All good for revitalised Webber

Well done to Webber but to be fair he would have been nailed at any other track.

Oh what a surprise, Jenson has a bad race and its hush hush from Benson as usual.

Congratulations to Mark on a great drive and victory, doing what he had to do. Congratulations also to Michael on his pole lap, which will have gone some way to answering some of his critics, eh Andrew? Saw you on TV by the way during the Forum. Was Jake having a bit of a dig about all your online fans, by the way?

1. At 21:14 27th May 2012, f1fan01 wrote:
Well done to Webber but to be fair he would have been nailed at any other track.

Oh what a surprise, Jenson has a bad race and its hush hush from Benson as usual.

===

Jenson is driving like Lewis this year, and Lewis is driving like Jenson. Therefore, is Jenson the racer, exciting to watch but unpredictable, and Lewis the boring, percentage driver?

Just out of interest Andrew, will you be eating some humble pie after Schumachers quali performance or are you too busy writing an article on the 6-0 drubbing Lewis is giving Jenson in quali.

Ooops! sorry, I forgot the BBC is not allowed to mention any stat that favours Lewis over Jenson ;).

Another race like this one will see us all walk away from F1

No overtaking, the leading drivers looking after their tyres (ie driving slowly), only offset when rain sort of started then didn't.

F1 is about racing or it is nothing. Today was the worst and least interesting race I have seen in years. If this is the pattern for 2012, you have lost me

Congrats to Webber, very underrated driver but had that been at a normal track rosberg would of passed him. What a drive from Alonso, Hamilton was unlucky he would of passed both Vettel and Alonso had it been anywhere other than Monaco. I think now they really have to think about better tyres, it is not Pirellis fault but it is really giving them a horrible reputation and the whole point of f1 is dying. Speed, drivers at 100%, real racing, there wasn’t a single overtake in the whole race except Perez on a marussia, no contest.
What a total waste of 2 hours. I like the history of Monaco but i think it is time the f1 dealers think about ditching the race. Would you rather exhilarating racing at spa or what nearly put me asleep, no contest. They are killing of races like spa and France for this, Monaco don’t even pay a fee, Bernie isn’t getting anything from this.im stunned that a greedy little toad like that accepting that but It brings the “glamour” and a it is great for sponsors and wooing them.
McLaren are really slipping behind teams like RB, Mercedes and lotus and even the "terrible" ferrari.Is it a coincidence that Sam Michael leaves Williams, they are having success and with him there they hadn’t won in 8 years and was at rock bottom last year, now McLaren can’t even do a pit stop for Lewis under 4 seconds, something stinks and it is not the jealously of the Hamilton haters
Can someone explain to me how people can even think button can be mentioned in the same breath as Hamilton? .slow, boring, complains, can’t overtake a caterham but I blame the team mostly.
I would rate the race 2/10, the rain came 2 hours late, and when the track got greasy Hamilton was being held up by the drivers in front of him, and only at the end he accepted his fate. Maldonado and grosjean…..yeah. Sad for Michael but what can you do it was his fault had he not hit senna chances are he would of won. Canada suits the mercs I think, I’m extremely worried for McLaren the team is in reverse.
I really like Gary Anderson, so intelligent and has no ego or excess baggage. I heard that sky is copying what the BBC has done in the past seasons. Like today my friend told me they jumped in the pool or Brundle did anyway. Why would you pay so much money for something that has been done and is remembered well by real fans? I thought the sky subscribers who bought skyf1 specifically are paying that money for something new and a supposedly better f1 experience than the BBC could ever offer? Waste of money I think.im not turning this into a BBC v sky thing but is this or is it not the reason why you got skyf1 in the first place.

@1, f1fan01 wrote:

"Well done to Webber but to be fair he would have been nailed at any other track."


Just as well today's Monaco Grand Prix was held on the grand prix circuit at Monaco, then....

The race was not the best, but that's to be expected of Monaco, it's on the calendar for the spectacle if nothing else. Jensons form is worrying, there's talk of him being dumped for Di Resta for 2013, despite signing a contract extension.

"It will take a few more performances like that to convince everyone that the veteran German can be a consistent force at the front, and he is almost certainly too far behind to be a factor in the championship battle."


Well, I suppose that "everyone" would have to include a certain Andrew Benson, and it is abundantly clear from a recent entry to this blog that "it will take a few more performances like that to convince [HIM]....."

@5 totally agree, I don't understand why reducing the importance of driving on the limit through the race is supposed to be exciting?

The whole tyre lottery aspect has turned F1 into a total farce.

The winner of the WDC this year will be the luckiest but not necessarily the quickest driver.

@6, adrenilenepotato wrote:

"Congrats to Webber, very underrated driver but had that been at a normal track rosberg would of passed him."


You are certainly underrating Webber if you think that he would have driven the same race at a different track.

As Vettel showed on a number of occasions last year, it is a sign of a quality driver to win the race in the slowest possible time - to be very far (say, a minute) ahead of the second-placed driver implies that an excess of stress has been placed upon the engine, gearbox, brakes, etc.

Webber maintained first place, and left it to the rest to try to get by. They couldn't, so he is the one we call the Winner!

What on earth was 'exciting' about this grand prix? It was dreadful. Almost no overtaking. anyone who had a go crashed out and the others just drove around conserving their tyres. Highly skilful, no doubt, but the result was decided on Saturday.

@8, Reynolds1986 wrote:

"Jensons form is worrying, there's talk of him being dumped for Di Resta for 2013, despite signing a contract extension."


Jenson to return to his long-term home at BAR/Honda/Brawn/Mercedes - to replace a re-retiring Schumi?

Especially if the German does manage to win a race this year; then he will be able to fade away gracefully, knowing that he was right to think he still had 'it'.

@11 Is that what F1 is about now? winning the race in the slowest time? I really hope you're wrong because if that is true I think F1's days are truly numbered.

Hi anabeldodds!!
Who was fastest in qualifying?

@14, f1fan01 wrote:

"Is that what F1 is about now? winning the race in the slowest time?"


That's not an original line of mine, but a quote from a certain Jack Brabham.

