INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • Marquez wins epic battle over Lorenzo; Oliveira claims 4th for Mahindra

    Mugello, 1 June 2014: Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez was the hero once again as he had the last laugh after an epic battle with Movistar Yamaha Jorge Lorenzo to take his record breaking sixth victory from the six starts of the season even as the Mugello circuit turned yellow with thousands of fans cheering their 35-year-old hero Valintono Rossi, who was on his 300th GP. Rossi did not disappoint them as he dashed to a podium finish after starting from 10th on the grid and his teammate Lorenzo lost the lead in the last lap as his bike lacked the straight-line speed on Sunday.

    Meanwhile, it was another historic day for Indian team Mahindra as Miguel Oliveira claimed a resounding fourth place in the Italian GP showing all his skills and the growing strength of the Mahindra MGP3O Moto3™ racer in a fearsomely close race, with a gang of more than 15 riders locked in close slip-streaming combat down the spectacular Mugello circuit’s long straight.

    According to a Mahindra team release, fourth equals the Portuguese teenager’s best finish of his second season with the only Indian team in world championship motorcycle racing, but was a landmark of race-craft and skill. He had started from 19th on the grid, and picked his way through a huge brawling group to finish a tenth of a second off the top-three podium, and 0.121 seconds behind winner Romano Fenati.
    At the finish there were still ten riders within six seconds, and the first seven of them within just over half a second. Two more of them were Mahindra MGP3O machines, with CIP rider Alessandro Tonucci seventh, and Ambrogio rider Brad Binder ninth. A fourth Mahindra also took points in the hands of San Carlo Team Italia’s Matteo Ferrari.
    Second Mahindra Racing rider Arthur Sissis was 17th, narrowly missing out on his first points of the season. Sissis had qualified 24th, and was delayed by slower riders as he moved through towards the top 15.
    The next race is the Catalunyan GP in Barcelona, in two weeks.
    MIGUEL OLIVEIRA – Fourth position
    It was such a hard race. Unfortunately yesterday’s qualifying wasn’t the best. We tried to improve the bike and it turned out not to be the best decision. I didn’t start so well, but I felt good and I started to recover some positions. Of course the last lap was the key: I tried to get behind the group and save the tyres, and in the end to attack under braking – and I could make some positions. In the last corner, I tried for more but it was very hard. I am very happy with the result and for the team after some disappointing races. This gives us more motivation to keep pushing. We still need more work, but we have more potential than we showed at recent races. Today the bike allowed me to make the difference.
    ARTHUR SISSIS – 17th position
    It was a hard race. It’s always the same – I start badly then I am stuck in a fight with guys who are not so fast, and on a track like this you can’t get away, because the straights are so long. You get half-a-second gap then they catch your slipstream on the straight and pass you again … and it takes another two laps to get past six riders again. When I was on my own I was quite fast, so it’s getting better.
    MUFADDAL CHOONIA – CEO Mahindra Racing
    These are the kind of Moto3 races we all pay money to see. My compliments to our team and Miguel in particular. He showed amazing skill and race-craft to jump from 19th on the grid to fourth. Also to our customer teams, CIP and Ambrogio, whose riders Tonucci and Binder also finished in the top ten. It shows the MGP3O is improving all the time, as our customers get more used to the bike. We hope for even stronger results during the rest of the season. It was very heartening to see the gap between Miguel and the winner was just 0.121 seconds, and between Tonucci and the race winner 0.597 seconds … two Mahindras within six tenths of victory. This race was

    Miguel Oliveira of Mahindra MGP30 Moto3 took the fourth place for a historic day for the Indian outfit at Mugello on Sunday. A Mahindra Moto3 team image
    Miguel Oliveira of Mahindra MGP30 Moto3 took the fourth place for a historic day for the Indian outfit at Mugello on Sunday. A Mahindra Moto3 team image

    a big shot in the arm, and we look forward to the next race in Barcelona in less than two weeks.

    eom/Mahindra team release

  • Lorenzo in second row; Marquez on pole again

    Mugello (Italy), 31 May 2014: Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo kept the pressure on in qualifying this afternoon for tomorrow’s Gran Premio d’Italia, taking third on the grid. Teammate Valentino Rossi found the 15-minute qualifying heat a bigger challenge, taking tenth position on the fourth row. It was, however, Marc Marquez all way for one more pole and was joined in the front row by Andrea Iannone.

    According to a Movistar Yamaha press release:

    Jorge Lorenzo of Movistar Yamaha kept the pressure on the top riders with a second row start. A Movistar Yamaha team image
    Jorge Lorenzo of Movistar Yamaha kept the pressure on the top riders with a front row start. A Movistar Yamaha team image

    Lorenzo made his trademark early exit from the pits as the session began, the first rider to attack the Mugello circuit. He immediately dropped below the ’48 mark with a first flying lap of 1’47.605s. Hot laps by rivals Marc Marquez and Andrea Iannone then dropped him to third, but just 0.167 from the front. With just over eight minutes remaining it was a super quick pit-stop for Lorenzo, and back to the track less than a minute later. He was able to improve on his earlier time, scoring a session best of 1’47.521s to secure third on the grid, 0.251s from pole.

    Rossi was also quick to exit at the start of the session, just one rider back from teammate Lorenzo. He too immediately dropped under the ‘48s with a first flying lap of 1’47.791s to take provisional third. As the times fell he dropped down to 5th, 0.521 from first as he entered the pits mid-session. An extended pit stop saw him return to the track with five minutes remaining having taken extra time to change to a softer front tyre in the hunt for a quicker turning bike. Unfortunately he was unable to improve on his first hot lap and make the softer front tyre work for him, wrapping up qualifying in tenth position, just over half a second from pole.

    “I’m satisfied with third place because it’s important to start in the first row here to try to avoid some problems with the first laps and be with the front group. I feel like it’s a second place because Iannone has extra soft tyres that can maybe get some extra tenths. I’m happy with the lap time, but more I’m happy with the consistency and the work we’ve done with the bike. My physical condition is getting better as well so I’m happy. Circumstances are different to last year so it’s more difficult to be in front, but little by little we adapt to be as competitive as possible,” said Lorenzo.

