- 46 minutes ago
The 2nd Aggregate Qualifying Session for Round 6 of the 2005 F1 season at Monaco.
Enjoy what would be the last Sunday morning Aggregate Qualifying Session.
Enjoy what would be the last Sunday morning Aggregate Qualifying Session.
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00:01In Saturday's first round of qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix,
00:05Schumacher goes to P1, but not for long.
00:09This could be P1.
00:10Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:13Come on, Fizzy, push it now, push it.
00:15You can do this.
00:17Oh!
00:18Wow, wow, wow.
00:19Oh, boy.
00:20That's what happens.
00:22Wow.
00:22We're talking about threading that needle.
00:24Wow.
00:25That was a heavy hit.
00:27Onto the start, finish straight, and push.
00:31Yeah!
00:32Wow!
00:33And by nothing, trivial.
00:35Oh, man, look at that.
00:36That's confidence for you.
00:37And now here he comes, Kimi Raikkonen.
00:40This car is capable of taking pole round here.
00:43Watch this from Raikkonen in the McLaren Mercedes.
00:48Wow!
00:49Another four, almost five tenths.
00:51Now it's time to set the grid for round six of the Formula One World Championship.
01:20Week in and week out.
01:21Around the Formula One World Championship, we talk about the importance of qualifying.
01:25But nowhere is qualifying more important than a player than a player than a player than a player than a
01:26player than a player than a player than a player.
01:26More important than around the tight and twisting streets of the Principality of Monaco.
01:32Hello, everyone.
01:32I'm Bob Varsha with David Hobbs and Steve Matchett, ready to begin the second round of qualifying to set the
01:37grid for round six of the 2005 Formula One season.
01:41The first session of the two-part Formula One qualifying format took place yesterday.
01:45If you missed it, here's what happened.
01:48Problems continue for world champion Michael Schumacher and Ferrari.
01:52Schumacher and teammate Rubens Wadichello sees the car just has no grip.
01:57Schumacher wound up tenth at the end of the day.
02:00And his brother, Ralph Schumacher, in the Toyota, just flipped the barrier there at the apex of the back corner
02:04and just destroyed the car.
02:06So he probably won't take part in today's qualification because he's going to start at the back whatever happens.
02:10He's never going to make that time up.
02:13And Jano truly a surprise actually.
02:16He finished seventh in that first session yesterday with a time of 1.15, 1.89.
02:21And then Alonso very, very quick in that R25 chassis will be second on the day.
02:27He would be celebrating, but it would turn out to be premature because the last man on track, Kimi Raikkonen,
02:32winner two weeks ago in Spain,
02:34put up the fastest time of the session, 1.13.644, averaging more than 100 miles an hour around this
02:42incredibly restrictive racetrack.
02:45There's Ralph Schumacher in the Toyota doing what appears to be an installation lap.
02:50As David Hobbs mentioned, no way he would post a representative time that would leave him anywhere but the back
02:57row of the grid,
02:58where he will be joined interestingly by his former Williams teammate Juan Pablo Montoya.
03:04We'll talk more about that later on as you see the first session times at the upper left.
03:08Remember under Formula One rules, the two session one lap times per car will be added together to determine a
03:15driver's place on the grid.
03:16And this may be the last weekend we see this two-part Formula One qualifying format.
03:21The teams have unanimously approved a change and it may come into effect with next weekend's European Grand Prix at
03:29the Nürburgring in Germany.
03:30This is a pretty smart move actually by Toyota because to the new regulations track time is very limited.
03:35Now the guys have worked a lot on this car, rebuilt it because of that colossal accident we just saw
03:39in the highlights.
03:40So this is the only chance really that the team get to put an installation lap on the chassis,
03:46which is basically a systems check to check that the engine and the transmission are not leaking,
03:51there's no hydraulic fluid leaks and that all the sensors on the suspension and the brake pressure calibration is all
03:56up to speed.
03:57If they didn't do that in the qualifying session, they have no other opportunity to do it until the start
04:03of the race.
04:03A smart move really there by Toyota.