And even if the notion was new, as soon as the FIA limited engines (and gearboxes), showboating - by the leader trying to overtake the entire field, say - became an unaffordable luxury.

It's laughable how the headline on the main page is "Webber wins thrilling Monaco GP". Promoting the BBC's assets a bit there?

That has to be the worst race I have seen in many, many years. Thankfully, the next race in Canada always produces the best race year after year!

I agree with post 12. I have no idea why the BBC Sport front page describes this as a 'thrilling' race. It was just the latest in a long line of Monaco borefests. As a sporting spectacle and contest the Monaco GP really doesn't deserve it's place on the calendar in the modern era.

@12

On the Forum DC made reference to his wins at Monaco on grooved tyres, and how important tyre preservation was, so nothing new there. He also commented on the tyre fragility during the tyre war between Bridgestone & Michelin and how marginal things could be.

@14

It has always been that way, that was Alain Prost's mantra, and it served him quite well.

Give Benson a break, this is a blog, i.e a journalistic account of observation and not a statement of fact.
Stop moaning about the 'new' F1, and the tyres, try to adapt (like the drivers) or stop watching and wait for the next season.

@16 I don't care who said it, I'll take Hamilton charging through the field like in Spain over the procession we saw today anyday.

I totally agree with those comments re tyres. I really dislike the importance that has been placed on tyre management and strategy this year. It is not right that a racer such as Vettel should choose to not set a lap in Q3 in order to save tyre choice. It takes away from the fight for pole and the excitement of the last few seconds of Q3 if one of the main players is sitting out. Today was undeniably slow due to tyre saving.

Interesting to see where Button will go from here because he seems dejected, demotivated and confused in the post race interviews. He needs to get his mojo back. It seems that Mclaren cannot build a car that suits both their drivers because when one is doing well the other seems to be struggling.

I predict 7 races, 7 winners after Canada.

There are no paul di resta moving to mclaren rumours... Yea jenson is having a couple of bad races, he always comes back.

21. At 22:21 27th May 2012, f1fan01 wrote:
@16 I don't care who said it, I'll take Hamilton charging through the field like in Spain over the procession we saw today anyday.

====

Absolutely, after all, what do Sir Jack Brabham (3x WDC) and Alain Prost (4x WDC) know?

Absolutely

Describing this bore-fest as a thrilling race stretches journalistic licence to the extreme. Andrew, you are the chief reporter for the BBC for F1. That means you have a duty to the truth, not as a spokesman for F1.

I would doubt many of us who watched today's event would want to see any more similar processions, so please report this and not act as a PR man for the 'sport'

21. At 22:21 27th May 2012, f1fan01 wrote:
@16 I don't care who said it, I'll take Hamilton charging through the field like in Spain over the procession we saw today anyday.

====

Same tyre manufacturer as today's race. The difference is the circuit layout, not the tyres.

23. At 22:26 27th May 2012, jenwig123 wrote:
There are no paul di resta moving to mclaren rumours... Yea jenson is having a couple of bad races, he always comes back.
------------------------------------
Looking on the bright side for Jenson, he will always have his poor quali/race performances swept under the carpet by the BBC.

Can you imagine how many articles Benson would have written if Lewis was getting beaten by his team-mate 6-0 in quali and also Jensons performance today?

You know the first thing he would have said is "If Perez can do multiple overtakes here, how come Lewis could not take a near back marker like Kovalinen?"

Am I the only one who noted Vettel's illegal overtake on the first corner? Admittedly, he went right to avoid the chaos caused by Grosjean's spin, but he went from 10th to 6th, overtaking off the circuit by cutting the corner. The rules state he has to give back the advantage - so he should have dropped back down to 9th. his race would have been very different after that I suspect.

Anyone know why the stewards didn't call him in?

The most action I saw at Monaco today was when Jake was sent flying falling over a fork lift truck at the start of the forum (that did make me laff).

LH: Races 96 / Titles 1 / Wins 17 / Poles 21 / Fastest Laps 11 / Podiums 45
Points 786

JB: Races 216 / Titles 1 / Wins 13 / Poles 7 / Fastest Laps 7 / Podiums 45 / Points 856

Not looking good for the 'Jenson fan boys'/'BBC'. Andrew B may have to find another A--- to lick

Andrew when can we have an informed article about how badly Jenson is driving?!
Only 20 points scored in the last 5 races. If this was Lewis or Michael you would have written something by now

'I'll take Hamilton charging through the field like in Spain over the procession we saw today anyday.'

Hamilton this year he has been very cautious & conservative which to his credit may prove wise later in the season.
That said I cannot see why you are crowing about beating Button, the Mclaren car looks increasingly off the pace,for BOTH the drivers!
For Hamilton, a team mate who is struggling to get the best out of the car in quali is not a lot of use, you need both drivers to be setting times at the front in order to observe which way to take the car, currently Buttons bad run is not helping Hamilton in the slightest.

I never watch the Monaco "race" as it's solely a drivers thing for the sake of tradition and a spectacle for the rich elite. Thrilling it very rarely is and as predictable as Jenson's under steer every race.

Said it before but if you don't set a time in Q3 the penalty should be demotion to back of the grid - it's gaining an unfair advantage the same as under-fuelling. This is the second time in two races Vettel has cleverly not set a time in Q3 and arguable profited as a result. If all the Q3 drivers take Vettel's lead and not set a time it'll make F1 the laughing stock of sport.

The tyres have become too dominant a factor in GPs.

Congrats to Webber, but how come there is no coverage on the BBC anywhere about Dario Franchitti winning his 3rd Indy 500 today? Surely in a balanced reporting world the BBC of all pepole should be able to provide even the most basic coverage of something this important? Perhaps this year they will also manage to cover Le Mans next month too?

I have been a fan of sports and thier "that's why they play the game" excitement, however yesterday's race was like watching a coronation procession; what is the point of racing on a track where no one can pass, why set it up so that the teams can get through the race with one pit stop?

