Monte Carlo, Monaco preview
In the first four races of the 2014 season, we witnessed four different winning drivers (Stoffel Vandoorne, Jolyon Palmer, Johnny Cecotto and Felipe Nasr) with Series leader Palmer enjoying four podium finishes.
The Briton has clearly become the man to beat so far whilst title rivals Julian Leal and Nasr also look strong and consistent behind the wheel of their Carlin car. The Brazilian shone two weeks ago in Barcelona after he finally pocketed his maiden GP2 win. With the monkey off his back, Nasr is ready to tackle the next challenge in Monte Carlo.
Another man will be the centre of attention in the streets of Monaco: Johnny Cecotto brilliantly won the last feature race from P16 on the starting grid. The Venezuelan has previously shown that he’s quite at ease on the Monegasque twisty and tricky circuit where he scored two pole positions and a victory (2012). He will surely be fighting for more glory this weekend, but he will not be the only one: from the men in top form to those who still have to prove their worth, the third round of the season promises to be another classic!
With Monaco being the slowest and most twisty track of the year, GP2 has been allocated Pirelli’s P Zero Yellow soft and P Zero Red supersoft tyres: just like Formula One. This street circuit demands a tyre with a rapid warm-up that is capable of delivering consistent mechanical grip throughout each of the many corners. André Negrão re-joins Arden International after he was declared fit to drive. This will be the only driver change from Barcelona.
Pirelli’s racing manager Mario Isola says:
“The championship has got off to a great start, and we’ve seen how the introduction of new rules obliging drivers to use both compounds during the race, just like Formula One, has led to some very creative and well-planned strategies. Monaco has a reputation for being one of the most unpredictable races of the year, but also for being very hard to overtake on: especially in GP2 where all the cars are identical. So it’s going to be interesting to see if drivers can use strategy in the feature race to gain track position and boost their prospects. Qualifying will be very important: the key to that will be seeing which drivers and teams get up to speed with the characteristics of the supersoft most quickly. This is a very fast tyre, but of course it does not last as long as the soft. We think the soft will be the main race tyre, although some drivers may choose to qualify on it and save the supersoft for the race. Drivers can use the supersoft for a good number of laps in both races if the degradation is not so high. Drivers will also have to use their allocation wisely and hope for a clear lap in the traffic, which is why qualifying is uniquely split into two sessions on Thursday.”
TIMETABLE
// Thursday 22nd May 2014
12:00 – 12:45 Free Practice Session
16:15 – 16:31 Qualifying Session Group A
16:39 – 16:55 Qualifying Session Group B
// Friday 23rd May 2014
11:00 Pitlane opened
11:05 Pitlane closed – Grid
11:15 Race 1 // Feature Race Start (42 laps / 60 mins.)
// Saturday 24th May 2014
15:55 Pitlane opened
16:00 Pitlane closed – Grid
16:10 Race 2 // Sprint Race Start (30 laps / 45 mins.)
THE CIRCUIT
Circuit de Monaco
Length 3.340 km
ROUND DATA
Race 1 42 laps – 140.280 km
Race 2 30 laps – 100.200 km
Lap Record (2009)
Grosjean (Barwa Addax Team)
1:19.498 // 151.249 kph
2013 Results
Pole Cecotto (Arden International)
1:21.141 // 148.186 kph
Race 1
1 Bird (RUSSIAN TIME)
2 Ceccon (Trident)
3 Evans (Arden International)
Race 2
1 Coletti (Rapax)
2 Quaife-Hobbs (MP Motorsport)
3 Evans (Arden International)
Drivers’ Standings
- Jolyon Palmer………………………1M…….70 =
- Julián Leal……………………………………..48 =
- Felipe Nasr…………………………..1M…….42 +2
- Johnny Cecotto Jr……….. 1M……………..29 +13
- Arthur Pic Rookie…………………………………26 +2
- Stoffel Vandoorne Rookie….. 1M……………..25 -3