    Meanwhile, Valentino Rossi rued about his mistake: “We made a big mistake in the qualifying, we decided to change the front tyre at the same time as the second rear. It was the wrong decision, I felt really bad with the softer front and I was unable to improve my lap time. It’s a great shame, because I had a good potential and could have started on the front, my pace is good and I feel good with the bike, but it’s like this. Tomorrow from the fourth row everything will be harder and more difficult. We have good pace, we need to fix some small problems and try to make the maximum. I want to try and make a good race because it’s my 300th Grand Prix and also we are in Mugello! I’m quite desperate for the tenth position but nothing is lost yet. It will be hard but we can do a good race.”

    ends/Movistar Yamaha press release

     

  • Popular Nashik Rally to kick-start INRC calendar

     

    File photo of Zuhin and Musa Sherif at an INRC event in Chikmagalur in 2012. Photo by Kishen
    File photo of Zuhin and Musa Sherif at an INRC event in Chikmagalur in 2012. Photo by Kishen

    Chennai, 29 May 2014: The JK Tyre Racing Championship kicks off at the Kari Motor Speedway between May 30 and June 1. The classes run in the National series being the Formula BMW, the Formula LGB 4, VW Polo R Cup and the VW Vento closed invitation race.

    According to a press release from Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), Chikmagalur will host the opening round of the Indian National TSD Rally Championship on June 7 and 8. This is followed by the first round of the Indian Rally Championship in Nashik between June 13 and 15.

    The action then shifts to the Madras Motor Race Track with the second round of the FMSCI-National Racing Championship for MRF F1600 and Round 1 of the FMSCI National Racing Championship ITC, IJTC and LGB F4 to be held between June 20 and 22.

    The first round of the JK Tyre-FMSCI National Rotax Max Karting Championship will be held in Hyderabad from June 27 to 29, while the second round of the FMSCI-Indian National TSD Rally Championship will be staged in Jaipur on June 28 and 29.

    Other FMSCI-approved events during the period are:

    May 31-June 1: Ashoka Sports Club Mini Supercross (2W) in Mumbai; June 7-8: Vasa Autocross (2/4 W) in Chikmagalur; June 17-18: Green Run Picnic Rally (2/4 W) in Bangalore and June 20-23: 5th Mughal Rally in Shimla.

    Otehr key notes from the various Commissions of the FMSCI following their recent meetings released by Mr Sanjay Rajan, the Press Officer, here on Thursday.

    Four-wheeler Racing Commission

    ·        The Superbike 1000cc class to be run from Round 2 of the JK Racing India series 2014. The Superbike 1000cc comes into being via the formation of the ISBK (Indian Super Bikes) who have contracted with JK Tyre to run their races in their National series.

    ·        Classes to be run in the JK Racing India Series are theFB02 cars powered by BMW, Formula LGB 4, VW Polo R Cup, VW Vento closed invitation race apart from the Superbike 1000cc class.

    ·        The MMST and Kari Motor Speedway are upgrading their facilities and circuit layouts to cater to more exciting and professional racing.

    ·        The Commission has modified the General Prescriptions for 2014 and brought them in line with the FIA International Sporting Code 2014.

    ·        The Commission has also circulated to all Organisers a Risk Management document which will be very useful for Organizers to manage the Risks of an event better.

    ·        The Commission proposes to conduct a training programme for Race Directors, COCs, Stewards, Time Keepers and Secretaries of The Meet with the help of international experts.

    ·        The Commission is working on introducing Drift Racing Championships in India for which plans and regs are being finalised.

    ·        The T1 Prima Truck  Race at the Buddh International Circuit was a grand success and the FMSCI is now mulling on plans to approach Tata Motors to take their efforts further and hopefully put a programme in place for Indian drivers.

    Karting Commission

    ·        Participation in the JK Tyre-FMSCI National Rotax Max Karting Championship for 2014 expected to get stronger with entries set to go beyond the 50-mark in each of the classes.

    ·        Plans are on to introduce inter-school, inter-college and inter-corporate National Karting Championships, which will have regional rounds culminating in a grand finale. This is in line with the FIA-CIK directive of promoting karting at grassroots level.

    ·        The FMSCI will be investing in more advanced Scrutineering equipment and will also be conducting a training programme for Technical Delegates and Scrutineers exclusively for the karting discipline.

    ·        New tracks coming up in India are an encouraging sign. A 1.2-km karting track of international standards is being set up in both Bangalore and Hyderabad, while an 850m track in Vizag has already been put up and is in the process of being homologated by the FMSCI.

    Two-wheeler Racing Commission

    ·        In consultation with riders, minimum weight regulation for Group D and C and Group B categories to be introduced.

    ·        Seeding of riders to be introduced to help them ride faster bikes.

    ·        The Commission is working very closely with the Bike Festival of India (BFI), a group that is promoting all forms of two-wheeler motorsports and two-wheeler safety rides along with prominent riding clubs across the country. BFI, under the aegis of the FMSCI, proposes to introduce track racing events, drag racing events, motocross events and stunt bike championship and a safety ride from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.

    Rally Committee-Working Group

    ·        D Ram Kumar proposed as Observer for all rounds of the FMSCI-National Rally Championship in 2014.

    ·        Permanent Stewards proposed – Zayn Khan for rallies, and Arindam Ghosh for TSD Rallies.

    ·        Route inspection will be compulsory for all rounds. Farooq Ahmed will be Permanent Route Inspector.

    FMSCI to implement FIA’s Action for Road Safety global campaign

    In a bid to advocate for safer roads, vehicles and behaviours in the country, the FMSCI has introduced a Mobility Commission headed by its vice-president RK Dhawan and assisted by its Racing Commission chairman Akbar Ebrahim.

    Key points of the proposal made by the Mobility Commission to the FMSCI Council:

    ·        All vehicles competing in sanctioned FMSCI National events will carry an FIA Road Safety Campaign logo sticker to create awareness among the youth involved in motorsports on the importance of road safety.

    ·         Encourage all registered motorsports clubs of the FMSCI to participate in the campaign and also provide information to the survey questionnaire sent out by the FIA Mobility wing to all its ASNs.

    ·        Present to the Government of India the highlights of this programme mooted by the FMSCI in association with the FIA.

    ·        Engage with all auto manufacturers in India to support and promote the programme.

    ·        Interact with schools and colleges across the country to encourage them to also endorse this programme and to promote it to their students, which will go a long way in the improvement of road safety awareness.

    ·        Set up the Safety and Advanced Driving Programmes in all key centres with the support of the Government of India. This programme will deal with providing a detailed insight and training to the participating drivers of different levels, teach the basics of correct driving procedures in line with road safety and also driving techniques to handle situations as and when they arise. Focus on child safety and child restraint in the car.

    eom/FMSCI press release

     

  • Contest for children to design Air-powered Electric car in Bangalore

    By our Principal Correspondent

    Bangalore, 27 May 2014: L Green Ventures, an organisation committed to cultivate the habit of science experimentation among children has been conducting Sunday Science Schools at various places. The Sunday Science School is an elaborate hands-on-Science activity for school students that creates a sense of curiosity and promotes inquisitiveness so as to stimulate the children’s scientific creativity.

