
In Maranello you only win when the English are in charge. It is by hissing atrocious phrases like this that, in the paddock, for three years now, they have been laughing at the difficulties of the Made in Italy version of Ferrari. But that's not why Luca Montezemolo replaced Aldo Costa on Tuesday 24 May 2011 with the Englishman Pat Fry. No. The technical director of the team goes home only because, after the Spanish humiliation, with its bloody numbers and its unappealable truths, it has become clear to everyone that the project of which he was at the center has failed, and that now it is necessary start another, new one, with new men and methods. For 2012, at least, given that 2011 already seems compromised. Moreover, if the management group had remained the same despite the non-existent results of the last three years then a dramatic message could have been sent, with the risk of triggering a spiral of laxity and inefficiency in Maranello. In short: as they say in football when you change a coach, a shock was needed. The official version has it that Costa's replacement was decided, with much pain given the personal relationships between the two, by Stefano Domenicali, after Montezemolo had asked him for an important change of gear a month ago. The team principal therefore worked on an organizational reorganization which involved cutting the top management and then submitted it, before the Spanish Grand Prix, to Montezemolo who blessed it by saying:
"I have faith in you, let's proceed".
Another version instead would like Domenicali's plan to include longer times and less traumatic choices. However, the president would have intervened in the process, speeding up the operation after the Spanish collapse. This second version would agree perfectly with the words pronounced by Domenicali no later than Sunday evening, when speaking of the internal reorganization he had defined it as a gradual process that would be completed in the next few weeks, and not as a beheading in the square to be carried out the day after tomorrow. Be that as it may, it is clear that Costa is not just paying for the first five races of this season, but for a long series of mistakes, not just his, which begins with the wrong car in 2009, the one that forced the team to interrupt development mid-season , and bordering on the ridiculous in the second half, to focus strongly on 2010. A year in which, however, instead of redemption came a gigantic misunderstanding: Alonso and Red Bull's strategy gave Maranello the illusion of having been truly competitive, while the F10 almost never really was. So much so that Domenicali himself explained to everyone that the World Championship had not been lost in Abu Dhabi but by a car that was too slow throughout the season. And only the great refusal of Adrian Newey, the Red Bull Racing designer, and the lack of credible alternatives on the market prevented the design department from being revolutionized already in the winter. The departure of Aldo Costa (at Ferrari since 1996, responsible for the project since 2008) now exposes Stefano Domenicali even more.
Who already in Monte-Carlo finds himself, without technical mediation - he is not an engineer - to be the point of contact for all sectors of the Racing Department: that of engines, that of production, and that, crucially, of the chassis entrusted to English former McLaren Pat Fry. The latter will have to coordinate Nick Tombazis, someone who years ago was considered among the best aerodynamic engineers around but who for some time now has been struggling too much to invent something good, some say it's the fault of Costa, tending to be more prudent and conservative. Alonso knows Pat Fry well and has already given his consent to the replacement. Hoping it's true, four years after Ross Brawn's farewell, that with the English in command, Ferrari wins. In the meantime, the Circus moves to the Principality of wealth, jet set and luxury. And Ferrari has a question echoing in its head: why can't we take advantage of Pirelli's Hard tyres? It is now clear that Ferrari suffers with the Hard tyres, while with the Soft the car's setting works better. Doubt racks our heads. Tires aside, a mini-revolution was carried out in Maranello this week with a reorganization at the top of the team: Aldo Costa leaves his current position as technical director. At the same time, the technical activities were reorganized into three areas: chassis, entrusted to Pat Fry, production, under the responsibility of Corrado Lanzone, and Engines and Electronics, which remained with Luca Marmorini. Decisions aimed at making a change after the last few races. A positive change, made to improve.

The day after the well served to Aldo Costa the Spaniard tries to instill some optimism.
"It's a decision made for the best, and I'm confident about the future. After five races, all is not lost and we cannot think of abandoning the championship, but we must immediately return to being competitive. The team is highly motivated and the atmosphere among the technicians is positive".
And, even without the now former technical director:
"Ferrari can count on experienced people like Pat Fry. We need to improve and have a faster car straight away".
The fault does not lie solely with Aldo Costa, the technical director who resigned from Ferrari after being offered another role within the company. This is the opinion of Felipe Massa, for whom, however, the change is not negative.
"It's a change for the team, now everyone wants to prove what they're worth and improve the car. We hope it is the right direction to overcome the problems at the start of the season".
On the eve of the Monaco Grand Prix, sixth round of the World Championship:
"We can't say that everything is open, but we have to fight until the end".
Then a joke about the rumors, yet another, that he is leaving Ferrari:
"You want to push me out every year, then nothing ever happens. Pressure? There's always pressure when you're at Ferrari, but I'm calm".
Sebastian Vettel has won four races out of five and leads the 2011 world championship standings, however the reigning Red Bull Racing World Champion knows well that Monaco is a special Grand Prix and can allow the others to get close.
"It's remarkable to drive an F1 around Monaco. It is a completely unique track and a unique challenge for the drivers. You have to push like on a normal track, but the smallest mistake can affect your race. Grid position is very important and can determine the race, traditionally overtaking in Monaco is very difficult. Traffic management during qualifying in Monaco is another big challenge. We did well last year and I hope we can be very strong again".