As someone mentioned below, if this is how F1 continues, then I will find something more interesting to do on a Sunday afternoon-

Yawn. Monaco looks stunning sure and more to the point there is lots of money there. Seriously Monaco for all its History should not be on the Grand Prix calendar as its not a race just a procession. Likelyhood is Schumaher would of won the race if he had started on pole. Either change the track or get rid of this boring race or if you must make it an exibition only. It is after all Motor Racing is it not?????? P.s why no comments about the stupidity of Hamiltons penalty last race and Pasto only gets 10 place paenalty for blatent dangerous driving??? I'm loosing the will with Formla 1. If your face fits then fine. Nothing sticks to Alonso or Vetel . Did he not overtake and gain three place by cutting a corner where is his grid penalty for the next race???

@32
I cannot see why you are crowing about beating Button, the Mclaren car looks increasingly off the pace,for BOTH the drivers!
--------------------------------------------------
It's not the fact that Button is getting beat, the issue is that the reporting bias towards him where bad performances are kept hush hush and the opposite is true for Hamilton.

EJ absolutely declared how biased the BBC are to Jenson today on the forum talking about how they love Jenson and fact that he always gives them interviews is a reflection of his upbringing!!!!! (an obvious side swipe at Lewis).

How quickly EJ seems to forget the large number of interviews Lewis gave to the BBC when they first got the coverage which has now completely stopped due to the hatchet job the BBC tried to do on Lewis last year.

What EJ does not realize is that comments like that just ensure Lewis will never talk to the BBC again unless it's the mandatory interviews.

Great drive from Webber..... Monaco has and always will be a drivers track where achieving pole and race victory will not be determined by the car alone but driver ability also. Lots of post saying Webber would have been passed on a normal track....doh!!! get real he won because on Saturday and sunday he was better than any other driver on circuit where talent counts.

Idiocracy from so many of you on here. Monaco is a street circuit. It is unlike no other and produces every year. Some of you Brits have to have one of your own on the podium for it to be an exciting race. You had 78 laps to change the channel.
Pirelli have changed everything in F1 now and it is unpredictable every race, as has shown in the results.. that's a good thing - point in fact.

As for some saying Webber wouldn't have been able to hold the lead at a different track well done, you've added nothing to this forum. Why would Webber race the same at a different track, let-alone have one tyre stop, slow his laps down to conserve etc etc? Webber is the most consistent driver out there and my hands up for him challenging for the title. Hope he lifts it - well done Webber.

Today and this week summed up my feelings towards F1 of late.
All last week people were asking me why I was walking around the office with a huge grin on my face, and the answer of course was; It’s Monaco!
However, It really brought home to me today just how manufactured F1 has become over the last two or three years.

I am no Gary Anderson, but I understand the basics of motorsport, and F1 in particular; be the fastest person and machine on the circuit, and you win. That does not seem to be the way of modern day F1 if today’s Monaco GP was anything to go by.

Hearing teams ‘instruct’ drivers to go slow and manage tyres was bad enough, but to hear PTC radio where engineers were informing drivers that they ‘best conserve some tyres for the challenge at the end of the race’ was terrible, and if I’m honest brought home to me just how manufactured F1 has become.

The worst moment today came during the final laps, where any given commentator was beside themselves with anticipation of the possible ‘grand finale’ about to be served, this was it, this was what we had all been waiting for. It’s a shame they didn’t ponder just quite how Vettel had managed 41 laps on a set of tyres, that a few races ago could only manage 12 laps before drivers were on the PTC radio squealing for new rubber. The variation, reliance, and outcome of a race should not ever but decided by tyres, ever. But it’s happened every race this season, more or less.

Those involved in F1 should take heed of Lewis Hamilton’s change of mind set. Far from going hell for leather, providing us with some fantastic moves, power slides, and seat of the pants stuff, he’s decided like the (in my opinion) dull attitude of some drivers that just finishing ahead of your rivals is the best way, because anything else is just too risky.

Qualifying exposes this trait also. Drivers like Vettel opting to save a set of tyres rather than try and make a place on the grid, reasoning of course is that grid position is nowadays a rather non-affair.
F1 is just dying, and nobody in F1 seems too bothered.

20. At 22:15 27th May 2012, iammatt484 wrote:
Stop moaning about the 'new' F1, and the tyres, try to adapt (like the drivers) or stop watching and wait for the next season.
Quite how you can think drivers are ‘adapting’ I will never know. JB who is ‘supposedly’ the king of managing tyres can hardly make it into the top 10 in Q2, how is he adapting? I would argue the opposite, and with good evidence behind me, that drivers are not adapting, they are ‘making the best of a bad job’, what else do you expect them to do.
Lots of reasons why I am not anywhere nearly as interested in F1 as I used to be, DRS, Tyres, new circuits solely for money, and I (probably like most people here) would never watch a recorded race if I could watch it live, not so these days, quite happy to watch a replay, that’s how un-F1 it’s become.

'As someone mentioned below, if this is how F1 continues, then I will find something more interesting to do on a Sunday afternoon-'

In all honesty why would anyone in their right mind sit indoors watching F1 when it's 28 deg outside?

Absolutely awful race. Yet another Monaco procession of drivers too scared to even attempt an almost impossible overtake because they know it will only result in a grid penalty for the next race (why risk going forward one place when it will result going back at least five?). It says it all when Webber can back-up such drivers as Alonso and Hamilton to allow Vettel to gain track position after the pit stops. What a joke! DRS and KERS meant absolutely nothing. The only bit of excitement was when it almost started raining. Manaco is all about glamour and tradition. The drivers might love it but they dont have to sit and watch this tedious borefest. Its absolutely impossible to defend F1 to 'outsiders' with this kind of display. The qualifying was ten times more excciting than the race. How about scrapping the actual race and just having Monaco as a sort of 'special stage' based purely on timed laps. At least you would then see drivers giving 100%. I know its never going to change. Theres far too much money involved in this 'showpiece' for that to happen and its the perfect place for all the millionaire 'fans' to hang out in luxury without actually having to travel to a real race track. But I, for one, wouldn't care if this old relic from the old 'glory' days disappeared forever.

#5

I agree totally. Monaco is a glorious venue for the sport, however I got the feeling watching the race that it lacked the intensity and competitiveness as it is near impossible to overtake without crashing out.

This sport benefits from exciting races where drivers can really challenge each other to win the race, however Monaco just doesn't seem to be a course where drivers can compete during the race.