    As part of Earth Day celebrations, a science contest is being held on June 29 at Vishveswaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, Bangalore (India) for children in the age groups of 9 to 11 years and 12 to 15 years. To reduce pollution in the environment and place seed in the minds of the children, the students were asked to design the most-efficient `Air powered Electric Car’ with a given common energy source.

    The first 2000 students can take part in the contest on a first-come-first-serve basis.

    “The basic model of the `toy car’ can achieve a speed of 4 km per hour which is our normal walking speed; however, children can also achieve a speed of 15 km per hour car speed if they work on crucial aspects like reducing the weight of the car, reducing friction, aerodynamics of shape, using different fan, different wheels etc. They cannot change the given toy motor (engine of the car!) and the power that can be used (3V!) and that is what makes it challenging,” said Dr Sujatha Virdhe, Director, L Green Ventures.

    Last year L Green Ventures had a contest on “Making Hand-held-Wind-Energy-Generator” and children succeeded in glowing about 100 LEDs using similar a toy motor.

    The contest is sponsosred by Mahindra Reva to encourage the Green Initiative while Karnataka Renewable Energy Department Limited (KREDL) and International Royal Chemical Society would be the co-sponsors of the event.

    For details please visit: http://www.lgreenventures.com

    eom/By Sumitra

     

    A model Air powered Electric car by L Green Ventures for a competition for students. An L Green Ventures image
    A model Air powered Electric car by L Green Ventures for a competition for students. An L Green Ventures image

  • Karun Chandhok, Bruno Senna to drive for Mahindra Racing in inaugural FIA Formula E

    Former F1 drivers Bruno Senna and India's Karun Chandhok will pair to drive for Mahindra Racing in the inaugural Formula E championship. An Adrenna Communications image
    Former F1 drivers Bruno Senna and India’s Karun Chandhok will pair to drive for Mahindra Racing in the inaugural Formula E championship. An Adrenna Communications image

    Mumbai, 26 May 2014.  Mahindra Racing announced on Monday that India’s own Karun Chandhok and Bruno Senna will be the team’s drivers for the inaugural season of the FIA Formula E Championship. The duo will represent Mahindra when they line-up on the grid at the start of the world’s first ever fully electric championship in Beijing later this year.

    Commenting on this development, Dr. Pawan Goenka, Executive Director and President (Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors), said, “Mahindra Racing takes an important step forward on its pioneering journey into electric car racing with the announcement of our driver line-up. We are confident that our participation in Formula E racing would allow Mahindra to remain at the cutting edge of EV technology and help us develop the next generation of electric road cars.”

    According to Mr. S P Shukla, Chairman, Mahindra Racing, “Both Karun and Bruno come with very strong racing pedigrees and have successfully competed in a variety of racing series over the past few years. The entire team looks forward to working with both of them to optimize the performance of our racing car over the next few months of testing before the start of racing in September this year.”

    Neither Chandhok nor Senna are strangers to international racing fans, both having competed at the top level of the sport in Formula 1. The signing of two such high profile drivers is an indication of Mahindra’s determination to succeed in the first season of Formula E.  Representing the only Indian team on the Formula E grid, Chandhok and Senna bring with them a strong working relationship, having already raced as team mates previously in their careers.

    Team Principal Dilbagh Gill commented, “Karun and Bruno both represent the perfect balance between experience and youthful enthusiasm for this truly ground breaking championship. I am confident they will do their best to represent Mahindra on the world stage and the entire team is aiming for top results from the start of the championship.”

    Preparation for the season is already underway, with the team’s first car having been delivered to Mahindra Racing recently. This brand new Formula E car has already been painted with the team’s new livery – a stunning combination of Mahindra red and the colours of the Indian flag.

    “I’m very excited to be a part of the Mahindra Racing line up,” said Karun Chandhok.  “Mahindra are showing a lot of commitment to Formula E and it’s very encouraging to see the support of senior members of the group to this programme. To be a part of the only Indian team in this series is a real honour for me especially as I’m going to be working with one of India’s most respected brands.”

    He added, “It’s also going to be a nice reunion for me with Bruno again. He’s one of my closest friends from the racing world, we respect each other and work well together which will be good for the development of the team.

    Formula E is a whole new way of going motor racing. The in-city races are going to be a great spectacle and will make the sport a lot more accessible for the public – they’re taking the race to the fans, rather than making the fans come to the race. The quality of teams and drivers should ensure some fantastic racing and I can’t wait for the season to kick off.”

    Teammate Bruno Senna added, “I’m very proud to be joining Mahindra Racing. There is a real ambition within the team to be leaders in Formula E from the start.  It’s also an exciting prospect to be part of such a revolutionary championship from the beginning.”

    “There will be a lot to learn very quickly, both for the teams and drivers, in terms of technology and driving styles and for race fans as Formula E will popularise a new type of motorsport across the world. Of course, I already have a great relationship with Karun which will help us work together and move the team forward very quickly.” he added.

    Chandhok will add the Formula E Championship to his Le Mans programme which will continue next month with the iconic Le Mans 24hrs. Chandhok will race in the Le Mans 24hrs for the third consecutive year.

    Chandhok is supported by long term supporters JK Tyre, as well as Tag Heuer,  Sidvin and the AVT group.

    eom/Adrenna Communications Release

  • Rosberg takes second consecutive Monaco win; regains Championship lead

    Mercedes driver reclaims control of Drivers’ Championship standings as Hamilton is second and Ricciardo third.

    Nico Rosberg took his second consecutive Monaco Grand Prix victory and reclaimed control of the FIA Formula One World Driver’s Champiolnship with a controlled drive from pole position.

    Nico Rosberg after winning the Monaco GP on Sunday. A Mercedes AMG Petronas image
    Nico Rosberg after winning the Monaco GP on Sunday. A Mercedes AMG Petronas image

    The German held of a strong challenge from team-mate Lewis Hamilton, whose chances of taking a fourth win in a row this season faded when he suffered a visibility problem caused by dirt in his left eye. Daniel Ricciardo finished third for Red Bull Racing after recovering from a slide to fifth at the start.

    Rosberg held his lead at the start, but had Hamilton hard in pursuit. Behind them third-on the-grid Red Bull Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo made a poor getaway and was passed by team-mate Sebastian Vettel. The Australian then tried to fend off the hard-charging Fernando Alonso and that allowed his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, who had started sixth, to slip past both around the outside.

    As the front-runners settled into the lap behind them Force India’s Sergio Perez, who had started 10th, was clipped by McLaren’s Jenson Button and pitched into the barriers on the run down to the hairpin.

    That triggered a brief safety car intervention and when the pace car left the order quickly changed again. This time it was Vettel on the move – though backwards. The champion reported a loss of power and slid rapidly back to 10th by the end of lap four. He pitted for work to be done but when he was released back on track he quickly reported that his RB10 was stuck in first and then had further power unit problems, which forced him to retire at the end of the lap. His exit moved Raikkonen to third and Ricciardo to fourth.