His teammate, Mark Webber, hopes to repeat last season's success:
"This is one of the most prestigious races of the year. There are a lot of question marks this year in terms of the tires they will be on and the strategy could be more complicated. It's a track that has always done me well and I have some of my best memories, as a driver here. It is clearly a demanding street circuit, which requires incredible concentration throughout the weekend, starting on Thursday in free practice".
McLaren's Briton Lewis Hamilton is ready for the weekend after the good race in Spain.

"It's a race I watched when I was a kid and it's a place that shows the best part of F1. It is the toughest and largest circuit in the world. I'm really looking forward to going to Monaco this year because I think we will see a different race compared to previous years. I think the combination of Drs, Kers and the Pirelli tires will give a different touch and I would like to see more overtaking. However, I don't think the mobile wing will be used much".
It's a lost Ferrari that shows up here in Monaco after the resignation of its technical director, Aldo Costa. A team whose identity is lost over time. A group of men who no longer have a past, because they are trying to erase it as quickly as possible, but who don't even have a future, given that the remote one is an unknown, and the immediate one is a nightmare: Sunday 29 May 2011 a miracle could also make Alonso win in the alleys of Monte-Carlo, but it would indeed be a miracle, the season is something else and that is now someone else's stuff. For Ferrari there is only the present. And you just need to look around to understand how difficult it must be for the men of the Maranello team to tell each other the lies of the shock and the immediate reaction: because Formula 1 is not like football, you can change the technical director, but if the car was born badly , in the end he will get behind the fast ones. And so it's up to Alonso, the true leader of the team, to play the part of the cynic:
"When will Costa's change have its effects? From today, I found an excellent atmosphere in the team".
The Spaniard says, unintentionally producing a sort of rapid burial effect. Alonso's speech, moreover, is very clear:
"We are Ferrari, and no one can think of interrupting the chase for the World Championship after just five races. We must fight and defend our colors, our history to the last. It's an obligation".
How much he actually believes it, then, is a mystery. Probably not much, but that's how he is and all in all he can afford it, being the only one in the team whose promises have rarely been betrayed (except through no fault of his own). From this point of view, his blessing to the new head of the chassis department, Pat Fry, is significant.
"No, I was not consulted before the change with Costa. I found out Tuesday morning. Domenicali tried to remedy a lack of performance and he has my full support. Changes are made to improve. I know Pat Fry, he's very capable, he has a lot of experience".
Massa's position, however, is a little less cynical.
"He paid for sins that were not just his. He worked in a team and the faults in the teams belong to everyone".
What are these faults?
"Aerodynamics".
The Brazilian's analysis, however, is incomplete. At least according to the rumors coming from Maranello, where many are now talking about a climate tending towards disintegration and entropy for three years, that is, since the Costa era began. But Maranello is far away now. Now the Circus is in Munich. The most atypical track of the World Championship, the one where the driver and fate count most of all.

And the driver and fate, at the moment, are the only things Ferrari can count on. Meanwhile, shortly before the race weekend begins, Colin Kolles, boss of HRT, declares that the Spanish team may have no other choice and present an official protest in Monaco against teams that use exhaust blowing even when the accelerator is not pressed to obtain an aerodynamic advantage, if the situation is not clarified before the next race. The FIA prohibited the use of solutions of this type but then backtracked, postponing the decision to the next meeting of the Technical Working Group.
"The only reason we have not considered an official complaint here is because we are not involved in any sporting decisions today. But it is clear that the other cars are illegal. If the situation is not stopped before Munich we will have no other choice, we will lodge a protest".
However, on Thursday 26 May 2011 Colin Kolles ruled out the possibility of holding an official protest at the Monaco Grand Prix. Kolles decides to write to the president of the FIA, Jean Todt, to ask him for clarification on the situation.
"I can rule that out now. We have been asked [by the FIA] to remain on stand-by, and we trust that the FIA will react in the right way".
Meanwhile, organizers of the Monaco Grand Prix have had to work hard to repair damage to the track after a van caught fire this week. The van was parked in the braking zone of the Saint Devote curve and caught fire while the workers finished preparing the road surface that will host the race. The fire ruined the asphalt surface, forcing personnel to carry out major repair operations. Thursday 26 June 2011, Sebastian Vettel set the best time during the first test session. The German Red Bull Racing driver precedes Fernando Alonso. The other RBR driver, Mark Webber, was forced to miss practice due to a gearbox failure. Vitantonio Liuzzi crashes at the chicane while Michael Schumacher ends up in the barriers at Sainte Devote. The other HRT driver, Narain Karthikeyan, also goes out in the same corner, but without hitting the barriers. In the second session, Fernando Alonso set the best time, ahead of Lewis Hamilton. After the morning's accident, Liuzzi was unable to take part in the session. Petrov hits the barriers outside the Tunnel, causing the front wing of his Renault to come off. Fernando Alonso has decided to give Ferrari fans a heart attack: after the sensational start of the last Spanish Grand Prix, he ended the first day of free practice for the Monaco Grand Prix in command. But is it possible? Where is the miracle? Mystery. Part of the secret lies in the Super Soft tires debuting this year. But much remains to be discovered because both Ferrari drivers run with different fuel loads and tried the different types of compounds (prime, option and Supersoft). So, at least on the strange Monte-Carlo track, things seem to be looking up for Alonso. In fact, it should be remembered that it is no coincidence that Pirelli has decided to debut the new Supersoft tyres, the PZero Red, right here: these tires are designed to adapt specifically to the narrow and winding roads of the Principality where, among other things, up to in the evening before the race weekend the track is open to normal traffic. This is just one of the factors that make it so difficult to predict the level of grip because then you race close to the sea and on a track that features (at the famous Loew hairpin) the slowest corner of the season which you tackle at 47 km/h. It seems silly but there the cars are practically stationary: due to the low speed, there is no aerodynamic load, so the steering fully turned means that the right front tire does all the work in changing direction. The same goes for the narrow entrance at the first corner of the swimming pool complex. The cars there climb the curbs (at more than 200 km/h). In short, all this really seems to hide Ferrari's shortcomings. And Alonso enjoys it:
"The single-seater is responding well, we know that in Monte-Carlo it is above all a question of feeling with the car: the more a driver has, the more he can push, lap after lap. We seem a little more competitive than elsewhere - always with due caution linked to the unknowns regarding the quantity of petrol that the others had on board - but the reason is very simple: here aerodynamics count less and therefore we suffer less".