- Simon Trummer……………………………..18 -3
- Tom Dillmann…………………………………14 >
- Stefano Coletti………………………………..13 -3
- Stéphane Richelmi………………………….13 -1
- Rio Haryanto…………………………………..10 +8
- Takuya Izawa Rookie…………………………….. 8 -4
- Adrian Quaife-Hobbs……………………….. 7 -3
- Tio Ellinas Rookie…………………………………. 6 >
- Rene Binder……………………………………. 3 -4
- Mitch Evans……………………………………. 2 -4
- Artem Markelov Rookie…………………………. 0 -4
- Daniël de Jong………………………………… 0 -4
- Daniel Abt………………………………………. 0 -3
- Conor Daly……………………………………… 0 -5
- Alexander Rossi………………………………. 0 +5
- Jon Lancaster…………………………………. 0 -4
- Kimiya Sato Rookie……………………………….. 0 =
- Raffaelo Marciello Rookie……………………… 0 -2
- Sergio Canamasas………………………….. 0 >
- Facu Regalia Rookie……………………………… 0 -2
- Nathanaël Berthon………………………….. 0 -7
- André Negrão Rookie……………………………. 0 -7
- Axcil Jefferies Rookie……………………………. 0 -4
Teams’ Standings
- Carlin……………………………………..1M…… 90 +1
- DAMS……………………………………..1M…….83 -1
- ART Grand Prix……………. 1M ……………. 33 =
- Trident………………………… 1M……………… 29 +8
- Campos Racing……………………………….. 26 +1
- Rapax……………………………………………… 25 -2
- Arden International………………………….. 17 =
- Racing Engineering………………………….. 13 -3
- EQ8 Caterham Racing………………………. 10 +4
- MP Motorsport…………………………………..6 -1
- RT RUSSIAN TIME………………………………2 -3
- Hilmer Motorsport……………………………..0 -1
- Venezuela GP Lazarus………………………..0 -3
source: GP2 Series
Russian Time
coming soon
source:
Carlin
coming soon
source: carlin.co.uk
Racing Eng.
GP2 Series Round 3, Monaco Preview.
Round three of the 2014 GP2 Series sees the GP2 cars and drivers at that most glamorous of racing venues, the streets of Monte Carlo where the smallest mistake can mean instant retirement and where, more than any other track, a good performance in qualifying is vital to a good race result. For Stefano Coletti this is his home race and the young Monegasque already knows how to win here in a GP2 car whilst for Raffaele Marciello driving a GP2 car at Monaco will be a whole new experience for the young Italian.
In the last two rounds of the 2014 GP2 Series both Stefano and Lello have proved to be very fast in both qualifying and in the race and they will be looking to turn this speed into the positive results that so far have eluded them.
In a change to the normal GP2 programme practice and qualifying will take place on Thursday with the Feature race on Friday and the Sprint race on Saturd! ay and for qualifying the drivers will be split into two groups, one driver from each team in each group, to avoid overcrowding on the track when looking for a fast lap. Due to the relatively low speeds at Monaco Pirelli will be supplying their P Zero Yellow soft and P Zero Red supersoft compounds to the teams.
Timetable:
Practice: Thu 22 May 2014, 12:00 (GMT+2)
Qualifying Group A: Thu 22 May 2014, 16:15 (GMT+2)
Qualifying Group B: Thu 22 May 2014, 16:39 (GMT+2)
Race 1: Fri 23 May 2014, 11:15 (GMT+2)
Race 2: Sat 24 May 2014, 16:10 (GMT+2))
| Length of lap: | 3.340 km |
| 2013 best result Racing Engineering: | P4 in Qualifying – DNF in R1 – P13 in R2 |
| Tyre Wear: | Low |
| Brake Wear: | Low |
| Downforce: | High |
| Throttle Average: | 52% |
| Fastest turn: | T9 (tunnel) |
| Hardest Braking Point: | Chicane at the Exit of the Tunnel |
| Gear shifts per lap: | 37 |
| Top Speed: | 270 km/h |
| Average Speed (Qualifying) 2013: | 148.186 km/h |
| Average Speed (Race) 2013: | 140. 319 km/h |
| Pole Position Time 2013: | 1:21.141 |
Facts
1. The first Formula 1 Grand Prix in Monaco took place in 1950 and was won by J.M. Fangio.
2. It’s a particular race weekend as there is no race on Sunday, everything’s moved to a day earlier.
3. There isn’t a lot of space to work for the pit crew as the pitlane is very narrow.
4. The curved start-finish straight is not really a straight and the run to the first corner from pole position is the shortest of the season, only 140 meters.