I will be glad to take 99.9% pay cut of what is paid to McLarens strategist to work at their places. I will always volunteer forever without pay to organise a pit crew to change the tyres on their cars in races. It was a laugh off at first but the incompetence shown by the McLaren crew has gone from bad to terrible. I bet they are now the laughing stock of the teams in the paddock. Certainly even had they had pace in the car, i couldn't possibly imagine the likes of Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes shaking in their boots to be beaten by pace when they are guaranteed almost 3 seconds a race over them during the pit stops.

Congratulations to Webber for a good controlled race. Roseberg and Alonso also drove very well but can't understand why Vettel was so handsomely rewarded for taking a short cut and jumping from 9th to 6 by cutting corners at the start. The rules allows for going wide in turn 1 on ever track. Others will take notice of how you can cut corners in turn 1 in the future.

For McLaren, the illusion they actually have a fast car has been exposed. They have no race pace whatso ever and they certainly have the 3rd or 4th best car behind Red Bull, Mercedes and even Ferrari. Good on one lap in qualifying or great job in qualifying by Lewis and then downhill with pace in the race. It's not coincedence Button couldn't even overtake the Catterham and stuck on 14th until frustrations got the better of him. And also, couldn't they at least spot Vettel's time and alerted Lewis of the impending threat of his then 4th position? Might as well cut radio contacts if they is no use for information.

Can't see why people are complaining about Monaco. It's a carbon copy of the past years and we always come back for me. The races are boring but the precision driving there is always an interest to me why i watch.

Mr Beson can we have a blog or article about the inconsistency fron the race stewards this year? Also why not write an article on the pointlessness of the Monaco procession? I'm aware of course this wont happen as it would probably ensure the BBC only cover one reace live next season as Bernie an Co. wouldnt approve.

'It's not the fact that Button is getting beat, the issue is that the reporting bias towards him where bad performances are kept hush hush and the opposite is true for Hamilton.'

Reporting bias is whats happening in Syria (for example), not Eddie Jordan and David Coulthard ROFL! :D
You guys really need to get out more....

Very boring race, sorry. Not even the Mickey Mouse tyres allowed any overtaking. A very sophisticated snorefest, in the end.

39.
At 23:25 27th May 2012, No_so_great_britain wrote:


Idiocracy from so many of you on here. Monaco is a street circuit. It is unlike no other and produces every year. Some of you Brits have to have one of your own on the podium for it to be an exciting race. You had 78 laps to change the channel.
Pirelli have changed everything in F1 now and it is unpredictable every race, as has shown in the results.. that's a good thing - point in fact

------------------------------------------------------------------

I have no problem with Monaco as a race but don't insult our intelligence by telling us what a good thing Perilli tyres are for F1. How about a ballot is made every weekend to determine the winner of the races? Exacrly what the tyres are doing to the sport now. Infact at Monaco, i am sure the fear of tyres going off quickly was why they was hardly any over taking attempt. Keep it tidy and safe. Don't push too hard after the pit stop and you can hold onto your position. More like Formula luck these days where the driver or team that can hit an optimum window on the tyres in the race will win or do well. If i want to be watching nursing your tyres, i'll drive on sundays in my granny's car instead.

One of the more boring races.
If this is what Monaco is like, I'm a bit worried for Valencia, hopefully Webber can supply some drama and a new take off procedure.

Commentary from David and Ben was excellent.
Also top marks for the "Nike first person ad" parody. Very good segment as well as the one with Lewis and Button working the cameras.

Although the race was intriguing from a strategic sense, the 'race' was mind numbingly boring.
I to agree that this tyre conservation malarkey is killing the essence of what Formula One should be about. It should be about the best drivers, in cutting edge machinery, wringing the car through every lap, to achieve the maximum potential every single race.
This can't happen when tyres become the ultimate area of 'breakdown', when teams are limited to a certain number of engines/gearboxes.. When engines are managed to an upper rev limit etc.. Reliability of the actual car is now not even a secondary concern.. Where's the engineering envelope, when any appled idea is jumped on for possibily infringing the almostly absurdly strict design regulations?
And so we come back to this race, if you can actually call it a race.. I would struggle to explain to someone 'new' to F1 how this was in any way a situation where speed was a defining factor, and why tyre conservation/pitstop time are more relevant than outright car performance on the day..
From flag to flag it was merely a procession, the only changes in position made through quicker pitstops and Vettel's decision to not run in Qualifying 3. I think that should carry a 5 place grid penalty in itself.. Vettel got 4th place as he was able to run his option tyre on a lower fuel load, effectively handing him an advantage mid race when everyone else had cold prime tyres and his were dialled in.
Monaco is never coming off the Grand Prix calendar as long as the money is there. As all the commentators pointed out, it is THE place for hob-nobbing and being seen (from a sponsorship point of view), and obviously the historic element will appeal to the more die hard F1 devotees. For us more armchair supporters, those who want the spectacle of racing... It's anachronistic... It just doesn't fit in with the modern F1 cars/ideals..
Although, that being said....
Schumacher getting pole.. Unexpected and welcome
Di Resta putting in another 'God Damn I'm good at this' performance in the race...
Button's post race interview being an almost carbon copy of the last one...

All made me smile.

@36 - To be fair, JH, EJ and DC talked briefly about it at the start of the programme. All three were in agreement that the penalty that Lewis recieved was ludicrous. I mean, how ridiculous can it be to give someone a penalty of 23(?) places for seemingly not having enough fuel at the end of qualification, and yet someone else gets a 10 place penalty for reckless driving towards a fellow racer..?
One other thing - you can tell by his interview that Hamilton is starting to get frustrated at how things are unravelling this season so far. How the guy is fourth in the standings, with everything that's happened to him in 2012, shows the true competitive spirit and talent in the man.

all of you moaning about the lack of overtaking in monaco and saying there's no place for monaco, if monaco was got rid of then thats another classic track gone, along with imola etc and before fans were oaning about the tyres creating too much action and influencing races too much, this year has been fantastic and monaco was no exception, monaco is about the glamour of watching the f1 cars race round it and is unique, so some fans are moaning about being too much happen or too little in monaco. f1 was always about the thinking man's sport and it wasn't just about attack, what about days before refuelling they had to conserve then, so f1 now is great and nothing wrong with it. remember the early 2000s when schumacher dominated, people moaned then and now people are moaning about too much variety, so what do these fans want?