    The next man to stop was Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat. The Russian rookie had impress all weekend on his first time out at Monaco but after a decent race start in which he settled into eighth position he began to drop back on lap 11 losing places to Button and Hulkenberg. Kvyat steered his car back to the pit lane and retired.

    The Safety Car next appeared on lap 25. Adrian Sutil lost control of his Sauber on the exit of the tunnel and smashed into the barriers scattering debris all across the run down to the Nouvelle Chicane.

    That was the cue for a flurry of stops as all the front runners visited the pits. While all went smoothly for the Mercedes drivers and for Ricciardo, trouble was brewing elsewhere. Seventh-placed Jean-Eric Vergne was released into the path of Magnussen and incurred a penalty that spelled the beginning of the end of his race. Raikkonen, meanwhile, slotted back into third following his stop but was soon back in the pits, for another set of softs, the Finn being clipped by a lapped Marussia on his out lap. The Finn’s misfortune promoted Ricciardo to third.

    Vergne’s return to the pits on lap 37 for his penalty shuffled the order in the lower half of the top 10. Hulkenberg was now sixth, ahead of Magnussen, Button, Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Gutierrez.

    Massa, though, was still circulating on his starting supersofts and would need to make the switch. He finally pitted on lap 45, dropping back to 11th. The order now was Rosberg, just 0.8s ahead of Hamilton, with Ricciardo third 12s back. Alonso was fourth ahead of Hulkenberg, Magnussen and Button. Bottas was eighth, Gutierrez ninth and Raikkonen was back into the top 10.

    Vergne’s race meanwhile went from bad to worse. Fighting with Jules Bianchi for P13 on lap 52, blue smoke suddenly appeared at the back of the Toro Rosso. By the time Vergne reached the swimming pool section it had turned into a plume and he arrowed into pit lane to bring to an end a frustrating afternoon for his Italian team.

    A handful of laps later a second engine failure changed the order again. Bottas, in eighth, was defending hard as behind him Gutierrez, Raikkonen and Massa (on fresher tyres) pushed to get past. In the end none of the trio had to tussle too hard as on lap 57 Bottas’ FW36 expired in a pall of smoke at the hairpin.

    Gutierrez was the next man to exit the race. The Mexican clipped the barrier at Rascasse, sustained a puncture and spun close to the pit lane entrance.

    That put Marussia’s Jules Bianchi in a points-scoring position. The Frenchman was due to take a five-second penalty at the end of the race for a previous infringement but with a six-second advantage over Grosjean on track, it looked like the Frenchman was on the way to his first F1 points.

    Hamilton, meanwhile, was in trouble, complaining that he had dirt in his left eye that was impairing his vision. The gap between him and Rosberg drifted to five seconds, with Ricciardo now eight seconds behind Hamilton.

    The Australian made a determined bid to reel in Hamilton and closed the gap on the Mercedes driver to three seconds by lap 72. Hamilton was soon embroiled in traffic and on lap 73 Riccardo was running on the Briton’s gearbox.

    In the traffic, Button passed Magnussen across the start-finish line. Riccardo and Hamilton wove their through the backmarkers and as they did so Raikkonen attempted to pass Magnussen.

    Both got stuck at the hairpin and that allowed Bianchi to move up to eighth place, meaning that regardless of his penalty he would retain a points position.

    It was now all about the Riccardo/Hamilton duel. Riccardo threw everything at the challenge but the Red Bull driver could find no way past as Hamilton used his greater power in tunnel to prevent any move from Riccardo into the chicane.

    Ahead, Rosberg crossed the line to take his second Monaco win and to seize back the championship lead. The German now has 122 points to his team-mate’s 118.

    Hamilton held off Riccardo to take second. Alonso was fourth behind the Australian, with Hulkenberg fifth. Button was sixth for McLaren, ahead of Massa. Romain Grosjean was eighth with Bianchi ninth, but the Marussia driver was crucially nine seconds ahead of tenth-placed Magnussen, meaning that Marussia scored their first championship points and took a crucial advantage over Caterham, for whom Ericsson was 11th, in the Constructors’ Championship.

    2014 Monaco Grand Prix – Race Result
    1 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 78 1:49:27.661 1 25
    2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 78 +9.2 secs 2 18
    3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing 78 +9.6 secs 3 15
    4 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 78 +32.4 secs 5 12
    5 Nico Hulkenberg Force India 77 +1 Lap 11 10
    6 Jenson Button McLaren 77 +1 Lap 12 8
    7 Felipe Massa Williams 77 +1 Lap 16 6
    8 Romain Grosjean Lotus 77 +1 Lap 14 4
    9 Jules Bianchi Marussia 77 +1 Lap 21 2
    10 Kevin Magnussen McLaren 77 +1 Lap 8 1
    11 Marcus Ericsson Caterham 77 +1 Lap 22
    12 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 77 +1 Lap 6
    13 Kamui Kobayashi Caterham 75 +3 Laps 20
    14 Max Chilton Marussia 75 +3 Laps 19
    Ret Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 59 Accident 17
    Ret Valtteri Bottas Williams 55 +23 Laps 13
    Ret Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 50 +28 Laps 7
    Ret Adrian Sutil Sauber 23 Accident 18
    Ret Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso 10 +68 Laps 9
    Ret Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing 5 +73 Laps 4
    Ret Sergio Perez Force India 0 Accident 10
    Ret Pastor Maldonado Lotus 0 +78 Laps 15

    eom/FIA press release

  • It was a really good day for Mercedes to get 1-2 finish: Hamilton

    DRIVERS

    1 – Nico ROSBERG (Mercedes)

    2 – Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes)

    3 – Daniel RICCIARDO (Red Bull Racing)

    PODIUM INTERVIEWS

    (Conducted by Benedict Cumberbatch)

    Nico, congratulations, man – a home win for the home boy. How did it feel? You had Lewis very, very close to you all the race but you held on to your lead. How was it?

    Nico ROSBERG: A very, very special day for sure. Lewis drove really, really well and pushed me massively hard, so the pressure was on all the way. But I kept it cool and, yeah, was able to win, in the end pulling a bit of a gap because I had the fresher tyres. So, fantastic and I’m very, very happy for the whole team, it’s an amazing car they’ve built and given us this year.

    Congratulations, well done to the Monaco boy. Lewis, how are you? Tell us a little bit about what happened on the 56th lap? You got something in your eye?

    Lewis HAMILTON: Yeah, just through the visor… but anyway that’s not important. It was a good day and really good for the team to get a one-two.