Alonso then explains:
"On a track with the lowest average speed, certain flaws are covered by other factors, such as the mechanics and the engine. I was immediately at ease on the track, right from the morning, so I was able to push harder and harder because the car responded well and it gave me confidence. I'm happy but we know that this is only the first day and that the Red Bulls are perhaps hiding a bit before coming out on Saturday in qualifying. Saturday will be a much more stressful day, because here the slightest mistake is paid at a high price".
The Maranello cars must do something more on this track.
"We have to try to risk something to try to recover the gap that separates us from the best. I don't think the situation can be very different from what we saw in Spain: we need to further improve the balance of the car. As for the tires, I believe that the performance was quite similar to that of the winter tests, despite much higher temperatures: compared to the other races, there is not a big difference between the first and the option ones, at least at first glance".
And Massa?
"I'm quite happy with the car, even if there is still a bit of oversteer, especially with the Supersofts. Compared to Barcelona I feel like I can fight more: it's not like on other occasions where it was clear that we couldn't make the drivers work tires".
Felipe Massa, like his teammate Fernando Alonso, is optimistic. Free practice went better than other Grands Prix and the Ferrari Brazilian finished sixth fastest in the second session.
"On some occasions I was a bit at the limit, so much so that I happened to graze the protective barriers at least three times. I did a long series of laps with the options to try to find the limit in terms of duration. Overtaking will be difficult, as always on this track: perhaps, thanks to the kers, it will be possible to overtake a car in difficulty with the tyres, but it will never be an easy thing. The traffic? Here it is impossible not to end up in it: today I happened to slow down Fernando but I had a McLaren in front of me which, in turn, had slowed down".
However, Ferrari really seems to be on the right track. Pat Fry, one of the three technicians Ferrari relied on after Aldo Costa was fired, says:
"There are some areas in which we must and can improve. But, from what we saw today, at least we think we are on the right path to play our cards. It was a good start. Today we focused on the best set-up of the car and on verifying the behavior of the two types of tires made available by Pirelli for this track, one of which is making its debut in the race, the red Supersoft. From what we have seen the times are quite constant, but we know how much the track has changed since Thursday and Saturday, so we can't take anything for granted".
If the free practices on Friday usually count for nothing, those in Monte-Carlo, which take place on Thursday, count even less. And it is good to state this on the day in which Fernando Alonso's best time - on a Ferrari apparently relieved of a burden that only a naive or cynic could think was that of the former technical director Aldo Costa who has just resigned - could encourage dreams of glory or other hopes that cannot be better defined. But dreams of glory and unspecified hopes are perhaps the last fuel this Ferrari needs. Which instead requires, in addition to a good bit of aerodynamic load, all the clarity of Fernando Alonso.

After saying he was generally optimistic, the Spanish driver proceeds to analyze the situation which appears perfect. It can be summarized as follows: the car works better here than elsewhere, and Red Bull Racing and McLaren have hidden themselves a bit. The explanation of point one is particularly effective:
"Monte-Carlo is a very slow track, in the entire second sector the average is 110 km/h. At that speed aerodynamics matter much less, and this hides our weak point. Here you get the grip: from the tyres, which are the same for everyone; from the car, and ours is the same or perhaps better than the others; and from the engine, even the same or better than the competition. The rest is up to the driver, and the feeling he has with his car. The more he trusts, the more he can seek the limits of a track where risk plays a fundamental role".
On point two, the exposition is more generic.
"We are used to seeing Red Bull Racing have terrifying qualifying, regardless of what they showed on Friday, and I think that will be the case here too. And the same thing goes for McLaren".
What changes is that Ferrari seems to be close. And so we arrive at point three.
"I expect a close battle. Also because the track here allows no margin for error. As soon as you put a wheel outside the ideal trajectory line it's over. Unlike what happened on the other circuits this year where the key was tire wear, here I believe that 80% of the race will depend on qualifying. In Monte-Carlo you can't overtake, not even with the kers and the mobile rear wing. So let's stay focused for Saturday and see what happens".
The one who seems less than curious to see what happens is Flavio Briatore, whose epiphany, here in Monte-Carlo, is now a classic. Having docked his Force Blue, wearing the blue glasses required, Briatore indulges in the usual orgy of notebooks:
"If it continues like this, everything will be over in three races, the Red Bulls are too strong and Webber is unable to offer adequate resistance to teammate Vettel, even if experience teaches us that when the roulette always comes up the same number, perhaps lower there is the magnet".
Then he indulges in various considerations, the most relevant is that of the pilots:
"The best around? Alonso and Hamilton remain the best, in my opinion, I would like to see them driving a Red Bull".