to F1fan01

Why should Benson mention Button ... he hardly featured in the race in the points and was notable for one minor incident with Kovalainen whilst all the action was happening at the front between the top 6

Hamilton barely gets a mention in the topic above because it was an average race for Mclaren

The article should be about Webber and quite rightly so having won Monaco and outperformed Vettel all weekend the man who as two time WDC is suppose to be the most wanted driver by Ferrari

The fact is Alonso leads the two Red Bull drivers so that adds significance to Webber's win today

I'm not sure what the BBC's journalists were watching, but the Monaco race was anything but "thrilling" - that the most significant event in the race was the absence of rain says everything. Sad also to note that the Beeb appears to have not even acknowledged Dario Franchetti's third Indy 500 win, having gone from last to first in doing so. Anyone who genuinely follows motorsport must recognize Dario as one of *the* great drivers that the UK has produced, up there with Jimmy Clark, Sterling Moss, Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, and Derek Bell - and not just more talented but a far more gracious winner than the likes of Hamilton or Button.

A win for Webber, brilliant, faultless drive near perfect skills, well done to him.

However the debate rages on, to race at Monaco or not?

To those people out there calling for the whole circus to move away from Monaco I ask you a couple of questions? Have you ever actually been to a GP or are you just a couch viewer? I was of the same oppinion many years ago, you know the usual stuff watching on TV, rubbish coverage, rubbish racing, no overtaking, blah blah, but then was fortunate enough to be invited to a coporate day out at a practice day for the British GP. From that moment on my view and oppinion of F1 changed.

The telly does absolutely nothing for F1. Unlike golf, football, rugby.....the list is endless... TV works for these sports as you get the replays, the slow mo, the analysis, the change to another game etc etc but with F1 the TV simply can not give you the real noise, real speed, real 'feeling' a F1 car gives going full chat past you. Unless you have actually watched a F1 'live' you simply cant appreciate just how unique these machines and drivers are.

Watch a live GP2 race, watch a live F3 race, go to your local circuit and watch the the FF1600 race and you will have great piece of entertainment, however now go and watch a live F1 race and the difference is like chalk and cheese. There is no other sport in the world that highlights the differences to the pinacle (F1) and the others.

OK Man Utd, Chelsea, Man City et al, all brilliant footy teams, but it has been known they get beat occasionally by some part time bunch of plumbers or whatever on a soggy Saturday afternoon in the early parts of the FA Cup. But really, when is any other race car on any track going to give, even a F1 grid tail ender, a race for the money. It simply will never happen.

Monaco F1 is rubbish on TV, too many too rich poseurs and hangers on, but for the real race fans, the ones who actually pay the ridiculous entry prices, to watch a driver be within mm of the barrier at 150mph, to be so close to the action, to see your favourite hit the same sq inch of track each lap, lap after lap, to hear and feel the power and speed, there is simply nothing else in the whole world of sport that gives you such a buzz.

@ IL_Leone

Or perhaps it's because of the profiling that was done in this same blogs last year about Lewis Hamiltons troubles after every race? I have no interest in any negative comment about Button but imagine Lewis driving into 2 cars alreaady this season like Button has done, there will be a dedicated blog. They is nothing good about profiling a driver in a negative way so what is not done for the likes of Button shouldn't be done for Lewis either.

Yes, I think the race was boring. But, Webber did everything right this weekend to get ahead in the championship game. He stayed calm and collected and made sure Vettel did not get a whole pit stop ahead of him in the pit stop phase. There were no mistakes from his end and he didn't stress out his car. Any other driver would have done the same and capitalised on the nature of limited overtaking at Monaco.

What I am disappointed with though is how Vettel made up places during the race. He gained a massive (unfair) advantage by not setting a lap time in Q3. A new rule should be brought in where a driver forfeits a set of brand new tyres or takes a 5 spot grid penalty for not setting a lap time in quali unless there is a legit mechanical problem. Your thoughts?

Don't know why the moans every year about Monaco ..... you've seen it all before and shouldn't be surprised. I agree that it shouldn't be on the calendar but Bernie likes to socialise and there's no better place so it will stay.
Do what I do and watch the first few laps (to see who crashes out) see how it pans out and then go and do something useful. Once it's settled down, you pretty-much know the result. Highlights sorted in about 15 mins!

Any coincidence that all of a sudden we get the 'most exiting' F1 world championship and CeeVeeCee and Bernie are trying to flog the business to the public? Would it be possible to convince Pireli to throw in a few randomly supper crappy tires to spice up the action? This season is a travesty so far and we will all find how much worse it can become when Vitaly Petrov wins from a lap down.
F1 is for racing - not power cruising. Well done Mark all the same - I'm sure you know what I mean.

I'm really pleased to see Webber take a win and I hope it isn't his last this season. He needs a good year.

I feel sorry for Grosjean, more bad luck for the young guy. I think he's quite a talented young man and I hope his luck changes.

Also feel sorry for Schumacher, after a stellar qualifying effort and answering some critics, to be caught up in the Alonson/Grosjean incident was bad luck for the old boy.

I hope Hamilton and Button fair better in Canada!

Kovy was my driver of the day for mixing it up with the bigger teams! Well done Caterham.

Button being stuck behind Kovy reminded me of David Coulthard hunting down Enrique Bernoldi for 46 laps around Monaco. Although DC came away unscathed.

What a boring race that was. I can't believe David, EJ and Jake were saying how good it was. When the BBC were choosing races they should have gone for the Canadian GP rather than the Monaco one. I actually switched over at one point to catch another programme which is not like me at all. When I switched back the race order had still not changed! What a pity it did not rain like it did after the race.

Enough of the yachts and famous, rich and so called beautiful people please, it's boring, like the GP.

None of the commentators mentioned Lewis's poor pitstop during the race. The cameras were waiting for him to emerge from the pits and he was nowhere to be seen. I knew something was up.