    You had [Daniel Ricciardo] right close behind. How was it? You started second and finished second and how are things with your team-mate, I think people want to know?

    LH: I had great pace, you know, obviously I felt I was very strong today but it’s a very, very difficult circuit to overtake on…

    It’s incredibly thrilling to watch, you were all incredible out there, the closeness of the cars…

    LH: Thank you. Fortunately we didn’t make any mistakes, so….

    Daniel, well done, man. Nice to meet you; Benedict. Tell us a little bit about your race. You were in third for a while, then the pit stops, tell us a little about your strategy.

    Daniel RICCIARDO: Firstly, it’s really nice to be up here on the podium in Monaco.

    It’s your first podium here isn’t it? Congratulations.

    DR: Yeah, thank you. The start was not great, I dropped back to fifth actually. A bit of frustration but then we saw Vettel had a problem, so we were able to get fourth and then we saw Raikkonen had a puncture on one of the safety cars. So we sort of inherited third after a poor start…

    You got very close to Lewis. You were right on his gearbox at the end?

    DR: At the end we really closed in. I believe he had an issue. We tried to put some pressure on but in the end third was the best we could do.

    PRESS CONFERENCE

    Congratulations Nico – a two-time Monaco Grand Prix winner, only a handful of drivers have ever done that before. Fifth consecutive one-two finish for the Mercedes team and you are back on top of the Drivers’ standings. Can you sum up what this win means for you today in the context of tyhe4 battle with Lewis for the championship?

    NR: Yeah, it’s a special win, definitely, because Lewis has had the momentum with the results and everything and I really needed to try to break that momentum and somewhat I managed to do that this weekend. Of course taking the leading again in the world championship and winning here in Monaco, yeah, all in all really, really cool.

    Well done. Lewis, obviously the momentum is broken for the moment. We heard you on the radio quite a lot after the safety car and the pit stops, questioning and speaking about the strategy calls. Obviously you pitted together under the safety car. Had there been a thought that you might try to undercut Nico before that? Can you explain to us what the conversation was about?

    LH: I don’t remember to be honest. I don’t. I think they saw a crash and normally under the crash we could have come in and I really should have come in but the team didn’t call us in. We really should have pitted that lap.

    Fair enough. Daniel, your first Monaco podium. Can you describe your feelings about that and looking back across qualifying and the race is there any way you could have got a better result than the one you got today.

    DR: To describe the feeling, it’s really nice to be up here. Could we have done better? I don’t know. I felt yesterday that we left a little bit of lap time on there. Where that would have jumped on the grid, who knows. After that, the race itself – the start was not good, not what I wanted. I actually dropped back to fifth and then Seb had his problems, still not sure what, but pretty evident he had problems when he slowed on the straight. Then Raikkonen I saw got a puncture under the safety car, so I got third and then pretty much was just trying to maintain the gap behind me to Alonso. Then when I thought there was enough or the right amount of laps left before the end to push and not really save tyres anymore, I did and went for it. We got close to at least one of the Mercedes at the end but you know what it’s like around here, it’s quite hard to pass. Tried to put a bit of pressure on but third was the best we could do but not a bad day.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Paolo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello sport) A question for Nico and Lewis. We have seen that there is a pretty tense situation between the two of you and we also heard comments from Lauda saying you did not want to talk and apologise. Are you going to have a pizza together, a dinner, to sort the problems, talk about it and try to get the situation back to normal.

    NR: It’s fine. We’ve had discussions and the benefit we have is that we’ve known each other for so long. We always sit down and discuss it and then move on and that’s what we’re doing this weekend also.

    Lewis?

    LH: I don’t really have an answer for you there.

    Q: (Oana Popoiu – F1 Zone) I have a question for Lewis. Niki Lauda said that in Barcelona you used an engine mode you were told not to and you had to apologise to Nico for that. Do you think that that mode would have helped you win the race today?

    LH: No… today we were using all the modes. In the last race it was a mode that didn’t really affect the outcome of the race. We were told that we had to stay in a certain mode. Nico did it in Bahrain and I did it in Barcelona. In this race we stuck to the strategies we had to stick.

    NR: I don’t know what Niki is referring to but it’s completely normal that we switch modes together you know, we always do that in the races. It’s nothing unusual.

    Q: (Dan Knutson – Auto Action and National Speedsport News) Lewis, yesterday you told the BBC that you might handle the situation with Nico like Senna would. What did you mean by that?

    LH: I don’t know. I can’t really remember to be honest. I think it was just a joke. Obviously I didn’t.

    Q: (Michael Schmidt – Auto Motor und Sport) I think you said on the radio that you had a problem with your eye in the closing stages. What happened there?

    LH: I’ve never really had it before. I kept making sure my visor was as closed as possible but I had quite a bit of wind coming in. I got close to Nico at one stage and all of a sudden I got a bit of debris in my eye, or some dirt, so I was driving with one eye, which is virtually impossible to do and so through the low-speed corners I was trying to open up my visor to clear it up but it was just making it worse. Fortunately, I think with five laps to go it cleared up so I was able to stay ahead of Daniel.

    Q: (Vincent Marre – Sports Zeitung) in the last days Nico was mentioning that the previous races were not one-to-one races. What do you think Lewis about this race or this race weekend. Was it a one-to-one races.

    LH: I don’t fully understand the question.

    Q: (Vincent Marre – Sports Zeitung) last day Nico Rosberg was mentioning that the previous races were not one-to-one races, relating to the weather, because you were winning the races and this time he’s winning the race and I want to know if you think this weekend is a one-to-one race for you?

    LH: I’m still not fully understanding it, but all the races have been very, very close but this weekend I think I had very good pace. I drove with all my heart and gave it all I could, fairly, and I feel like I drove fairly all weekend. So I leave today quite happy and I can go into the next race with even more energy and determination.

    Q: (Ian Parkes – Press Association) Lewis, it seems pretty clear to us that you feel aggrieved with the events that occurred yesterday in qualifying. Is this it now for you? Is it gloves off in your battle with Nico? And secondly, do you feel that you are getting full and fair support from the team?

    LH: Generally, there is a fierce battle between me and Nico and it will continue that way to I’m sure quite late in the season. Nico’s not had a single hiccup through the season so far. Obviously I had a car that didn’t finish in Melbourne but otherwise it’s still quite close, so I’m just going to keep my head up, keep pushing. I know the team are working hard for the both of us. The team can sometimes be in awkward positions, which they were yesterday, and their job is really to protect us both and that’s what they did.

    Q: (Graham Harris – Motorsport Monday) Question for Nico: you were being told to back-off and coast with fuel. How critical was your fuel?