Yes, because the problem, in the end, is always the same, Red BullRacing.
"What can you do? Nowadays, Adrian Newey is worth a Lionel Messi".
On the day off from the Monaco Grand Prix, the Aldo Costa case continues to take center stage in Ferrari, the technical director removed from office after the disastrous start to the season of the Maranello cars. Team principal Stefano Domenicali defines the decision as rational and invites the team not to give up:

"Red Bull aside, the championship is open, we have to work and continue to believe in it. We're talking about a person I respect and am a friend of, and you have to have respect for people, especially when they're going through difficult times. I don't feel like entering in detail, that's how I am, I prefer to tell certain things to those directly involved".
However, it is undeniable that the start of the championship (only one podium in five races) was negative and well below expectations:
"We don't make personalisms. It was a decision taken for the good of the team. We have to continue working on this championship and also in relation to the car for 2012, which was born precisely in this period. I won't make any predictions, this year they are difficult, because there are some variables that are not yet under control. We are working to have a competitive car on all circuits".
To reverse the negative trend, Ferrari relies on Pat Fry, an Englishman, but does not reject the Italian line:
"I'll keep the flag high, and Corrado Lanzone and Luca Marmorini are also Italian".
Both were promoted after the dismissal of Aldo Costa. Aerodynamics represents the biggest problem of the 150° Italia, the task of trying to improve it is now entrusted to Nicholas Tombazis, who will be responsible for aerodynamic development and must try to create winning projects. But everyone at Ferrari is under scrutiny.
"It's always like this, it's part of the rules of the game".
He downplays Domenicali, who denies other changes in sight:
"We have changed the management of micro-activities but, from the point of view of the first level structure, there are no other changes in sight".
On Saturday, meanwhile, Ferrari will have to confirm the good things it showed in free practice.
"Only a madman would snub Ferrari for the challenge to win the World Championship".
Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner warns. The superiority of Vettel and Webber cars seems beyond question, but the past season shows that it is better not to trust.
"Do you remember Alonso's comeback? We absolutely do not underestimate our rivals".
And, in fact, on Saturday 28 May 2011 Fernando Alonso also set the best time in the third free practice session. The session was characterized by an accident involving Mercedes' Nico Rosberg: immediately outside the Tunnel the car skidded and hit the barriers on the right side of the track, before grazing, now out of control, those of the Chicane. Another accident involves Vitantonio Liuzzi, who hits the barriers at St. Devote. Narain Karthikeyan and Vitantonio Liuzzi did not take part in Q1; the Indian driver, during the last tests on Saturday morning, also hit the guardrails at St. Devote. In the first 20 minutes the best performance was scored by Lewis Hamilton, followed by Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel.

The two Virgin-Cosworths and the two Lotus-Renaults were eliminated, surprisingly Alguersuari was slowed down on his fastest lap by Kobayashi. In Q2 the British driver again sets the fastest lap and the two Force Indias and the two Renaults are eliminated. Pastor Maldonado enters the top ten. In Q3 the protagonist is Sergio Pérez, who, as happened to Rosberg in the morning, exits the Tunnel with an anomalous trajectory and first collides with the barriers and then crashes sideways at the Chicane. Upon exiting the tunnel, Perez's car first collided with one side of the track and then, with the car now out of control, it continued for hundreds of meters at high speed and with one less tire, ending up sideways against the elastic barriers. These certainly cushioned the blow, and the fact that the car ended the race sideways also contributed to reducing the violence of the impact, but this did not prevent the accident from still being violent. The images showing Perez holding his hands to protect his head while the car is crashing into the barriers are very clear. Rescue was immediate. The Sauber driver, after a brief moment of unconsciousness, nodded to the commissioners and rescuers who rushed to the scene. Then he also spoke to the doctor. His condition is good: he did not suffer any fractures, but only some bruises. As a precaution, however, Perez will remain under observation at the Princesse Grace hospital in Monte Carlo, where he will spend the night. Sauber confirms that Perez's condition is not serious.
"The doctors say he suffered a concussion but that nothing is broken and the tests have ruled out any major injuries".
However, Perez will remain in hospital on Sunday too, and will therefore not be present at the start of the race. In the meantime, due to the accident involving the Mexican driver, the red flag was given two minutes from the end of Q3. Sebastian Vettel had already set a fast lap, as had Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber, while Lewis Hamilton he hadn't managed to set any time yet. After qualifying resumes, the leaders do not improve, while Hamilton fails to complete his timed lap, and will indeed be penalized on the grid for cutting the curve at the Chicane. Sebastian Vettel wins his fifth pole of the season, number 26 for Red Bull Racing. The German driver precedes Jenson Button and his teammate, Mark Webber. Fernando Alonso is only fourth, after having run some good free practice sessions, setting interesting times. At the end of the tests, Felipe Massa does not hide his disappointment at Sergio Perez's accident.
"We've been saying it for years: that part of the track is dangerous, but we are in Monaco and everything is fine. Monaco can, the other tracks can't".
The Ferrari driver takes matters further by taking it out on that small bump at the exit of the tunnel which creates quite a few braking problems for the single-seaters. And adds Fernando Alonso:
"Every year it is more and more dangerous, also because the aerodynamics of the cars improve and the speed increases. We hope they will do something to improve it. We need to improve the asphalt at that point".