It's been 6 races and Mclaren have still not sorted themselves out. Martin Whitmarsh has no clue and I'm not happy and neither are Lewis and JB.

What a dreadful race and what a poor reflection BBC´s spin has put on the sport and how they report it. I watched the beginning and the last twenty laps and was shocked to see not one driver race for a better position. Shameful. "Thrilling" is the main headline and sadly its worse than F1.
Footnote. Not one clear report in the main area of BBC Sport on the record breaking Indy 500. Sadder still that a british (scottish) driver won it for the 3rd time. POOOOOOOR.

Formula 1 should ask the viewers for ideas instead of trying new things every year. Why couldn't they have a feedback form on the F1 website or something?

My opinion, is, this race was the most boring in a long long time even though, being an Aussie, I was rooting for M Webber.

However, I don't think any of the other races this year have been boring, quite the opposite, have enjoyed them all.

I can understand the frustration the drivers have now with tyres, while it makes for unpredictable and exciting races it truly does not allow the best to display their talent like it once would have.

There are a few things I would like changed for next year.
1. Unlimited tyres for qualifying
2. Back to refueling during races
3. Points (token) for qualifying position

Make no mistake, F1 is in a much better position than it used to be, fans can't complain about the spectacle this year (Monaco aside) and I just think it's in need of a couple tweeks.

Cheers
Mark, veteran f1 fan, 8 times Formula 1 spectator (Adelaide Australia) :)

@ 10
Quote: The winner of the WDC this year will be the luckiest but not necessarily the quickest driver.

Will be just like 2008 all over again:D

Andrew, where is your blog about the "struggling Jenson", perhaps with a title "Fresh questions over struggling Button"?

By the way, great result by Webber. Alonso again hangs around and will probably be fighting for the championship in a few month's time.

Very boring race, but could not have been won by a nicer guy. Well done Mark...onto Montreal.
What's going in with Jenson Button, though??

>"What I am disappointed with though is how Vettel made up places during the race. He gained a massive (unfair) advantage by not setting a lap time in Q3. A new rule should be brought in where a driver forfeits a set of brand new tyres or takes a 5 spot grid penalty for not setting a lap time in quali unless there is a legit mechanical problem. Your thoughts?"

-------------------------------------


Thought One - there is nothing "unfair" about a sportsman playing within the rules, as Vettel unquestionably did.

Thought Two - it is by no meas obvious that Vettel gained an advantage by not running in Q3. He only gained an advantage if we assume that he would not have done a better qualifying time. Perhaps if he had run in Q3 he'd have started higher on the grid and finished on the podium - there's no way for anyone, even Red Bull and Vettel, to know the answer to that.

I think it's a bit ominous that top teams regard the tyres as being so fragile that skipping a qualifying run seems like a good idea. (and RB did the exact same thing with Webber in a previous race)

First of all, well done Mark Webber. Good, measured drive to win the race but the important job was done on Saturday. And, for once, got a good start when he needed one. The only real threat came from Vettel when he tried to build that "magic" 21-second gap needed for a pit-stop.

For me, this was the worst race of the year so far in terms of excitement but this being the Monaco GP, it wasn't unexpected. Anyway, "thrilling" was exactly what it was not. A special mention on Ferrari's pit crew though. Throughout the year they have been excellent at pit-stops and yesterday was no exception.


whatdoiknowaboutanything @ 28
jOHNg1973 @ 36
Re Vettel overtaking off the track
---------------------------------
The incident was under investigation and the stewards decided not to take action against it. Probably, amid the chaos, there was no way Vettel could avoid the spinning Grosjean without going off the track. Martin Brundle also commented that it would be the only sensible thing to do.


Iforge @ 33
ManicMailman @ 50
Re Vettel not posting a Q3 laptime
---------------------------------
You guys mention this as he was the only one to do this. I don't like this either but it has been done several times this year and I don't understand why Vettel is getting all the blame (may be I do understand). For instance, I don't recall many questioning Di Resta's strategy when he decided against posting a lap-time in Q3 at Bahrain and eventually finishing 6th in the race.


dave59 @ 42
It says it all when Webber can back-up such drivers as Alonso and Hamilton to allow Vettel to gain track position after the pit stops. What a joke!
--------------------------------
I don't think RedBull were on a team strategy to help Vettel. Webber (in his post race interview) said he was struggling to get heat on to his new tires and was really nervous about Vettel's gap. Besides Vettel looked confused when asked about a team strategy and replied "Mark drove his race, I drove mine".

Sorry, obviously I'm not a "real" fan having only watched F1 since the 70s, but drivers have always had to manage their tyres, so why do so many people think this is different?

AdelaideF1_Memories,

I couldn't agree more about allowing refuelling in the race. People talk about the tires and how important they've become, not allowing for drivers to go flat out because they have to manage their tires. However, almost as important is the fact that drivers have to go slow at the start of the race due to the heavy fuel load. In addition, cars are not given enough fuel to go flat out for the whole race because the extra weight slows down the cars so much at the start of the race. Taking away refuelling during the race has reduced fuel strategy flexibility, as well as overall speed. I'm at a loss to understand what has been added to compensate.
Bring it back asap.

71.At 05:56 28th May 2012, Stephen_P wrote

I think refilling still won't work. With today's technology, all teams will be calculating the best strategies with plenty of data. Most likely, they will all come up with the same strategies anyway.

I think FIA should ban data collection. This should make races much more unpredictable (and forces teams to do more guess work).

Scotchwhiskie hie,

I know the old boy tried but could not finish the race. Again it was on super soft tyre. wel done to him, my previous arguement stands though.

Yawn.....boring. I have never liked Monaco and this has not change my point of view. You know when it's dull when they keep showing slow mo's of the cars. Not a fan of Red Bull but well done Mark. Mclaren are slipping away and I really don't care, I only follow them because of the British drivers, I just wish Williams had a British driver again. I do hope that this race will be dropped as one of the live races, boring boring BORING!!!!