    NR: Yeah, the fuel was very critical and caught me off-guard a little bit because it was a major change that I had to make and especially with Lewis being so close behind, it was a tough moment because I had to change the driving style completely, use different gears, different lifting and coasting, everything different. But, again, the team managed that well and got me to do what I needed to do. And then, once I got into the groove again, it was OK and everything… it was no problem them. But it was still difficult.

    Q: (Jussi Jäkälä – YLE) Nico, 31 years ago Keke won here, today you are double Monaco winning. Which do you think is prouder at the moment: you or your Dad?

    NR: I don’t know. I hope… of course my father is proud today and that makes me very happy, that I’m able to make my parents proud. Hopefully even my friends, for example, who all were here also this weekend and that makes it all the more special to have family, friends, everybody I know lives here and is at the track watching the race and that’s even nicer.

    Q: (Paolo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) One question to Nico and one to Daniel. Nico, you said that you had to break the momentum, since Lewis is coming from four consecutive wins. Is this your most important victory so far? And to you Daniel, from what we have seen today from Red Bull, are you going to have the pace to challenge Mercedes in Montreal in two weeks?

    NR: I don’t know about the most important. For sure it was very, very important, yes, today because Lewis had the result moment and I needed to try and bring that to an end and managed to do that today, so that’s great but, y’know, it’s still early days and for sure it’s going to continue to be a very, very tough battle.

    Daniel?

    DR: I think, yeah, we closed up a bit here in Monaco which we knew would be our best chance up until now. This circuit definitely suits our package a bit better than previous circuits – we still didn’t finish in front so, unfortunately, it’s still not where we want to be. Montreal is still a street circuit but unfortunately the straights go on a little bit longer there so we’re still down a little bit in that area, which I think everyone’s aware of and we’ve made progress. Whether it will be enough by then, honestly, probably not but we are closing the gap so, that’s all we can ask for, for now, and just keep chipping away at it and be patient. I’m sure a bit of perseverance as well and we’ll get there.

    Q: (Livio Oricchio – Universo Online) Daniel, for sure as a driver you must trust in yourself but in any moment did you believe you could beat Vettel in the way this season you are beating him in qualifying and the race?

    DR: I didn’t really have any visions exactly on how it would go, what the race results would be or what the qualifying score would be – but I knew that I have some talent and obviously got a bit of experience now in Formula One. So, every year, even every six month period I feel I’m still growing and getting better as a driver as well so, I knew coming into the season with the team behind me and sort of a new opportunity, that I would be able to challenge Seb. Did I think it would be going, let’s say, as well as it was now? I don’t know. But I knew if I had everything underneath me I’d be capable of getting the results. So, fortunately the team saw that as well, back in September, I think, last year. So, it’s coming good.

    Q: (Barna Zsoldos – Nemzeti Sport) Lewis, after your victory in Barcelona, you said that Nico was faster than you in the race. Today he can even beat you. Is it a worry for you? And do you know where you should improve pace-wise.

    LH: erm… not really. I was pretty comfortable with my pace this weekend.

    Q: (Yassmin Abdel-Magied – RichardsF1.com) Daniel, you said yesterday that there was a little bit left on the table in terms of qualifying. Do you think that there was a little bit left on the table still in the race, and was there was there any point – you got pretty close to Lewis at the end there – when you were going to go for it and then maybe not – don’t want to risk it? What was the thinking in those last few laps?

    DR: Everyone was trying to do a one stop today; it’s a bit of a weird one, you don’t really push much of the race because, especially after the first pit stop, we still had a long way to go, so you’re in two minds: do I push or do I just try and hold the guy off and get to the end. By the time we’d got 15/20 laps to go I knew the tyres were going to last so then I could actually start my race, so to speak, and then start to set some quicker times. We caught Lewis, the team said I was going to catch him, the pace was good so I knew I was eventually going to get on to him. Knowing it’s hard to pass around here, I wasn’t… I don’t know. I was just waiting to see what happened but I wasn’t just going to settle for third. Obviously in the end I did but if there was a clean move to be taken then yeah, I would have taken it.

    Q: (Nicola Pohl – Bild) Lewis, what do you think was the reason why the team didn’t call you in immediately after the crash? You complained over the team radio about that.

    LH: I think it’s just what we have a rule that the guy in front gets the first opportunity to pit first so I think that would be why.

    Q: (Haoran Zhou – Formula One Express) Lewis, how did the debrief of yesterday’s qualifying go because as we understand, you were not in the debrief room, while Rosberg was?

    LH: I was in there. I went to the toilet and Nico did his big debrief before I got there which is unusual. Usually we do it when we’re both in the same room but as I came up I did mine and fortunately the engineers had written down what Nico had said so I read it.

    Q: (Michael Schmidt – Auto Motor und Sport) Nico, have you been surprised that the team didn’t call you in right after the crash of Sutil?

    NR: No. Surprised? No, not really, because I don’t think about that too much. I know I can rely on them to make the right call at all times so it’s not something that I’m thinking too much about, the strategy and should I be boxing now or not, because I know that they’re going to make the right call.

    Q: (Christian Hoenicke – Der Tagesspiegel) Nico, do you think it was fair what Lewis said about you not being hungry as him because you were growing with boats and jets and all that stuff?

    NR: I didn’t hear Lewis say that and so I’m not going to comment because it’s easy for you to just invent something and so I’m not going to comment on that, and even if something like that was written – which I don’t know because I don’t read the media – then still, between what Lewis says and what’s written, so much can turn around so it’s better I don’t say anything and I know that Lewis wouldn’t say something like that, especially not to the press, maybe to me if he feels like it but not to the press.

    Q: (Ian Parkes – Press Assocation) Nico, you may give the same answer to this question then, because there were some comments from yourself in one of the German newspapers or certainly a few of the German newspapers and you can correct me if I’m wrong, if the English translation was not correct but you remarked that when Lewis goes through a difficult period that he can crack. Do you think that that’s what happened this weekend, that maybe Lewis did crack under the press yesterday in qualifying, and Lewis, any comment on that yourself? Do feel you’re the kind of guy that doesn’t crack, that you can hold it together in these kind of circumstances?

    NR: Again, that is definitely very very far from anything that I’ve ever said and ever would say. Definitely not and I’ve known Lewis for many many years and he’s always been strong, among other things mentally, so I’m definitely not expecting him to crack any time soon, that’s for sure. It’s going to be a tough battle which is going to be ongoing, but I would never say something like that anyways.

    LH: Do I feel like I crack? No.

    Q: (Ralf Bach  – Sport Bild) Lewis, to clean the situation, did you tell the BBC in this interview where you said these things with the boat or didn’t you say that?