04:05So we will get no hot lap from Ralph Schumacher.
04:07We expect none from Juan Pablo Montoya who was stripped of his first round qualifying time
04:12for having caused an avoidable accident that brought Saturday morning's second practice session to an end.
04:17Is Jarno truly warming up?
04:20And since the BAR Honda team is serving the second race of their suspension for cheating two races ago at
04:26the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola, Italy,
04:29we're down to 16 cars we expect to make hot laps in this second session.
04:34And here comes the first of those 16.
04:36This is Naren Kartikeyan in the Toyota from the Jordan Midland team.
04:42First Indian to try and take pole position at the Monte Carlo Grand Prix.
04:46In fact, the first Indian to run in the Monte Carlo Grand Prix in the Jordan.
04:50This weekend he hasn't been as quick as his teammate Monteiro all weekend, which is unusual.
04:55He's been quicker pretty well everywhere they've been.
04:56I don't think Kartikeyan's been here before, but he has done well on street circuits.
05:00He had the pole position at Macau Grand Prix, which is also a street circuit in Macau in a Formula
05:063 car some time ago.
05:07He was six seconds off the pace of Raikkonen's provisional pole lap yesterday.
05:13Not a good bet, yeah.
05:14And the car, I have to say, around here has just looked awful.
05:18It's been outpaced and outperformed by the Minardi, the 2005 Minardi, and it just must be shame-making that sort
05:25of result for the Jordan mechanics.
05:27You could see their reaction yesterday during that provisional qualifying session.
05:31They were absolutely dumbfounded at how it's possible that Minardi could outpace the Jordan.
05:37And he obviously power around the circuit here at Monte Carlo is not a prerequisite,
05:41but of course the Toyota engine in the Jordan this year has more power than the Cosmos of the Minardi.
05:45There he is going through the scene of that crime yesterday where Ralph Schumacher had a huge crash.
05:51This is the swimming pool section using the curb, but you can see a lot of steering input going in
05:56there.
05:56These Jordans still twitchy last year, we commented on it many times, still twitchy.
06:00You see a lot of piles of speedy dry, the kitty litter, if you will, used to mop up oil
06:05around the racetrack.
06:06There's a very heavy schedule of support races for this event.
06:10Porsche Super Cup races, Formula 3, Formula Renault, the new GP2 series, and there has been a lot of oil
06:17dropped around this racetrack.
06:19And they all have two races each, so there's a lot of racing.
06:22You'll see a lot of oil dry coming up.
06:24Oh, you can't see it now because you're on board with Carter Cairns.
06:27It goes to Casino Square, downhill over the bump there as that side street comes in from your picture right.
06:33Through Mirabeau, downhill corner, always difficult to set up for this downhill S there because the car wants to push
06:38away at the front as it does here at the tire tap in Formula 1.
06:42Saw a correction going into that corner, down under the overhead roadway, the Poitiers corner, the gateway, and now under
06:50the Grand Hotel.
06:52Well, the car looks so twitchy even going down the hill there, Bob, as you said, into Poitiers.
06:56You could see the front of the car hunt him to try and find some grit off those front tires,
07:00and there it is again.
07:01Ooh, jumps over that chicane. That'll upset the thing. That'll cost him a lot of time, that.
07:07Comes to back.
07:09Aimed for the tobacco shop that remains at that corner.
07:14Low these many years after the first Monaco Grand Prix, which took place back in 1929.
07:22The last gas is a restaurant just on the right there where everybody can sit, have their coffee, and watch
07:26the race car go by.
07:28Just don't seem to be able to plant the throttle at all, does he? As soon as he attempts to
07:31put any power in the rear tires, the whole thing becomes nervous.
07:342.43.442, the aggregate of his two hot laps.
07:40This one, 1 minute 23.958, with race fuel in the car.
07:44Remember, they cannot change the car substantially between now and the race.
07:50So Naren Karthikeyan is provisional pole sitter, being the first man to complete his two laps.
07:56We'll take a break and return with more final qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix.
08:03Speed Channel's coverage of the FIA Formula One World Championship is brought to you by Acura and by new Mobile
08:10One Extended Performance.