'Webber wins thrilling Monaco GP'
is what BBC sports website titled its post race story.
I have been excited about the prospect of more world champs racing in this season as well as 5 (now 6) different drivers winning the first 6 races but what a dreadful display of utter boredom yesterdays 'follow the leader' was.
We all know Monaco is more spectacle than real race and overtaking is virtually impossible but Mansell and senna made a spectacle of it even if there wasn't the overtake.
But who ever wrote the heading please don't kid us it was 'thrilling'

BBC v SKY....
I for the first time this year purposely flicked between the two to compare.
There is good and bad about both, but the BBC have the quality and would never have made a sick line about princess Grace.
Sky have ripped off the BBC by poaching Brundle, Croft and kravitz, but what was the point of doing that when they had the chance to rewrite the rules?

Brundle is good and a source of knowledge, but hes now on his 3rd contract(ITV BBC SKY) and its all the same format.

One notable point about the SKY version was Crofts irritating voice and lack of class and depth - defiantly not a loss to the BBC

What a boring race slow race it was. Button whenever he is left behind he cries "understeer or down force " all cars have the same problem and they get on with it. He was to pompous when he was winning, nowKimi, Groj, Nico, Mal live him for dust. The only effort he showed too was on supper soft, but the Groj did well on soft tyres. Everytime LH performs he moans of understeer and downforce, He really needs to forcus again. Both JB and LH are driving tractors at the moment but they should make the best of the tractors. LH said he could not find the power to pull off , could this be the remote control from the factory. ???????fixing races Maclaren.

What a mind-bogglingy tedious 'race' that was. I think I'm correct that there wasn't a single racing overtake in the entire race, if you discount the sprint to corner 1 on lap 1.
Cars driving conservatively (slowly) to look after tyres. Pirelli may have made the results unpredictable this year, but they've also killed any flat-out on-the-limit racing spectacle. Winning is no longer about fastest cars and fastest drivers, it's all about tyre management and pit crews. We may have had 6 different winners in 6 races, but the racing is BORING, BORING, BORING.... I want to see racers RACING.

"Webber wins thrilling Monaco GP" - who came up with that headline?

I was praying for rain just to make it worth watching but fell asleep (as usual) after about half an hour of the race.

These street circuits look good but generally always produce boring races.

I'm not sure why commentators get so excited about Monaco GP, while I'll admit this was better than previous Monaco GPs it still isn't a race but more like the worlds most expensive traffic jam.

Agree with all the comments about what a bore this event was, and how unprofessional it is of the beeb to hype it up - bit like the commercial stations where everything that's just happened has to be the greatest of all time. Don't treat your listeners/readers like idiots.

Can't agree about Monaco, though - unless it's changed since I was last there about eight years ago, it's a glitzy, money-obsessed, ugly, cramped little nothingness, full of rude, self-important posers.

@57, Fair Dinkum: "A new rule should be brought in where a driver forfeits a set of brand new tyres or takes a 5 spot grid penalty for not setting a lap time in quali unless there is a legit mechanical problem."
It wouldn't work, they could still go out in Q3 and do a pedestrian lap that took nothing out of the tyres. The only way I can see to make it happen is for tyres to be allocated for use in Q3 only - Pirelli have said they're prepared to do that.
On other matters: bring back refuelling, ban telemetry - information about car systems should be limited to the driver/pit radio. More unpredicatability, more interesting driver/pit radio for the viweers.

I think as usual qualy is more entertaining than the race in monaco, still nice to see Mark Winning again. next race is Canada so that should make up for the monaco train. by the way i would just like to say Gary Anderson is great, his insite and input is fantastic. exellent addition to the team.

Peter @ 81

The only way I can see to make it happen is for tyres to be allocated for use in Q3 only - Pirelli have said they're prepared to do that.
--------------------------------------
Agree with you on that one.
The tyres play a big part this season and having a fresh set of tyres for the race is crucial. Therefore, if the drivers are forced to do a timed lap in Q3 (thus sacrificing a fresh set of tyres), the cars just lost out in Q2 (11th, 12th on the grid) would have an advantage over the ones starting on, say, 9th and 10th. It would be like an indirect penalty for qualifying better, which is unfair.

"These street circuits look good but generally always produce boring races."

Except Spa, of course...

I usually love Monaco, but jeez this was boring. I alternated between dozing, browsing on the net, and praying for rain. Can we swap this live race for say Canada next year, please?

Yes, the blog headline writer is doing a disservice to journalism
Yes, Monaco was very tedious
Yes, the tires are ruining F1 as a test of driving at full speed
Yes, why no Indy 500 news?
Yes, Gary Anderson has brought a welcome new dimension to BBC F1

But for god's sake give up this Button v Hamilton sniping - it's so boring, biased and banal.

It's McLaren who are the problem - and, whilst there's no smoking gun, the move of Sam Michael from Williams to McLaren, the subsequent rise of Williams and the subsequent fall of McLaren is powerful circumstantial evidence. And, of course, who hired him? Who is overseeing the worst pit crew for decades? Who is supervising some extremely questionable tactics? Martin Whitmarsh.

Ron Dennis won a British Inspiration Award a couple of days ago - please Ron take over again and give this team some inspiration!

Just wanted to add my voice to those complaining about the lack of Indy 500 coverage. On a day when a British driver, Dario Franchitti, joined the list of all-time greats of motorsport it's a travesty that the BBC can't even bring themselves to mention him on the front page.

Quite amusing to see Mr Consistent (Jenson Button) consistently last! As always Monaco is entertaining, because one small slip and then you see a massive pile up or a car in the barrier. After seeing Kovalainen he seems to be mixing it up with the big boys. Surprised at the improvement from Caterham and I am pretty sure they will be mighty close to a point come the end of the season.

Here I will do an analysis on each driver that finished in the points:

Mark Webber: He drove a steady easy race from pole position and never really looked like losing the lead. He dictated the pace to his liking and with the exception of backmarkers and pitstops, he had clear air in front of him.

Nico Rosberg: Drove brilliantly to keep up with Webber, he kept those tires running and pressured him to the finish line, losing out by 0.6. It is always difficult to overtake in Monaco so grid position does matter and he definitely made the most of it. It's difficult to gain a position as well when you are on the same strategy. So Nico did the best he could

Fernando Alonso: He drove perfectly, especially his in-lap! With a later stop he may have been able to jump Rosberg. His start was good, squeezing into 4th and making it stick. He did well to keep Vettel behind him and keep pressuring Rosberg allowing good measure with the tires. Qualifying, was pretty good, remembering the car is better than it was but still not good enough for pole. He's proved he is one of the best.