    LH: I was asked who was hungrier. I think if you ask every driver they will say that they’re the hungriest and I said that what gives me the hunger is where I grew up in comparison to where Nico grew up. You know I’ve always been striving to come and live here. I used to travel around with Nico in his Dad’s plane, I used to go to his boat, I used to go to his house, I used to have those experiences and that gave me those experiences and that gave me the desire to want that one day, which gave me the hunger. It was his Dad obviously who inspired me to be where I am today.

    Q: (Ralf Bach  – Sport Bild) So you did say it.

    LH: Yes, but – as Nico said – it was taken out of context a little bit.

    Q: (Livio Oricchio – Universo On Line) Lewis, do you believe with a normal pit stop – not under safety car conditions – you would have had any chance to overtake Nico and get the lead of the race?

    LH: It’s irrelevant now, but obviously with the start, we got exactly the same start… there’s only two opportunities in the race and the pit stop would have been the other one but the safety car came out at the perfect time for him so I didn’t have the chance there. Otherwise, that was it.

    Q: (Gloria Scola – El Mundo) The race has just finished; I was wondering what racing gives you, is it freedom of expression, a way to express yourself, adrenalin?

    NR: First of all, we’re here to entertain and hopefully give people a great time and a spectacle to watch, and especially in Monaco, it’s very obviously because everybody’s there on boats and houses and everything, and I just hope that we’re able to put on a great show, that our sport is seen as the best sport in the world, the most fun sport in the world, the most exciting sport in the world and so that’s a special feeling as such. And then of course driving my car through the streets of Monaco on the limit, battling everybody else, trying to win and then of course the win itself is the most special moment.

    LH: I’m living my dream so it gives good energy.

    DR: I get… honestly, freedom is definitely one thing. I remember when I first hopped in a go-kart as a kid, just being in control and not having anyone else in your space and then going at speed was a sense of freedom definitely. It’s nice as well, particularly with everything that happens around F1, all the media and everything else – when you hop in the car, it’s just you and the car and occasionally you have an engineer on the radio but it’s just you so definitely a sense of freedom along with a wicked adrenalin.

    eom/FIA press release of the transcript of Monaco Press Conference

    Rosberg flanked by Hamilton on right and Ricciardo after winning the Monaco GP to take the F1 Championship lead again. A Mercedes AMG Petronas image
    Rosberg flanked by Hamilton on right and Ricciardo after winning the Monaco GP to take the F1 Championship lead again. A Mercedes AMG Petronas image

  • Rosberg and Hamilton make it a fifth 1-2 for Mercedes at Monaco GP

    Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton took a dramatic one-two finish this afternoon at the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix.

    • Nico took his second consecutive Monaco Grand Prix victory this afternoon, the first driver to do so since Ayrton Senna
    • Lewis finished in second place, securing the team’s fifth consecutive one-two finish in the 2014 season
    • Both drivers ran one-stop strategies, pitting behind the Safety Car on lap 26 and retaining the leading two positions
    • The team has now taken five consecutive one-two finishes, for just the third time a team has achieved this in F1 history
    • This victory marked the team’s 10th victory in the new era of the Silver Arrows since 2010
    Driver
    Car No.
    Chassis No.
    Result / Fastest Lap
    Nico Rosberg
    6
    F1 W05 Hybrid/04
    P1 1:19.425
    Lewis Hamilton
    44
    F1 W05 Hybrid/01
    P2 1:19.361
    Weather
    Warm
    Temperatures
    Air: 19-21 °C
    Track: 28-31 °C

    Nico Rosberg 
    It was a tough race out there today but I am absolutely delighted to have won my second Monaco Grand Prix in succession. It’s an amazing feeling and I’m proud to have done it at home, in front of my family and friends who were all here this afternoon. The race started well and I was comfortable but then we had to manage my fuel consumption and Lewis was pushing really hard behind me. We were able to be in control of the fuel with a few laps of lift and coast. It was important for me to break Lewis’ momentum of winning the last four races this weekend. That worked out very well, but it was a really tough weekend. I’m so happy for the team that we had another one-two finish and look forward to the party tonight!

    Lewis Hamilton 
    I felt very strong out there today and I really drove with all my heart, giving everything that I could to improve my position. This just hasn’t been my weekend but I can leave today feeling happy that we have achieved another one-two finish for the team. We have such a great car and everyone who has worked on it deserves the incredible results that we are getting at the moment. Back to this afternoon, this is such a difficult circuit to overtake. I was following Nico as close as I could and had great pace but I just couldn’t get past. Towards the end, I got some dirt in my eye through the visor which made it very tough for a few laps but thankfully it cleared up and I was able to hold off Daniel and keep second place. This hasn’t been the greatest of weekends but I’ll go into the next race with even more energy and determination. The team are working so hard and we’re determined to keep the momentum going.

    Toto Wolff 
    A fantastic result for the team after a weekend where we had the pressure to deliver on the car’s potential here in Monaco. Six wins from six races, and five one-two finishes in a row, is a very special achievement at the start of this 2014 season. Congratulations to Nico for a faultless race and to Lewis for following him home in spite of some unexpected challenges this afternoon. We were driving a controlled race when the Safety Car forced us to pit earlier than had been planned for our only stop of the afternoon. After that, both drivers pushed hard and that had the consequence that they started to run out of rear tyres in the closing laps. When Lewis had the problem with his eye, that was when Daniel Ricciardo came close. It just goes to show that we must never give up pushing because our rivals are right behind us – and working hard to run us down. We have absolutely no margin for error because if we make one little slip, our rivals are right there. We will enjoy this moment – but the hard work continues tomorrow at the factory.

    Paddy Lowe 
    To take our fifth consecutive one-two finish is an incredible achievement for our team. It doesn’t matter how good a car you’ve got: to achieve that kind of run, you need amazing drivers and a great team performing faultlessly. We have all of those elements and this afternoon again reinforced just how well both Nico and Lewis are driving right now. I also must say a special thank you to the team: to take a one-two at Monaco, you need a great chassis and a driveable engine, and this result shows our car is an all-round performer. In terms of the race itself, it wasn’t without its challenges: Nico had to manage his fuel consumption quite carefully and we were working with the settings of Lewis’ Power Unit to optimise the energy recovery and deployment in the first half of the race. In the final stages, we had some concerns with the tyres as we were running out of rubber, which in turn made it hard to maintain the tyre temperatures. We s

    Nico Rosberg after winning the Monaco GP on Sunday. A Mercedes AMG Petronas image
    Nico Rosberg after winning the Monaco GP on Sunday. A Mercedes AMG Petronas image

    aw that when Lewis recovered from the problem with his eye, and couldn’t get the tyres back working properly, which allowed Ricciardo to close in. But he was able to bring the car home and secure this fantastic team result.

    eom/A Mercedes AMG Petronas press release

  • Rosberg claims Monaco pole in dramatic style

    Monaco, 24 May 2014: Final-lap mistake by Mercedes denies second-placed team-mate Hamilton opportunity to challenge. Ricciardo third.