08:11The oil that's changing oil.
08:17Welcome back to final qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix.
08:21This was Thiago Monteiro of Portugal on his warm-up lap.
08:27Getting it wrong.
08:28And having that, his right front was stopped for a long time there.
08:32So he's put a big flat spot on that tire, which of course he's going to have to live with
08:36for the rest of the weekend course of the race.
08:4028 years, coming up rapidly on his 29th birthday. That's old for a Formula One rookie.
08:48But this weekend, he could become the most successful Portuguese driver ever in Formula One.
08:53It won't be hard. The only point scored by a Portuguese driver in F1 was Pedro Lamy, who was sixth
08:58in the 1995 Australian Grand Prix.
09:03Locking off the left front again there. A little bit slower than his teammate.
09:07Carter Cain as he goes to that first sector, down to that Grand Hotel hairpin.
09:11Once you start locking up, I guess it just gains momentum of its own.
09:16You're going to lock up everywhere as the car's handling deteriorates.
09:21Beautiful day as you can see in the Principality.
09:24I've never seen so many boats out on the Mediterranean, or in the harbor for that matter.
09:29Big ones. I mean some really big ones.
09:33Down a bit on straight line speed.
09:42Around the Piscine, the swimming pool.
09:44He's fighting it all the while, isn't he?
09:46That little onboard shot there we saw of Otero with the steering wheel everywhere.
09:51You can see, look at it.
09:52The car's hunting the back ends, desperate to overtake the front,
09:55which is never what you want. The car to balance itself.
09:58Keeps on locking up the front again there.
10:00But a little bit quicker than his teammate on that second sector.
10:05And he takes over a provisional pole.
10:09A lap at 1 minute 23.670.
10:17Now here come the Minardis.
10:19As Steve Batchett mentioned earlier,
10:21they have outrun the Jordan cars this weekend in Monaco.
10:25This is Christian Albers of the Netherlands.
10:28Christian Albers' first year in Formula 1,
10:31as it is for Montero and Carter Kane.
10:33Very, very successful sedan car driver in the German Touring Car Championship
10:40and the European Touring Car Championship for his first time in Formula 1.
10:44Of course, his first time here on the streets in Monte Carlo.
10:47There's the Grand Hotel in front of him.
10:49Full lock. You see, you can't get any more lock at all on that car.
10:53You need any more lock, you just have to use your throttle
10:55and get the back end to come around on its own.
10:58You mentioned the German Touring Car Championship.
10:59It's all they want.
11:00Let's get back to the DTM for a second.
11:02Former Formula 1 world champion Mika Hakkinen
11:05recently won a race in the DTM.
11:08Only his third start.
11:10So congratulations to Mika.
11:12And that was at Spa, of course, which would be the sort of circuit
11:15that we know he loves her about so much.
11:251.1 seconds quicker than Montero in the Jordan.
11:33Round the Rascas.
11:36Ragged Rascal Round.
11:38On to the straight, for want of a better word.
11:44Into the line he comes to take over provisional pole.
11:472.42.206.
11:50Today's lap, 1 minute 22.977, if my math is correct.
11:56Look at Albers from the darkness of the tunnel into that bright sunlight.
12:00Just one of the challenges to the drivers around Monaco.
12:07His teammate will be up next.
12:09Hello.
12:12Come over all shy.
12:13What was I saying?
12:16Here is Patrick Friesacker.
12:25Up the hill.
12:26Notice that big screen monitor on the right.
12:28All of the drivers say they watch that as they fly around this circuit.
12:34Look at all that speedy.
12:35Look at all that speedy.
12:36Patrick Friesacker has been quicker than Albers all weekend, which is also slum unusually.
12:40He hasn't been quicker than him anywhere else this year, pretty much.
12:42But, Patrick Friesacker has raced here three times in the form of 3000.
12:47Three times and he was second here in 2003.
12:5524-year-old Austrian.
12:58Been a good weekend for Minardi.
13:00They're faster than the Jordans, but they're still looking for this new for 2005 chassis to complete a race distance.
