points after what happened in the early races. I'm sorry I couldn't overtake one or two cars, Fernando managed to do it during the pit stop and had a clearer track. That was the only small regret today because I could have finished one or two positions ahead. In any case it was a solid race, consistent, good pace, great start, everything worked well. Do I need to get back to winning? That's always the direction I look towards, hoping to return to those ranks".

 

Ferrari's Team Principal, Stefano Domenicali, is also pleased with the outcome, saying at the end of the race:

 

"We are happy, because we had a good race. We were the only ones who were able to overtake those ahead of us throughout the Grand Prix. We are happy for Alonso's first place in the driver's standings and because we are managing to put Massa in the right mental zone again".

 

A pity, finally, for Michael Schumacher, who wins the bad luck prize here in Monte-Carlo. He secures pole position but receives a five positions penalty, then he is hit by Romain Grosjean at the start (a significant impact, but miraculously the car resists). As if that were not enough, halfway through the race – very fast - he found himself stuck behind a slow Kimi Raikkonen, impossible to overtake, that makes him lose time. The epilogue came a few laps from the end: a malfunctioning fuel pump led and immediate retirement. Alonso likes the saying, "Those who go slowly, go healthy and go far," and keeps repeating it. Of course, to say that the Spanish driver goes slowly, sounds like a heresy, but he certainly looks healthier than ever with his beaming expression at the end of the race and this year he is going very far, far enough to reach the top of the World Championship after six races, 76 points, three podium finishes, 50%, an intoxicating statistic for someone who cares about numbers as much as him. It is not exactly a runaway lead, as Red Bull Racing's drivers, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, are only three points behind, but it is undoubtedly a strong message to rivals and his fans that, after the third place in Monte-Carlo, are beginning to dream. Alonso, how does it feel to have more points than anyone else after so much waiting?

 

"It's a wonderful feeling. But to find the right adjective, to truly convey what I feel, one must decide when to trace a hypothetical prediction back to".

 

What does this mean?

 

"If someone had told me, you'll leave Monte-Carlo leading the World Championship, after Australia, I would have said: impossible. We were twelfth on the grid, the sixth car, it was unthinkable to nurture such hopes, more than dreams they would have had the meaning of utopia. But if the prediction had been made after the tests in early May at Mugello, then I would have sighed: I'm ready to put my name to that. Because in those days we realized that the car had grown a lot, but such a big jump in the standings, it was still an arduous task".

fotor-20230926132354.jpeg

Instead, it came true.

 

"Credit goes to the team, their hard work, impeccable strategies, tactics that allowed me to overtake Hamilton here, although, perhaps, by taking some risks and staying on track for another two laps, I might have overtaken Rosberg and Webber too and won the race. But this is hindsight, sterile discussions. The substance is that of a car that is beginning to be really competitive. And one that doesn't betray me".

 

For example, at the start.

 

"In Monte-Carlo, it's a crucial moment, the only one, apart from pit stops, where you can overtake. Once again I had a strong start and I passed Grosjean. We even made contact, I was afraid my car might be damaged and instaead I didn't have any problems, while he ended up off the track. Not scoring points this year is a disaster, given the balance we have. My Ferrari is very reliable and that's a great assurance".

 

There was talk of rain, were you hoping for it?

 

"For a long time, yes, from the pit, via radio, they told me it was on its way and I thought: with a wet track, anything can happen and maybe I could win. Of course, it would have been a gamble, but a triumph in Monte-Carlo is worth taking risks for. Then, six laps from the end, I stopped believing and at that point I even preferred it not to happen: I was fine with third place".

 

Fernando Alonso always says that the World Championship is very long. So it is unlikely that he's going to fool himself with being in first place now. What does this first place represent in your mind and that of the team?

 

"It must be a strong incentive to further improve our car, to push for development, starting with the next race in Canada".

 

Usually, Ferrari performs well in Montreal.

 

"This year, there is no prediction. Let’s hope so, but we'll only understand it on the track. Just like the rivals: here, I was marking Hamilton and Vettel, and I beat them. But now I have to watch out for Webber".

 

Third place dedicated to whom?

 

"To the victims of the earthquake in Emilia. If they are our fans, I hope I have eased their suffering a bit".

 

Stefano Domenicali, the Team Principal of Ferrari, immediately clears up any misunderstandings after Fernando Alonso suggests that by delaying the tire change by two laps, he might have won. Domenicali listens, but denies:

 

"The strategy was the right one, it allowed us to overtake Hamilton. We stopped after 30 laps, going further could have been risky: what if the worn-out tires had a sudden drop in performance?"

 

It is better to focus on the positive things. Starting with the lead in the World Championship:

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"The effort has been enormous, the car has improved a lot compared to the beginning, but we are not where we want to be yet. This will be a World Championship decided by details, so we can't relax; one wrong race and you risk being out".

 

In the meantime it is good to have Felipe Massa back, finally in the group with the front runners.

 

"I'm happy, but if I hadn't been in traffic, I could have finished fourth. Let's hope my World Championship is at a definitive turning point".

 

In the meantime, Sebastian Vettel denies the existence of a pre-contract with Ferrari for 2014. The Red Bull Racing driver, reigning World Champion, defines unfounded the articles published in recent days by some English newspapers:

 

"I haven't signed anything. It seems like someone needs to fill some space in the newspapers".

 

The German driver talks about the Monaco Grand Prix where he finished fourth:

 

"If you start in ninth place in Monaco and there's no rain then you can be completely happy with a fourth-place finish".

 

Vettel used a different strategy from his rivals: he started with Soft tires and delayed his pit stop, hoping to gain distance for a shot at victory. For several laps, the Red Bull driver led the race, but then he had to abandon his dreams of glory:

 

"To maintain the lead, I needed a 21-second advantage. I was three or four seconds short when tire degradation no longer allowed me to push".

 

The race in the end was animated by rain:

 

"The asphalt became a bit slippery, despite having fresher tires than the others I didn't have any opportunities to overtake. Ahead of me, no one made a mistake, so for 30 laps, I found myself stuck behind Alonso's Ferrari".

 

In the Monaco Grand Prix the configuration of the Red Bull Racing floor sparked some controversy, so much that some teams are said to have raised doubts about the legality of the solution. The German driver does not seem particularly concerned about the possibility of an official protest against his team:

 

"I had fun and I did my job, the rest is not in my hands".

 

Sebastian Vettel is now three points behind the top of the Drivers' World Championship standings, occupied by Fernando Alonso. The German shares the second position with his teammate, Mark Webber, who achieved his first victory of the season on the streets of the Principality. What will happen in Montreal, Canada?


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