5. The streets of Monaco are notoriously bumpy and the engine will hit the rev limiter on several occasions throughout a lap.
6. The tunnel section is the only part where the cars reach top speed and maximum revs apart from the short start-finish straight.
7. A good grid position is a major advantage in Monaco.
8.Sainte Devote is one of the few turns with an emergen! cy exit. It’s necessary because drivers may miss the braking point.
9. Monaco is Stefano Coletti’s home race and he will carry an on-board camera. Let’s hope he shows us how to cross the finish line in 1st place.
10. Monaco is the only circuit on the calendar where the GP2 drivers qualify in two groups due to the track being so short. There is one group of cars with even and one with uneven numbers.
F1 vs. GP2
1. The average speed around the track is the lowest of the year, just 160km/h in F1 and only 140 km/h in GP2.
2. There is big difference when it comes to throttle use during one lap, 50% in F1 vs. 52% in GP2.
3. F1 top speed (including DRS) is 285 km/h – GP2 (without DRS) is 270 km/h.
4. F1 drivers will change gear 62 times per lap against the 37 times that a GP2 driver will have to do.
5. Race distance is different: F1 goes around the circuit for 78 laps and GP2 does a total of 72 laps during its two races- 42 laps in Feature Race and 30in the Sprint Race.
6. Downforce levels are alike but still different: Maximum downforce levels in F1 against high levels in GP2.
7. Pole position in F1 was set in 2013 at 1:13.876 – Pole position in GP2 was set in 2013 at 1:21.141.
Monaco Question and Answer with Stefano Coletti.
The first two race weekends in the 2014 GP2 Series has shown that both of the Racing Engineering drivers, Stefano Coletti and Raffaele Marciello, are amongst the fastest drivers competing but various factors have meant that they have not yet had the results that both men deserve. The next round to be held this weekend at Monaco gives both men the opportunity to turn their speed into strong finishes.
Below Racing Engineering driver Stefano Coletti looks forward to racing on the streets on Monaco.
Stefano, Monaco is your home race and certainly a season highlight for you. What makes it so special for you to race at Monaco?
It is really special for me to race at Monaco because this is where I was born; I have been around those streets all my life. Every time I pass in front of a building or a restaurant, it b! rings back a lot of memories. I also receive a lot of support from my friends and family here. Knowing that they all watch me race is like an extra boost for me.
Could you talk us through a lap at Monaco? What are the specialties of this track?
Monaco is a very difficult track requiring a lot of concentration. You cannot make any mistakes as you would end up in the barriers. The first corner, Sainte Devote, is a tricky one, difficult from a braking point of view and if you miss it, you go straight into the wall; next you have the uphill Beau Rivage, which brings you to turn 2 into Casino 1 and 2. Going down to Mirabeau there is a bump on the left side of the track; this is why the cars drive as if there was a chicane in order to avoid it. And then we arrive to what is my favourite part, the Mirabeau, the Fairmont hairpin and the tunnel. Braking out of the tunnel is very tricky as t! he track is bumpy and the car moves a lot. After the chicane you arrive to the Bureau de Tabac and the Swimming Pool chicane, very quick and challenging. To finish the lap, you have the Rascasse corner and the last corner before the start-finish line.
You won in Monaco last year and have shown a lot of pace during the two opening rounds of this year’s GP2 championship. What are your expectations for this weekend?
The expectations for this weekend are to win. We showed great potential during the first two rounds, but had bad luck kept us from scoring big points. So it’s time now to take the top step of the podium.
source: racing-engineering.com
Dams
coming soon
source: dams.fr
ART Grand Prix
coming soon
source: art-grandprix.com
Hilmer Motorsport
Hilmer Motorsport at the GP2 season highlight in Monte Carlo
After a short break, the team of Hilmer Motorsport travels to the Pricipality of Monaco for the third round of GP2 Series. It is one of the most spectacular events of the year where the cars are running between the barriers on the 3.340 km long track in the streets of Monte Carlo and are fighting for the best positions.