13:13Well, the car, I mean, it's 2005 Minardi and it is only a Minardi in comparison to the rest of
13:18the big hitters, of course, but it is working so much better than the Jordan.
13:23Even going down into the, into the hair pit.
13:26He's working on that.
13:27He was going to do a Ralph there.
13:32The car's not hunting.
13:34It's not, it's a lot more stable than the Jordan chassis.
13:37So you can't really say that Minardis have come on a great deal, but whatever Jordan have done, they've taken
13:42a backward step.
13:44Down to two minutes 40 goes Patrick Friesacker.
13:47His lap a 122.236 on race fuel.
13:52There's that speedy drive.
13:53Yeah, look at it too.
13:54Kicking up a lot of dust.
13:55Boy, that'll help you get sideways in a hurry.
13:57Oh.
13:59You must respect the barriers here in Monaco.
14:02We'll be back with more qualifying in a moment.
14:43There is no place in motor sports like Monaco.
14:48This is final qualifying for the 52nd running of the Formula One Grand Prix of Monaco.
14:54You'll see it live here on Speed Channel later today.
14:57I'm Bob Varsha with David Hobbs and Steve Matchett.
14:59This is young Italian Vidantonio Luzzi in his final run of a three race stretch as a race driver for
15:06the Red Bull Cosworth team.
15:09Will make way, we believe, for his Austrian teammate Christian clean for the next race, the European Grand Prix.
15:16But the team says they won't make that decision until this coming week.
15:20Two point, nearly 2.3 seconds quicker on that first short sector going down the hill still down to 48.
15:28Miuci, of course, a previous win in here in form of 3,000 from the pole.
15:38Through the tunnel and back into the sunlight along the harbour front.
15:42Down on to what was called the Key Etage de Nice.
15:46United States Esplanade, if you will, along the harbour side.
15:51Oh!
15:52I thought he was going to do a shoot.
15:53That really was a look of it.
15:54That was the same corner, that to back.
15:58He gave himself a bit of room on the inside there.
16:00Didn't get too close to the apex.
16:02He got very wide on the exit down to Ruskast.
16:04Very, very tight hairpin.
16:05He used first gear a lot around here.
16:08That is the Star Wars livery, the Revenge of the Sith movie.
16:12Opening worldwide this weekend.
16:14George Lucas and members of the cast are here making a big publicity play
16:18at the grandest Grand Prix on the schedule.
16:22Luzzi to P1.
16:23And the young Christian Horne in the middle there,
16:25who's sort of managing the team at the moment.
16:29120.335 on that lap, as you see.
16:32The quickest we've seen thus far.
16:34Maybe a little light on fuel.
16:37Although there was a big puff of plank smoke come out the back of the car
16:40and he exited the tunnel, which kind of makes me think,
16:43if Abe probably got the car set too low,
16:45but by this stage of the weekend they should have figured that out.
16:48Or they're just running extra fuel on board,
16:50which of course would lower the right height by a half.
16:53He was nearly two and a half seconds quicker than it,
16:55as slow as he was yesterday afternoon in the first qualifying round.
16:59So he was obviously carrying quite a bit of fuel.
17:01This is Brazilian Felipe Massa,
17:05who has finished every race since last year's Hungarian Grand Prix.
17:09So for a guy who came into the sport with a reputation as a bit of a crasher,
17:12Massa has quite a run of late.
17:14Although he's been outshone somewhat by his teammate Jack Villeneuve this weekend.
17:20He has, which is the first time this year.
17:23He's been quicker by a substantial margin at most places than Jack Villeneuve.
17:27But this weekend, every session Villeneuve has been quicker.
17:31Locked up there, going into that chicane.
17:33Very tight corner.
17:34Of course, you can't see it hidden around that guardrail.
17:37We can see it right from up here, but he can't where his head is.
17:41Very good around here. Fifth in this race a year ago.
17:45And as you see, well ahead of the pace.
17:471.720 seconds.
17:52He might be quicker here than, or as quick as David Coulthard in the previous winner.