Sebastian Vettel: I am quite surprised at how he nursed the pace out of those tires, took him 40 laps or so to get into the pits, and they still had a bit of fight left in them! Shame he had to settle for 4th, with a bit of luck and a wider track there would definitely be a bit of a mix up in the order.

Lewis Hamilton: Had an adequate race, the pitstops were better but the strategy had a slight issue as he ended up in 5th. It allowed him to be jumped as he wasn't taking advantage of everyone pitting, like Alonso did. His pace on super softs was quite good but he wasn't as quick as the Lotus' with their traction. We have to take into account that the cars performance has effectively gone downhill.

Felipe Massa: Wow, he has shown so much more confidence. I think he has realised his job is at threat and decided to get some points. In practice and qualifying he was matching his teammate and sometimes even beating him. Much better from the Brazilian. However in some chicanes he would get the line wrong because in the previous bend he would just jump in and not pivot while Alonso would correct it and get the line right.

Paul Di Resta: Still impressed by his willingness to press on with the tires, looking after them very well. Hoping he can get a podium soon as his driving definitely needs one as a reward. He is ultra consistent and will do everything possible to get the points. You could tell he was trying to get clean air and just keep those tires alive

Nico Hulkenburg: Had the same aggressive strategy as Di Resta except he was just one place behind him. Start was reasonable and he went to the back end of the contact with Grosjean and Schumacher from then on he attacked the track and earned himself some points.

Kimi Raikkonen: A race to forget really after back to back podiums, still did well to get in the points and quite difficult to find out whether that strategy was the problem because he lost a place. Great traction out of the corners though, the Lotus is definitely a contender.

Bruno Senna: Solid race from 10th, shame he couldn't live up to Williams' recent success as well as his own uncles reputation in Monaco. Still good race, good points and good experience.

Please tell me if I should keep doing this for every race

First off.. congrats to Webber.

With regards to Monaco, it would be sad to see it go but it really is a bore-fest for us watching it on TV, i imagine to be there in person is another thing though, if only for the aural sensations created by the backdrop, i used to attend the Birmingham Super-prix back in the day (formula 2000.. equivalent to GP2 i think) and it was amazing to here the screaming engines echoing off the city buildings, so (glamour and glitz aside) i can see the the allure of Monaco in that respect.

I feel the solution for the bore-fest that is Monaco, is actually quite a simple one.... just stick all the drivers in 125-150cc Go-Karts... lower the amount of laps to half and let the three-a-breast overtaking fest begin.

Also just to echo others, any chance of an article discussing JB's performance so far Benson?, as i'm sure if it were LH having the time that JB's having at the moment, you'd probably be 3 articles deep by now... come on Benson, pull your finger out.

@55, andrewinoz: "To those people out there calling for the whole circus to move away from Monaco I ask you a couple of questions? Have you ever actually been to a GP or are you just a couch viewer?"
Yes, I've been to live GPs. It's worth going to witness the awesome noise that these cars produce - it just doesn't come over on TV. But honestly, it's not worth going for much else. The noise gives you a splitting headache, you lose track of the race order after about 10 laps and overall you get far more information about the race on TV than you do trackside. It's cheaper, more comfortable, and if you have the misfortune to be watching a race like this years Monaco GP you can turn over to watch something more interesting. Like Gardener's World or Mastermind...

Dullest race in a very long time ,
Once again the tyres utterly ruining a race , As other have said on here much more like this and after watching for 25 years i just will not bother , .. Tedious...........

It was far more competitive when there was no monopoly on tyres.
Yes Pirelli have engineered their tyres to be unpredictable and have an edge of unpredictability but a REAL edge would be bringing in Michelin etc

Refuelling no thanks - I still fear a Verstappen incident could happen again........

What a bore? If there is no space to overtake, why call it a race? Monaco is just a celebrity show (europes oppportunity to get some holywood action).Cant wait till Canada where we can see some real racing again

@79 Dazzel ''..the worlds most expensive traffic jam''. Perfect description.

Highlight of the event for me was free practices and qualifying...with the space for drivers to 'go for it' (well, apart from Vettel in Q3) and Gary Anderson's input to both. The race itself was pretty tedious, as was the repetitive footage of tyres on curbs. Next year, can BBC choose Monaco as a 'highlights' show rather than wasting one of the 10 picks for live races?

@87, ferrarilover9999: Please don't.

Well I loved Monaco, I always do, yes it is a bit of a borefest, if all you are interested in is overtaking, but for me the most exciting section is from Lowes (yes lets keep the name) to Anthony Noghes. Webber deserved his win, Nico did what he could, Alonso drove really well (but he always does, and no I an not a fanboy) In short every driver gave his best. Jenson had a really bad weekend, it happens, why is he having a tough time? Tyres maybe not suiting his style, or the entire package. Will he improve? I have no doubt he will. We are 6 races in to the season, we have had 6 different deserving winners. And so the season will continue. On a side note I did rather enjoy the obvious "atmosphere" between the Skytv and BBC presenting teams.

How are people saying Monaco was boring? F1 is not all about overtaking. It has got so much more elements to it. Where Monaco lacks in on track entertainment. Off track and the history of the circuit really weigh it up nicely.

@5

You obviously haven't seen the first 5 races then....

@90

Same as to #5, so you haven't watched the first 5 races then???

First of all, well done to Mark, I'm very pleased he took pole and the race. In light of his reputation for getting bogged down at starts he really made it count this time.

Whilst I can understand that the race wasn't the most exciting to watch, I thought it was 'thrilling' in other aspects, as a supporter of Webber the last 10 laps were real nail biting laps, firstly whether or not Vettel would better to maintain his pace for an extended period such that he could leap from the leaders to whether or not the rain was going to come down. For everyone else I can easily see how they just saw it as a F1 car train, but as we all know Monaco GP lends itself to a limited amount of overtaking.

@87 ferrarilover999

Yes keep this up for the remaining races - thought your comments were spot on.