Qualifying to forget for Lewis Hamilton. The McLaren-Mercedes driver, in fact, had achieved the seventh fastest time but was penalized with the cancellation of the time obtained. Hamilton, in fact, missed the chicane on the only lap completed and for this reason he will start from the fifth row with the tenth time, behind Perez, who however will not be at the start. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) and Pastor Maldonado (Williams) gained a position and will start from the fourth row, with the seventh and eighth times respectively. Even before analyzing the qualifications, in everyone's statements within the circus, thoughts go to Perez:
"I want to send a hug to Sergio Perez, his family and everyone at Sauber. We were quite scared but, fortunately, now we can breathe a sigh of relief".

Stefano Domenicali words sum up the general mood in Monte-Carlo.
"Regarding today's result, we cannot hide that, given how things had gone up until Q2, we could have aspired to something more. Tomorrow the race will be very long and full of pitfalls: we will have to try to make the most of every opportunity. The departure will have a very important role".
Instead, Fernando Alonso states:
"In qualifying the car was a little less good than I felt in free practice and we need to understand exactly the reasons. This afternoon there was a very fast McLaren and I think the favorite for pole was Hamilton. The result of Q3 was not. I believe it is representative of the true values on the field because the red flag messed up the plans for many drivers. It went badly for Hamilton while everything went well for Red Bull. We are a bit halfway there. Tomorrow In my opinion overtaking will be almost impossible. The start will be very important and our race pace is not bad so I hope to recover some positions, also taking advantage of any unexpected situations and strategy. I expect drivers who will try to make two stops but, perhaps, someone will risk the single stop. Perez's accident? From the car we knew nothing about his condition. Of course, such scary incidents cause a bit of tension but then you try to maintain concentration and do your best".
Attacks Felipe Massa:
"There is a mixture of satisfaction and regret for me at the end of this qualifying. Together with the team we managed to improve the behavior of the car compared to free practice, reducing oversteer, but an error in Q3 at Rascasse cost me one or two positions. It's a shame, because I was doing a good lap. Starting sixth isn't the best in Monaco but here you have to use your head in the race: we will always have to stay focused because anything can happen. The start will be very important but so will keeping calm and peace of mind, lap after lap, because a mistake can be very costly. The degradation of the tires is lower than what we have seen previously so I don't think there will be many pit stops. I hope Sergio is well: his accident was a scary accident and the impact was really strong. That point of the track is very treacherous and accidents are very frequent".
Fear, relief, controversy. Terror, because it is certainly not a walk in the park to crash into the barriers at almost 150 km/h. Your car that shoots away like a crazy bullet when there are 2 minutes and 26 seconds to go until the end of qualifying pays for the wrong trajectory, the dirt on the track, a bump that is too protruding, first violently caresses the guardrail on the right and begins to shatter and then ends their race against the protections that divide the escape route from the track. Sergio Perez, 21 years old, is a promising driver, he comes from the Ferrari Academy, he could have a future in red, but in front of that blender he can do nothing. It had already happened to Rosberg in the same place during the third free practice session a few hours earlier, but the Mercedes German had fared well, not even a scratch, his car repaired in record time and off to the track, fighting for pole . The Mexican Perez is less fortunate, he loses consciousness, remains motionless, does not speak, does not move either his head or his limbs, fear descends on Monte Carlo, also because initially the driver is covered by a tarpaulin. Ancient images come to mind, on 12 May 1994, eleven days after the death of Ayrton Senna in Imola, the Austrian Karl Wendlinger, also on a Sauber, crashed into the same protections, still at the exit of the tunnel, and ends up in a coma for more than a month. The worst is also feared for Perez, the car leaves the tunnel at 290 km/h, it was certainly slowed down by the impact with the guardrail, but the speed at the moment of the impact was still high. Instead, miracles of modern F1, the worst then disappears, the Mexican, even before being taken by ambulance to the hospital in Monaco, regains consciousness, moves, responds to stress, even confides to those close to him that the next day he will run. Of course this is a forlorn hope.

Perez only has a mild concussion and a bruise on his right thigh, no fracture, already in the evening he recognizes everyone who visits him, the men of his team, Sauber, the president of the FIA, Jean Todt, but no doctor could give permission to run. He will remain in hospital today too, before returning home. His place on the grid, the tenth place because Sergio had qualified for the decisive round anyway, will remain empty and that free space will certainly contribute to increasing the controversy, which has already flared up at full force in the words of the drivers. Nobody likes that protruding bump at the exit of the tunnel. The toughest is Massa, resident in Monte-Carlo.
"We are in Monaco and everything is always good here, but something needs to be done to improve the asphalt. On other tracks, bumps like this would not be allowed, only on this track is everything allowed. And we risk our lives".
Alonso is on the same line of thinking.
"Every year it gets worse and worse, because the aerodynamics improve and the speed increases. It's easy, sitting in an armchair, to say that we made a mistake, that we are poor, there isn't the right level of security in that section".
Words also collected by Mark Webber.
"We must learn from this incident. Perez got away with it, but the consequences could have been terrible".
He criticizes Button, who had a terrible accident in Monte-Carlo in 2003. Changing the subject, he says:
"Why not Ferrari?"
Jenson Button, the best teammate in the circus, sends precise signals around Maranello, where Stefano Domenicali is dealing with the Massa problem, that is, the problem of the slowest teammate.
"As a child I dreamed of Ferrari. In F1 there are three great teams, Williams, McLaren and Ferrari. And I've already driven for two of these. I'm missing one".