    Nico Rosberg claimed his second success Monaco Grand Prix pole position in dramtic fashion, an error on his final lap bringing out the yellow flags, which then denied team-mate Lewis Hamilton the opportunity to improve on his time.

    Rosberg claimed provisional pole with his first run in Q3 in the Principality, the German setting a time of 1:15.989. It was just enough to put him ahead of Hamilton, whose opening lap yielded a time of just over five hundredths adrift of his team-mate.

    In the closing minutes Rosberg set off ahead of Hamilton in search of an improvement. However on the run to the Mirabeau corner Rosberg momentarily lost control under braking and was forced to take an escape road. The incident immediately saw the yellow flags raised.

    “I just locked up, the outside front, I think it was, or the inside, I’m not sure, and that put me off line,” said Rosberg. “I was still trying to make it but in the last moment I had to turn out because I was going to hit the tyre wall. It was close but I managed to go into the escape road.

    “I thought it was over once that happened, because I thought the track would ramp up and somebody else could beat the time but no, of course, in the end I’m really, really happy that it worked out in the end. To be on pole is fantastic, at home; couldn’t be better,” he added.

    Hamilton, meanwhile, was getting into his own final flying lap, setting a personal best first sector time that could have given him the chance to eclipse Rosberg.

    The chance never came, however, as the flags prevented the championship leader from making his charge. He was forced to pull out of the lap and cede pole position to his team-mate.

    Third place went to Daniel Ricciardo, who was also displeased with how the last moments of the session had played out, though for different reasons.

    “I think all three of us don’t seem to be too pleased with ourselves,” he said. “I think we left a bit on the table. We fought the car pretty hard in qualifying and trying to find a bit more from it. I thought I was getting around it OK but coming up to Turn 8 I just lost the rear completely on exit and pretty much the lap was gone after that. Frustrated, I think we could have been much closer. So a little bit disappointed.”

    Ricciardo finished ahead of team-mate Sebastian Vettel for the fourth time this season, while Fernando Alonso will start fifth ahead of team-mate Kimi Raikkonen.

    Jean-Eric Vergne claimed an impressive seventh place in the session his time of 1:17.540 just 1500ths of a second behind Raikkonen’s. Team-mate Daniil Kvyat was ninth, the first time both Toro Rosso cars have qualified in the top 10 since the opening race of the season. Kvyat’s performance was especially good considering that the Russian rookie has never raced at Monaco in any category. Additionally, in Q1 a mistake saw him hit the wall on the run down to the Nouvelle Chicacne and he was forced to pit for a new front wing.

    Eighth place went to Kevin Magnussen, the McLaren rookie claiming his third top-10 qualifying position of the year. Tenth place in the session went to Force India’s Sergio Perez.

    Elsewhere, Felipe Massa was forced to sit out Q2 after he was pitched into the barriers by Marcus Ericsson at the end of Q1. The Caterham driver tried to pass the Williams driver down the inside but miscalculated and caused them both to hit the wall. Massa had already done enough to progress to Q2 but was not able to take part.

    2014 Monaco Grand Prix – Qualifying Result
    1 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:15.989 26
    2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:16.048 27
    3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing 1:16.384 22
    4 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing 1:18.383  1:17.074  1:16.547 25
    5 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:16.686 27
    6 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 1:17.389 27
    7 Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1:17.540 26
    8 Kevin Magnussen McLaren 1:17.555 25
    9 Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso 1:18.090 23
    10 Sergio Perez Force India 1:18.327 26

    11 Nico Hulkenberg Force India 1:17.846 20
    12 Jenson Button McLaren 1:17.988 20
    13 Valtteri Bottas Williams 1:18.082 20
    14 Romain Grosjean Lotus 1:18.196 23
    15 Pastor Maldonado Lotus 1:18.356 21
    16 Felipe Massa Williams No time 10

    17 Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1:18.741 11
    18 Adrian Sutil Sauber-Ferrari 1:18.745 11
    19 Jules Bianchi Marussia-Ferrari 1:19.332 10
    20 Max Chilton Marussia-Ferrari 1:19.928 9
    21 Kamui Kobayashi Caterham-Renault 1:20.133 9
    22 Marcus Ericsson Caterham-Renault 1:21.732 9

    eom/FIA Press Release

    Nico Rosberg poses after taking the Monaco pole. A Mercedes AMG Petronas image
    Nico Rosberg poses after taking the Monaco pole. A Mercedes AMG Petronas image

  • Sahara Force India drivers Perez, Hulkenberg on P10, P11

    Nico Hulkenberg to start on P11 at Monaco. A Sahara Force India image
    Nico Hulkenberg to start on P11 at Monaco. A Sahara Force India image

    Qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix took place under glorious sunshine with Sahara Force India’s Sergio Perez making it into Q3 and securing a tenth place starting slot for tomorrow’s race, one place ahead of teammate Nico Hulkenberg.

    P10      Sergio Perez               VJM07-02
    Q1: 1:18.108   Q2: 1:17.755   Q3: 1:18.327
    Sergio: “Although it’s good to be in the top ten, I’m feeling a bit disappointed not to be higher up the grid. My hot lap in Q3 was quite difficult and I had a lock-up going into the Nouvelle Chicane – so there was definitely more speed in the car. One of the main challenges was getting the tyres in the perfect working condition and I don’t think we maximised that today. We need to look at ways to make up positions tomorrow and we should be aggressive with our strategy because I don’t think there will be too many overtaking opportunities. Hopefully it will be an interesting race.”
    P11      Nico Hulkenberg        VJM07-04
    Q1: 1:18.432   Q2: 1:17.856
    Nico: “A place in Q3 was very close today – less than a tenth away – but I’m not feeling too disappointed because I was pretty happy with my lap in Q2. There was just a tiny bit missing because it’s very hard to get a perfect lap in Monaco. The traffic management by the team was good and although I had some traffic in both Q1 and Q2, it was not at the crucial moments. Starting from P11 with an extra set of fresh tyres gives us a good chance of scoring pointstomorrow. It’s a long race and we have to be ready to react quickly with the strategy to try and gain some positions. We also expect more cloud cover tomorrow and there is even a chance of rain.”
    Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director
    “Qualifying in Monaco is crucial and starting the race in P10 and P11 is not a bad result, all things considered. Sergio produced a good effort to make it into Q3, but it was a pity Nico missed out, although he will at least have an extra set of new tyres for tomorrow. Our starting positions mean both drivers have a very good opportunity to race for points. In all the sessions so far we have seen the cars around us having a similar pace to ours, which means making the right strategic calls will be the key to gaining positions tomorrow.”
    eom