17:56Of course, David Coulthard has won the Formula 1 race here a couple of times.
18:02Ooh, big increase there. Two seconds quicker than the agency.
18:07Good lap.
18:10118.902.
18:12Let's see how the car working very well there.
18:14That undulation is really, we haven't really seen that shot before.
18:18Have we been able to look into the tunnel like that?
18:20It's usually very dark and black inside that tunnel.
18:22This year we have a better look of what's happening.
18:24Those are the Q2 lap times.
18:26Second hot lap only.
18:28We'll take a break and return with more.
18:31Next up, Michael Schumacher.
18:45Welcome back to the second and final round of qualifying for round six of the 2005 Formula 1 World Driving
18:51Championship.
18:52The Monaco Grand Prix.
18:53Bob Varsha, David Hobbs, Steve Matchett with you.
18:56And this is seven time and defending world champion Michael Schumacher in the Ferrari.
19:01Well, we're now getting into what should be the big hitters.
19:05But this Ferrari this year have really been hampered.
19:08I don't believe that it's really down to the car.
19:12We've seen the pace of the car at Immola.
19:14It's very fast, very swift, providing it's got the rubber to be able to make them stable.
19:20But Bridgestone really have been struggling all year.
19:23Slower in that first sector.
19:25Can you believe it?
19:25Felipe Massa.
19:27Not a thing that Ferrari would have expected to see.
19:30You just can't get these Bridgestone.
19:32They come good in the race.
19:34But in these qualifying sessions, they just seem to be very, very, very low grip.
19:38And they cannot get to, well, they can't get to grips with it.
19:41Well, you can see the car squirming under braking for Mirabeau.
19:44That's something we almost never see from the Ferrari.
19:56Michael Schumacher has no other.
19:57A little bit quick in that second sector, so can he maintain that?
20:01And end up quicker than Massa.
20:02I'm sure he hopes he does.
20:03Oh, boy.
20:05For the Ferrari to be outpaced by the Sauber when they're using the same engine.
20:14To the line.
20:16And into provisional pole position.
20:19234.736.
20:21That's a lap at 118.550 for the world champion.
20:25Well, picking up speed as that lap progressed.
20:28Slow in the first sector, then quick in the middle sector, then quicker still in the last sector.
20:32Would indicate that the tire is coming up to temperature as the lap unfolds.
20:36But, of course, that's not what he needs.
20:38He needs it to be quick right through that Qualathon lap.
20:41Yeah, and that's something else that Ferrari and Bridgestone have been saying.
20:43You know, they have problems getting these tires up to temperature.
20:47Where Michelin have been very good at producing a tire that, although designed to last for the entire two qualifying
20:54sessions and, of course, the race distance, they still managed to get one very quick, what they call a golden
20:58lap out of it in qualifying.
21:00It comes up to heat very quickly and the grip is straight away there for that one flying lap.
21:05So much so that actually there seems to be a tire degradation drop off between qualifying one and two of
21:10about half a second a lap between those two laps just on one flying lap.
21:15Then, of course, they last for the rest of the race distance. So Bridgestone really have got their work cut
21:20out.
21:21Well, Rubens Barrichello quicker than his teammate there on that first sector and, of course, he was quicker yesterday than
21:26Michael Schumacher.
21:27The first time he's out-qualified Michael Schumacher for a long time.
21:41Well, there's no sound like that anywhere else in motorsports.
21:44Can you imagine what it must be like for those marshes in there all day?
21:47Right. Hour after hour, race after race.
21:53David mentioned Rubens out-qualified Michael, but they were just tenth and eleventh on the first qualifying grid.
22:01And when Montoya was stripped of his time, they moved up to ninth and tenth, but they will start mid
22:07-pack in all likelihood.
22:08We'll have to see what technical director Ross Braun decides to do for pit strategy at Ferrari.
22:18To P2. Not quicker than Schumacher this time.
22:22General feeling is that this race will be a two-stop strategy.
22:26Really, the way the regulations have worked out this year with these one set of tires throughout the race distance.
22:32All the races seem to be falling into that sort of standard two-stopper.