And Alonso?
"It certainly wouldn't be a problem. I love having very competitive teammates. It would be a challenge".
Finally, to those who remind him that a few days ago he declared that he wanted to finish his career at McLaren, Button replies:
"I don't even know what tomorrow will do, let alone make long-term plans".
On Sunday 29 May 2011, at the start of the Monaco Grand Prix Sebastian Vettel managed to maintain first position and immediately took off ahead of Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso, who managed to precede Mark Webber. Nico Rosberg manages to overtake Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa, also thanks to the indecision at the start of the seven-time World Champion, who loses three positions.

Lewis Hamilton maintains ninth place, putting himself behind Michael Schumacher, who however immediately overtakes him at the Mirabeau hairpin. The two had already touched at the start, but with negligible damage. On lap 10, thanks to Schumacher's rear tires in crisis, Hamilton overtook the German driver's Mercedes at the St. Devote curve; shortly afterwards, Barrichello performed the same maneuver at the Mirabeau hairpin. At the same time, Massa is held back by Rosberg, who is having trouble with his tyres; the Brazilian managed to pass the German on lap 15. Shortly afterwards Button stopped for the first time and put Supersoft tires again, while Vettel entered the pits the following lap, 17, but put Soft tyres, as did Alonso; the 30 second advantage over Massa allowed the three to remain at the head of the group with a clear track. Webber, on the contrary, returns immediately after his teammate, but his stop is rather slow and the Australian returns to the track rather late in P14. Button, having taken the lead, began to gain a good margin over his rivals thanks to the different choice of tyres. The first three riders are followed at a distance by Massa and Maldonado, who continue without stopping. During lap 24 Paul di Resta overtook Jaime Alguersuari at Mirabeau, however coming into contact with the Spanish driver and damaging his car; the commissioners punished the maneuver with a drive-through. On lap 23 Hamilton also made his first pit stop, which however lasted longer than expected. The British driver falls to fifteenth position. Four laps later Massa also returns to the pits, and returns to the track ahead of the McLaren driver; the two engaged in a duel which ended on lap 33, with Hamilton attempting an attack at the Loews hairpin but ending up hitting the Brazilian's car. In the tunnel Hamilton again joins his rival, who tries to resist on the outside but crashes into the barriers. Massa's car stops in a dangerous position and the race direction brings the Safety car onto the track; at the same time Schumacher's car stops at the entrance to the pit lane due to a technical problem. Button takes advantage of the neutralization to make the second tire change and remounts the Supersofts, as does Alonso. Sutil and Kobayashi, who had not yet made the pit stop, took advantage of the interruption, changing tires and returning to the track in fourth and fifth position respectively.
Upon restarting, after two laps, Hamilton was penalized with a drive through for the accident with Massa at the hairpin. The Briton returns to the track in ninth place, after serving the penalty. Meanwhile Button follows Vettel until lap 48, when the English driver makes the third pit stop using Soft tyres. Vettel, on the track with the same set of tires since lap 17, begins to lose ground to Alonso, who reduces the gap to less than a second by lap 58. Meanwhile Button, favored by the fresher tires, recovers quickly on the leading pair, catching Vettel and Alonso with sixteen laps to go. The three have a huge advantage over the rest of the group where Sutil, in difficulty with the tyres, cedes his position to Kobayashi and Webber. With nine laps to go the three leading drivers find themselves lapping the group of cars fighting each other between sixth and ninth position: Sutil, increasingly in crisis, is passed by Maldonado and crashes into the barriers, damaging the right rear tire of his single-seater. Petrov and Hamilton, who is overtaking him, slow down to avoid the Force India which is proceeding at reduced speed, but Algersuari violently crashes into the McLaren driver, causing a carambola which also involves Petrov. The race direction sends the Safety car back onto the track, but the Russian driver, despite not having suffered any major physical consequences, requires medical attention and the race is therefore suspended with the red flag on lap 72. The cars are lined up on the starting grid in the order they occupied until then, with Vettel ahead of Alonso, Button, Kobayashi, Webber, Maldonado and Hamilton. The Englishman's car and that of Sutil, damaged in the previous laps, can be repaired, while all drivers can fit new tyres. The race restarts after twenty-five minutes behind the Safety car, which returns to the pits after one lap. In the following five laps Vettel maintained first position, ahead of Alonso and Button, winning the fifth race out of six. Webber manages to pass Kobayashi and takes fourth place on lap 77, while previously, on the restart, Hamilton and Maldonado had come into contact at the first corner, with the Williams driver being forced to retire. Heidfeld, Barrichello and Buemi also finished on points. No way. In the end, after 78 laps in which everything happened, absolutely everything that can happen in a Grand Prix, the big wheel still stops on number one, the blue and sparkling one: Monte-Carlo also belongs to Sebastian Vettel.