The team of Team Principal Franz Hilmer wants to break the spell and to celebrate the first podium finish of the season. After having missed the top spots in Bahrain and Barcelona it is time for a sense of achievement for the team. Daniel Abt already showed his and the car’s potential on both race weekends before. Nevertheless, the event in Monaco is very special and a highlight on the calendar. On the challenging street circuit the drivers are not allowed to make any mistake and they have to stay focused all the time. The smallest inattention may mean the end at every corner. For this reason, Daniel Abt and his team mate Facu Regalia prepared themselves on the race simulator for the challenge in Monte Carlo.
The timetable of the GP2 Series at the Grand Prix of Monaco is different in comparison with the schedule of the other European rounds. The practice will take place already on Thursday (22nd May, 12:00). The qualifying will be divided into two groups and the fight for the best starting positions will start on Thursday afternoon (22nd May, 16:15). The races in the streets of Monte Carlo will commence on Friday (23rd May, 11:15) and on Saturday (24th May, 16:10).
Franz Hilmer, Team Principal Hilmer Motorsport:
“The race weekend in Monte Carlo is without a doubt the highlight of the season for every race driver and especially there everyone wants to be on the podium. Of course this is also our target and we want to win a race as soon as possible. But we know that it will be extremely difficult to make it happen in Monte Carlo because you’re not allowed to make a mistake and the race can be over immediately. But anything is possible and we have seen already in the first two rounds that our cars are very fast. Daniel has shown a consistent and a very good performance and he could have been on the podium two times. We would be very happy if we finally could have a successful weekend.”
Hilmer Motorsport at the GP2 season highlight in Monte Carlo
“For me as a race driver Monaco is a real highlight and I am very much looking forward to the race. After a disappointing start into the season with lots of bad luck it would be great if we could have a good race weekend in Monaco. Basically anything can happen in Monte Carlo. But I am well prepared and I will give everything to have a good result for the team and for me.”
Facu Regalia, Driver #12 Hilmer Motorsport:
“I have never race in Monte Carlo before and I got to know the track on the simulator. The circuit is a real challenge and I am looking forward to doing the first laps in practice. We are going to work hard in order to have a good result. The events in Bahrain and Barcelona didn’t go as expected, but I am confident that the next rounds will be better.”
source: hilmer-motorsport.com
Rapax
coming soon
source: rapaxteam.com
Arden
coming soon
source: arden-motorsport.com
EQ8 Caterham Racing
GP2 Monaco Preview
Monte Carlo – 21st May 2014
Drivers:
Car #18 – Rio Haryanto (Indonesia)
Car#19 – Alexander Rossi (America)
2014 Monaco GP2 Race Schedule
Thurs 22nd May:
12.00 – 12.45 GP2 Practice session
16.15 – 16.55 GP2 qualifying
Fri 23rd May:
11.15 – 12.20 GP2 Race 1 (42 Laps or 60 mins)
Sat 24th May:
16.10 – 17.00 GP2 Race 2 (30 Laps or 45 mins)
Pirelli tyre options: P Zero Yellow soft and P Zero Red supersoft
Air temperature forecast: 22-25 ˚C
Television coverage: Live on Sky F1 Channel
Monte Carlo is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious and challenging races on the GP2 calendar and is an event that all drivers have a burning ambition to win.
The tight and twisty street circuit requires precision and control and the split GP2 qualifying sessions mean that quick drivers can be out of place on the starting grid if they are not on top of their game.
With the threat of rain being thrown into the mix on Friday the scene is set for an action packed weekend.
Alexander Rossi
“Monaco is definitely the most special race on the calendar for a number of reasons. The atmosphere and glamor appeals to the audience; whereas the challenge and legacy of the circuit appeals to the drivers. I absolutely love driving here as every lap is surreal and such a privilege.
“Rain around Monaco would obviously make things very interesting especially as I have never driven here in wet conditions but as always it is out of our control and we will just have to manage the situation if it arises.”
Rio Haryanto
“Monaco is a difficult street circuit with no run off so you have to be quick and accurate. Last year I had a good practice session but along with many other drivers I was caught up in the first corner incident which turned it into a difficult weekend.
“This year I am feeling confident and I hope to be able to score more points. I hear it may rain but I am not afraid of this and we just have to focus on the correct lines and concentrate even more in wet conditions.
