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| Monaco GP 24th - 28th May 2006 - Race Report |
Length:
3.340 km |
| Impeccable. That was the apt word to describe Fernando Alonso’s Monaco Grand Prix weekend after a pole position to victory performance.
Pole position was inherited from his wily rival Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) who was penalised for intentially blocking the circuit at the conclusion to the Saturday afternoon session. Alonso refused to condemn his rival and remained focused on the job ahead rather than a game of political one upmanship. His Sunday drive was similarly suave. Despite the fact both Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren) and Mark Webber (Williams) both appeared to have the ammunition to topple the Spaniard’s attack, he remained calm and collected and never put a foot wrong. Admittedly luck played its role in the result, both of Alonso’s aforementioned rivals never saw the chequer due to mechanical weakness, however reliability is a major part of modern Formula One. In the end it was Alonso who overcame all hurdles – the problems of conecentration on the tightly-laid street circuit, the reliability, and his rivals – to cross the line first and claim his fourth win of the season. Juan Pablo Montoya gave McLaren some reason to smile after his Finnish teammate’s retirement in finishing second. The Colombian had been on the pace early in the afternoon but eventually faded into the background and never provided Alonso a threat. Unfortunately for Williams their second challenger suffered a similar fate to Webber. A sticking throttle saw Nico Rosberg’s afternoon end in the barrier and the team’s weekend end in double disappointment. Instead it was Red Bull Racing and David Coulthard who claimed the final podium position, the first in the team’s history. Like Montoya, Coulthard took advantage of others’ misfortune to finish third with not only Webber and Raikkonen, but Rubens Barrichello (Honda) and Jarno Trulli (Toyota) also making space for the Scot’s march up the order. Barrichello finished fourth after a late drive-through penalty, ahead of the resurgent Schumacher who put on a mesmerising late charge. It had been an uncomfortable morning for the seven times champion with the world’s press brandishing him a cheat. Once in the car the German was at peace and immediately set about trying to restore face after the earlier embarrassment. He passed two Super Aguris in two turns, made short work of his teammate Felipe Massa, and continued to carve his way through the field until he hit Jenson Button (Honda) in 16th. From there his progress was impeded for some time until a safety car called upon due to Webber’s stricken Williams outside Sainte Devote gave him free positions and free track and the chance to continue his march. The final run culminated in the fastest lap of the race and some championship damage limitation with just four points lost to the victorious Alonso. Damage limitation isn’t enough though if Schumacher is going to make seven eight. Sunday was Alonso’s fourth full conversion from seven races and the Spaniard almost looks destined to claim his second title on the trot. He was fragile but like all great champions fortunes favoured him and he survived in impressive style. Even when under pressure he was controlling the pace of the race with Raikkonen and Webber unable to nail a pass. It was a drive reminiscent of Schumacher at his peak, and one that would give his rival more food for thought over retirement at the end of the year. Silverstone in two weeks time has always been a happy hunting ground for the Scuderia and if Schumacher is to ultimately overcome Alonso he will need to get his bid back on track. * Champion potential. Mark Webber’s stock had suffered after a torrid 2005 season and similarly luckless start to 2006. At Monaco the Australian went about restoring his once popular name and was one of the drivers of the weekend after a truly impressive qualifying and part-race performance. However bad luck is never far away and a real chance at victory was taken from Webber after electrical and engine problems saw him retire mid way through the race. He watched the rest of the events from the paddock and was amicable in defeat refusing to criticise his team or car. Another aspiring champion, Kimi Raikkonen, suffered a similar fate. The Finn’s thoughts weren’t heard as he never made it back to the paddock. Instead Raikkonen, who retired during the safety car period caused by Webber’s stricken Williams, watched the remainder of the race sunning himself on the deck of his personal yacht. There was also disappointment for Jenson Button who had one of the toughest weekends of his Formula One career. Honda’s Briton never got the set up right and was left struggling with the Midlands and BMW Saubers for the positions at the bottom of the table. |
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