The same fate that, now it seems almost certain, will be had by the 2011 World Championship: when technical superiority is added to an almost unfair amount of luck, as happened in Monte-Carlo, then there aren't many discussions to be had. What happened to Alonso demonstrates this. On a finally competitive Ferrari (the Principality circuit does not enhance aerodynamics and therefore a traditional car like the one designed in Maranello is particularly at ease), the Spaniard tried everything, adopted a better race strategy, drove with more aggression, he was more constant, mean, determined than the German. And, above all, he did everything he had to do perfectly to find himself, in the last ten laps, in the ideal conditions to overtake the blue car which - having had the wrong strategy - was just ahead of him, slowly advancing on the circuit like a wounded wild boar. But just when, after thirty laps of close pursuit, Alonso was about to attack his rival, an accident at the rear stopped everything. With seven laps to go, the cars were put back on the grid in view of a second start (behind the safety car, not even the thrill of starting from a standstill), the tires were changed and the differences cancelled. At the restart the two cars were going at the same speed and for Vettel it was a walk in the park. A race that mirrored Alonso's perfectly was driven by the excellent Jenson Button, the Englishman from McLaren who in recent days winked at Ferrari. But even for him, who had planned the final attack on the lead occupied by Vettel and Alonso for the final laps, the accident at the rear was fatal. Finally, worth mentioning is the great performance of Kamui Kobayashi (fifth) and the less than happy day of Lewis Hamilton. Starting ninth, to gain the paltry three positions, the Englishman kicked practically half the grid out of the race, including poor Felipe Massa, who had an unusually dignified race up until the moment he went off track. Vettel's victory complicates things even more in the standings. The German increases his lead to 58 points over Hamilton and 74 over Alonso. A defect? They say he's not very glamorous, that he doesn't make holes in the video, that his attitudes don't trigger those deliriums that make idols great.
Sebastian Vettel is missing something and this gap may not be an irrelevant detail in a team as trendy as Red Bull Racing. Because otherwise the career of this German, former child prodigy and now undisputed leader of the World Championship, is all a plus. His first times make an impression. After the race he rejoices like a madman for having finally won in Monte-Carlo too. Yet the records should no longer surprise him. In November in Abu Dhabi, at 23 years and 4 months, he became the youngest World Champion in history. And this alone could be enough to deliver him to immortality. He, who in September 2008, in Monza, had already been the youngest to win a race, to take pole and, under a crazy downpour, also the first and so far only driver to win with a Toro Rosso, Red Bull's younger sister Racing. A predestined. In 2006 in Turkey they put him on a BMW as a Friday test driver and he closed the free practice session with the best time. He is also the quickest ever to get a fine: on the track for only nine minutes, he returns to the pits, does not activate the limiter and falls into sensational speeding. BMW forgives him. The year to replace Kubica in Indianapolis, the team remembers that driver, makes him debut and obviously he immediately scores points, obviously the youngest driver ever. Now everyone knows him, he is the reigning World Champion, he will easily grant a repeat this year, given that he has already won five races out of six (accompanied by as many poles), Red Bull Racing has locked him down until 2014 , pays him handsomely, 10.000.000 euros a year, and won't let him slip away. But the long eye of Michael Schumacher, who saw him in the kartodrome of his Kerpen, certainly deserves applause (Vettel was born a few kilometers away). A monster appeared to him. This son of a carpenter has already won fifteen races, conquered twenty poles and at this rate he could really undermine the unreachable heights of the divine Michael, his 91 successes, his 68 poles. Vettel isn't thinking about it for now, he's only focused on the second World Championship, not forgetting his hobbies, the music of the Beatles, imitating German TV characters (in this he resembles Alonso), but in the meantime he's proudly enjoying the low quota of bookmakers who give only 3 the chance to beat Schumacher's record of seasonal triumphs in 2004 (13). It's already at five. Alonso would bet money on it:
"Because Seb is driving like a phenomenon".

After having to settle for second place in Spain, Sebastian Vettel returns to success in Monte-Carlo, scoring his fifth victory out of six races held so far:
"I'm extremely happy, it was as crazy a race as this track gets, and it's a great honor to put my name among the winners here. It was a perfect day: I had a good first stint and took a good lead , then Button managed to get back under thanks to the problems I had with the gearbox, then the safety team brought us back together. I was under pressure for about 20 laps and I knew that the last 6 would be difficult but the new accident allowed me to change the tires and in the end it was easy to keep".
Fernando Alonso is happy and disappointed. Happy, because his Ferrari had never come so close to victory this year, second place is the best result of the season. However, the Spaniard is also disappointed, because it is always the usual one who triumphs, that elusive Vettel. Alonso has always believed in a comeback, but this time his words send different messages, they make it clear that we can dream of growth, the first victory of 2011, a more than dignified second part of the season, but not a ride that at the last corner of the season his last race can throw him to the top of the world. Alonso, 74 points behind Vettel, how do you think he can catch up?
"Simple, I win three matches, he remains empty-handed in the same ones and that's it".
Does it seem easy to you?
"Was a joke. In reality it is an impossible feat, also because the gap, not only in the standings, but also on the track, remains very large. You can't get a second in qualifying and then hope for miracles in the race. You have to invent strange strategies, which sometimes pay off, but other times complicate your life, while Vettel can limit himself to doing his job, which he then carries out in a fantastic way. He drives perfectly, he has the best car in his hands, nothing can stop him. While I always have to risk everything".
Speaking of risks, without that red flag, would you have attacked him?
"Certainly. Here in Monte-Carlo overtaking is almost impossible, it's a fate split in two, fifty percent you succeed, the other fifty is an accident. So it's not always worth it, but now I can afford it. I had nothing to lose, I'm not fighting for the title, my only goal was victory".
He insists: isn't he fighting for the World Championship?
"Right now I'm not. While in this race I had a great chance of winning. I knew how and where to attack it, I would have tried with all my might. And honestly, without the red flag I would have brought home the success".
If the World Championship is impossible, with what motivation can you race from here to the end?