22:35But if you call back, of course, further down the field, perhaps the only way to make any sort of
22:40advantage is to load the car with fuel and keep running.
22:42Maybe even just try and get up with the pack and not let the light cars get away from you.
22:49But, boy, oh boy, Ferrari and Bridgestone, they are in trouble.
22:54Here comes Jacques Wilder over in the Sauber.
22:59Up that climb, up the Beau Rivage.
23:02It's deep up here.
23:04This is a great corner of mass now. You just can't see around it.
23:07You know, you know.
23:10Casino Square.
23:12Swerving to miss that street, coming in from the left.
23:15We're good.
23:16Friday's first round qualifying show.
23:18We brought you some onboard footage from Maillerton Senna going around in a conventional shifting McLaren Honda.
23:26Watching him take his hand off the steering wheel to shift.
23:31Pretty impressive.
23:37Beautiful.
23:38No, of course, exactly the same specification engine in the Ferrari and the Sauber.
23:42Of course, that sound is going to go away next year when, of course, they go to the V8, a
23:46smaller range of V8.
23:47The revs will be very high, but it won't sound like those V10s.
23:50V10s have a very special sound to it.
23:51I'm not listening to those GP2 cars which use V8s.
23:55It's not an unattractive sound.
24:01Villeneuve quicker than Michael Schumacher.
24:04Boy, a Villeneuve again quicker than his teammate Felipe Massa.
24:07When was the last time a customer Ferrari engine led the factory cars on a Formula One grid?
24:14We'll be back in just a moment to Monaco.
24:20Speed Channel's coverage of the FIA Formula One World Championship is brought to you by Michelin, a better way forward.
24:26And by new level one extended performance.
24:29The oil that's changing oil.
24:33Welcome back to the Streaks of Monaco.
24:35Bob Varsha, David Hobbs, and Steve Matchett with you here on Speed Channel for the Monaco Grand Prix.
24:40This is final qualifying.
24:42You're on board, briefly, with Scotsman David Coulthard.
24:49Two-time winner of this race.
24:50He is very good around these streets.
24:53And in fact, his last pole position was here back in 2001.
24:58I don't think he's going to get the pole today, but he has been very quick all weekend.
25:05Before it went to break, I mentioned that...
25:07Wow, look at that, a second quicker than Michael Schumacher in that first sector.
25:12Schumacher was able to nip Jacques Villeneuve, so at least one of the factory Ferraris is beating the customer cars
25:18this weekend.
25:21David Coulthard has a museum in his hometown up in Scotland.
25:26Unfortunately, that museum recently closed.
25:28The director of it was his sister, who took another job elsewhere.
25:32And they can't find anyone else to take the job of the David Coulthard Maria Museum Curator.
25:38Well, they're always not paying enough.
25:43Well, Scotsman probably not paying anything.
25:45I didn't want to go there, David, actually.
25:50Still well ahead of the pace.
25:51Yeah, she can have the job for a bottle of Huggers here.
25:54Have some Huggers here.
25:55Have some Huggers here.
25:58All the golf you can play.
26:05And Coulthard bumps Michael Schumacher from provisional pole.
26:08That'll be a source of a little satisfaction, I'm sure.
26:12For the Red Bull team and a source of intense irritation for the Ferrari team, no doubt.
26:17Yeah, they're not used to that at all.
26:18They are not.
26:19Coulthard's on a one-year deal.
26:21It'll be interesting to see if they re-sign him for next year.
26:24In view of the fact that he has so consistently outpaced his teammates, Luzzi and Clean.
26:31Here comes Jarno Trulli, who won this race from pole in a Renault a year ago.
26:35But he was only seventh quickest in the first round of single-car, single-lap qualifying.
26:42And he hasn't been as quick as his teammate Ralph Schumacher this weekend either, which is unusual.
26:48Most of the race they've been to this year, he's been quicker.
26:50There is a good time there from Jarno Trulli.
26:52He obviously loves his track.
26:54He hasn't been as quick as Ralph Schumacher, but he hasn't ridden the car off.