“Racing at Monaco is a dream for all drivers and the atmosphere is amazing on and off the track. To have a good result here you have to be brave and not make mistakes so let’s hope this weekend I manage to achieve this.”
source: caterham-racing.com
MP Motorsport
coming soon
source:
Trident Racing
coming soon
source: tridentracing.it
Venezuela GP Lazarus
coming soon
source: teamlazarus.it
Campos Racing
coming soon
source: camposracing.com
Pirelli
Monaco GP2 Preview: Monaco, May 22-25, 2014
TWO SOFTEST COMPOUNDS IN THE P ZERO RANGE FOR GP2 AT MONACO
With Monaco being the slowest and most twisty track of the year, GP2 has been allocated Pirelli’s P Zero Yellow soft and P Zero Red supersoft tyres: just like Formula One. However, the GP2 tyres are designed for a completely different set of loads and vehicle dynamics over the course of a lap. One thing that doesn’t change is the characteristics of each circuit, and Monaco demands a tyre with a rapid warm-up that is capable of delivering consistent mechanical grip throughout each of the many corners. Following the opening GP2 rounds in Bahrain and Spain, Monaco is one of the few venues where the teams don’t get an opportunity to carry out a pre-event test – increasing an already complex set of variables over this unique street circuit.
Pirelli’s racing manager says:
Mario Isola: “The championship has got off to a great start, and we’ve seen how the introduction of new rules obliging drivers to use both compounds during the race, just like Formula One, has led to some very creative and well-planned strategies. Monaco has a reputation for being one of the most unpredictable races of the year, but also for being very hard to overtake on: especially in GP2 where all the cars are identical. So it’s going to be interesting to see if drivers can use strategy in the feature race to gain track position and boost their prospects. Qualifying will be very important: the key to that will be seeing which drivers and teams get up to speed with the characteristics of the supersoft most quickly. This is a very fast tyre, but of course it does not last as long as the soft. We think the soft will be the main race tyre, although some drivers may choose to qualify on it and save the supersoft for the race. Drivers can use the supersoft for a good number of laps in both races if the degradation is not so high. Drivers will also have to use their allocation wisely and hope for a clear lap in the traffic, which is why qualifying is uniquely split into two sessions on Thursday.”
The challenge for the tyres:
The key challenge for the tyres is to provide as much mechanical grip as possible, by staying within the correct working range. The cars do not benefit from much aerodynamic downforce, given the low average speeds, even though they run the highest downforce settings possible.
Wear and degradation is minimal on both compounds, as Monaco has the least rough surface of the season. Track evolution is considerable over the course of the weekend, with grip levels improving dramatically: sometimes even within one single session.
The race can be won and lost by strategy calls made during safety car periods. The tight confines of the street circuit often lead to safety cars, so a quick pit stop at exactly the right time will frequently make the difference.
Last year, the feature race was red-flagged after a first-corner pile-up that eliminated nine cars but allowed a tyre change; therefore a potential change of strategy before the re-start. Reactivity from the pit wall is vital.
The race and the rules:
The biggest change compared to the usual GP2 schedule in Monaco is a unique timetable.The cars take to the track for practice and qualifying on Thursday, with qualifying split into two groups. The feature race is on Friday morning while the sprint race takes place on Saturday afternoon.
Every car will have five sets of dry tyres and three sets of wet weather tyres available for the GP2 race weekend.
The five sets of dry tyres comprise three sets of the harder compound (soft) and two sets of the softer compound (supersoft).
The drivers can use their tyre allocation in any way they like, but at least one set of each compound must be used in the feature race (unless it is a wet race). One set of the harder compound must be returned after free practice.
Qualifying group A takes place at 16:15 on Thursday, followed by qualifying group B at 16:39. This is intended to help drivers find a clear lap.
The feature race on Friday is run at 11:15 over 42 laps (140.28 kilometres) and each driver must complete one compulsory pit stop. This cannot take place within the first six laps.
The grid for the sprint race on Saturday at 16:10 is determined by the finishing order of the first race, with the top eight positions reversed.
The sprint race is run over 30 laps (100.20 kilometres) with no compulsory pit stops.
source: pirelli.com