"There are, of course. In the meantime, it is a challenge to close, and it would be better to eliminate, the gap with the Red Bulls once and for all. Then you have to aim for the podium, to grab some victories. Monte-Carlo gave us good sensations, the car responded well, and I believe it will behave in the same way in the next two races, Canada and Valencia, with tracks that suit our characteristics. It wouldn't be bad to achieve success sooner or later".

Just think that after six races Vettel is already at five.
"It's why I think he's already basically won the World Championship. Usually that is the quota necessary to win the title, he already reached it at the end of May, he certainly isn't in a bad situation. Also because he is a fantastic driver. Button had the same roadmap in 2008 and we all know how it ended, Brawn struggled throughout the season. Furthermore, this year Vettel doesn't make a single mistake, just as infallible Red Bull has become".
And what do you say about the safety of Monte-Carlo?
"This track doesn't forgive the slightest mistake. There is no space, a hesitation and you kiss the wall. Perez and Petrov had serious accidents. It's a treacherous race, where anything can happen, it's part of the game and we accept it. Even if it's not pleasant to find an ambulance in the middle of the track with seven laps still to go".
In fact they stopped the race.
"Yes. And they stole the victory from me".
Third at the finish line and visibly saddened by the outcome of the race, Jenson Button comments on a podium step that could have been higher:
"We thought we could win, it was a disappointment for me and for the team. I think it was a good race and I have to congratulate Alonso and Vettel, who finished ahead of me. The race was fun for a few laps, until it stopped the first safety car came out, then it became difficult to overtake".
In Ferrari, the happiness for Fernando Alonso's second place is contrasted with anger at Felipe Massa's race, which ended prematurely due to a risky maneuver by Lewis Hamilton's McLaren.
"Hamilton deserves a heavy penalty, otherwise he will never learn. I believe he deserves at least one race penalty, because with his maneuvers he decided not only my race, but also those of other drivers".
Stefano Domenicali, the Ferrari team principal, is instead more calm in his tone, but he agrees in condemning Lewis Hamilton's behavior in this race:
"He tried to pass between the hedge, the wall, the guardrail and Massa. It seems a little exaggerated to me".
He laughs, Lewis Hamilton, quotes his favorite comedian, and pretends to take it philosophically.
"Everyone is mad at me because I'm black".
But you can see from a kilometer that, if he could, he would set fire to the paddock.

They have just informed him that the FIA, in addition to the drive through for the accident with Massa, also penalized him by twenty seconds for the one with Maldonado, and he lets off steam like this, laughing fakely:
"We've had six races so far, and I've been fined five times. It's a joke, just a joke".
He says, convinced he was a victim of both incidents. More than a race, his was a curse. It began on Saturday, with the red flags which, interrupting qualifying, robbed him of an almost inevitable pole position. It ended with a series of accidents caused by his competitive spirit. Excessive, according to the FIA and its rivals. Mass above all:
"They need to give him exemplary punishment. Enough with penalties on the track. He should be suspended for a match, otherwise he doesn't understand".
But the British pilot replies:
"But what do they want? It's ridiculous. I race and this is sport, it's overtaking, and people want to see this".
Even if, later in the evening, he will apologize to the Federation. For Felipe Massa, the balance of the last races played cannot be positive but the Brazilian analyzes the Monte-Carlo race with clarity, without indulging in further controversies for the accident with Hamilton:
"The three races in the month of May were not good but my biggest regret is linked to the Monaco race. Our potential was excellent, as Fernando Alonso demonstrated, who remained in the fight until the end. I could have closed the race race at least in fourth place but the accident with Hamilton put me out of the running: it was a shame but there's no point going back to it, I already expressed what I had to say about it after the race, talking about it again would be a waste of time. The second part of the race in Monte-Carlo was very exciting for the spectators, among whom I was also, unfortunately".
Massa says, with bitterness.
"It was a shame that the red flag effectively put an end to the fight at the top: it would have been a very uncertain fight between Vettel, Alonso and Button, given that the three had tires set up very differently from each other. The regulations, however, provide for the possibility of replacing the tires in the event of an interruption of the race and so the final laps lost meaning because both Fernando and Sebastian had reasonably fresh tires and, in these conditions, overtaking in Monaco remains practically impossible, even though with the KERS and the DRS".
Safety is a topic that is very close to Felipe Massa's heart and Monte-Carlo is a circuit on which sensitivity to the topic increases, especially in light of what happened last weekend:
"There were many accidents over the weekend, those of Rosberg and Perez in particular: Nico was lucky because he didn't hit the wall at the chicane after the tunnel while Sergio hit him directly. I'm happy that Perez got out of the hospital and I hope to see him on the track already in Montreal. In Monaco, due to its nature, there will always be an element of risk and that barrier is probably the most critical point if you lose control of the car or if something breaks. we spoke many times in the past because several accidents had occurred there. I hope that a solution can be found to improve the position of the barriers at that specific point of the track".
In view of the Canadian Grand Prix, the positive thing for Massa is however the newfound competitiveness of Ferrari, and it is therefore normal that the Brazilian hopes for further improvements in Montreal:
"The good thing about the Monegasque weekend was the fact that our car proved to be much more competitive than in the previous race. Finally we were able to fight until the end, even if only with one driver. Our pace was very good and I hope which will be the same in Canada and Valencia: we will have to have new technical solutions which, together with the softer tyres, should help us. At least on paper, then we will see what the situation will be, starting from Friday in Montreal".