26:57No, just slamming it into the off-car.
26:59That is a very good point.
27:01Got up on that curve on the left, you don't see that much in Poitiers.
27:04And that is what the Toyota does not do well, is bounce the curves.
27:12It's an aerodynamic car, this, isn't it?
27:14And Monaco, despite the fact they crank as much wing on as possible,
27:18they haven't got sufficiently high speed to be able to generate that downforce
27:22that a track like Barcelona will put onto the car.
27:27That's where the Toyota works very well, at an aerodynamic track.
27:30It should work well at Monza, it should work well at Spa.
27:32But around here, it's all about mechanical grip.
27:35And again, what we're talking about in previous races, what a great shot that is.
27:38Look how complicated.
27:39Look at that suspension.
27:41Look at that way the camera drops out.
27:43When you want to inspect around the car.
27:47And Trulli, by 1.277 seconds, goes to P1.
27:51You had a brief glimpse of Ralph Schumacher there.
27:53Well, I've always said that Toyota works well around Monaco.
27:57Ought to go well around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, too,
27:59with those long blasts of full throttle.
28:01There you see those extra winglets on the front there, which they've added to.
28:05There are a couple of corners here where you want some help.
28:07I like to back.
28:08It'd be nice to have a bit of aerodynamic help through there.
28:10Yeah.
28:10And, of course, see that smooth pull section.
28:12Hope to see you in Indianapolis for the U.S. Formula One Grand Prix, June 19th.
28:18I saw the state of Indiana recently ran an online poll of race fans,
28:22see which of the three races at the Speedway they liked most.
28:25The hands-down winner was the Formula One race.
28:29Really.
28:30Over NASCAR and the IRL Indy cars.
28:32Now, this chassis, in complete contrast to the Toyota in my eyes,
28:37should work very well around here, because they've been struggling with their aerodynamics.
28:40But, of course, Williams are renowned for their great mechanical engineers.
28:45Patrick Head, old-school engineer, of course, and Frank Durney, another.
28:49And they should be able to get the suspension to work very well.
28:53They've got the rubber with Michelin, of course.
28:58Nick Heifeld struggling to be quick in his team-mate this year.
29:01He's done slightly better in some of the races.
29:04Hasn't qualified as well as Mark Webber, who's been doing a sterling job in qualifying,
29:09but slipping back as the race wore on.
29:11Nick Heifeld has been doing somewhat the opposite,
29:12not qualifying as well, but creeping up through the race.
29:17It's done all quicker in that first sector, so...
29:19Ah! Lost time there.
29:22Piano Trulli's Toyota.
29:31Yeah, looking over, Tom, right here.
29:33Absolutely looking over, Tom.
29:35Splattering away.
29:37Heifeld to the line, and into P2.
29:41We'll be back for Giancarlo Fisichella.
29:46Welcome back to final qualifying for the Grand Prix of Monaco.
29:50That gentleman is Patrick Foray, chairman and CEO of Renault,
29:54here to watch his team in action.
29:56And speaking of which, here is Giancarlo Fisichella.
29:59This would have been the spot Juan Pablo Montoya would have been on track in his McLaren,
30:03had Montoya not been stripped of his first round time for causing an accident.
30:08Right about this part of the racetrack, going up the hill.
30:10That was in practice yesterday, before the qualifying, and...
30:14So he's obviously not going to have a run today, because in no way he'd make up any ground,
30:18other than starting the bat.
30:19I was actually thinking about Patrick Foray, guys.
30:21You couldn't really imagine two different personalities at the top of Renault, could you?
30:25Patrick Foray, very calm and reserved and quiet.
30:27And then the flamboyant Flavio Briatore running the team one step below him on the ladder.
30:33You hardly ever see Patrick Foray.
30:36That's true.
30:38Well, Fisichella has finished on the podium here before in 1998 and 2000.
30:42Really for this team themselves when they were Benetton.
30:45Last year, of course, he had that disastrous episode when he was following Sato in the Honda,
30:51went blue up right there, and poor old Fisichella was completely unsighted in the smoke,
30:56ran to back of Coulthard and tipped him over.
30:59He wasn't hurt, but he certainly put him out of the race.
31:01That's a horrible accident.
31:02Big feather in Patrick Foray's cap is the fact that the Renault Formula One team
31:07actually made a profit last year, a $5 million profit,
31:11the first since the team took over the former Benetton squad back in 2002.
31:15And they're getting results, so Patrick Foray and Flavio Briatore looking good.
31:23Foray plays with that through the tunnel there, boy.
31:26That is a quick right-hander when you consider it is absolutely totally blind,
31:30and they're doing about 180 as they exit the tunnel.
31:33A 117.317 for Giancarlo Fisichella.
31:41Which is nearly three seconds slower than he was yesterday,
31:44so obviously carrying quite a bit of fuel, I'd say.
31:47Oh, and taking too much curve there.
31:48Yeah, much too much.
31:50Expect two pit stops in the Grand Prix yet to come.
31:53You'll see it live here on Speed Channel.
31:56Stay with us.
32:00Look at Raikkonen streaking away.
32:04Kimi Raikkonen is the race leader, and he continues to knock out fast lap after fast lap.
32:09What an incredible run.
32:11Down to the finish he comes.
32:12Kimi Raikkonen after the frustration of Imola two weeks ago.
32:16This week, he makes certain of his first victory of the year.
32:25Two races ago, Kimi Raikkonen was dominant in qualifying, but the car let him down in the race.
32:30Then in Spain, two weeks ago, as you just saw, he was dominant.
32:35He will be the last man on track as we work our way backwards through the first round qualifying times.
32:41Now on track, well, no longer a surprise in qualifying.
32:45Mark Webber of Australia in the Williams BMW.
32:48Webber has been very strong in qualifying.
32:50He just hasn't gotten the race results this year.
32:53Well, in qualifying, our top man this year is Jano Trulli, who we just saw a few moments ago in
32:58the Toyota
32:58with an average grid position of 3.4.
33:01Webber is an average of 3.6, and Fernando Alonso is 4.
33:05Kimi Raikkonen is a 5.4, but moving up through the charts, having got those poles in the last two
33:10races.
33:11A low fuel run in yesterday's provisional qualifying, qualifying one.
33:14He was about a second off of Raikkonen's pace, but nevertheless, very quick.
33:18He finished that third session third on the day just behind Alonso in the Renault.
33:24So again, this chassis is working well around here.
33:26Looked clean through that chicane here, took a bit of curve, but it didn't upset the chassis too much.
33:30Threw the to-back, that very fast left-hand sweep.
33:33Webber under some pressure. He has yet to finish a race higher than he started it.
33:39So you can imagine a lot of guys toward the front of this field are hoping Webber's not going to
33:43be in front of him
33:43if he doesn't have a good getaway again this week.
33:46Yeah.
33:47Wow, he's looking very smooth.
33:50Look over those curbs.
33:53How's it going to do?
33:54Well, yeah, that's all right.
33:56Pretty substantially to P1, .444 seconds.
34:00That's a pretty good effort because we know that Renault Fisichella's is good.
34:03I think Fisichella's probably carrying a lot of fuel, but nevertheless,
34:06Mark Webber's time there, very good, and continuing that incredible streak of qualifying this year.
34:12117.072.
34:13And as you said earlier on, David, working very well over the curbs.
34:16They see how they're very compliant there.
34:18And Webber, again, using the curbs a lot better than Fisichella did just before we went off the break.
34:23Yeah, Fisichella took too much curb.
34:25Mark Webber did not.
34:27Now here, of course, is the man of the moment.
34:28Fernando Alonso, 23 years old and driving like an absolute seasoned pro.
34:33And so calm and controlled and always seems upbeat.
34:36In the press interviews, post-qualifying, post-race interviews, he's always very positive and upbeat.
34:42Look at that.
34:43Nearly a second quicker in that first sector.
34:46To finish your thought, Steve, he's also always being interviewed.
34:49He has been incredibly consistent in both qualifying and the race.
34:53He's won three Grand Prix this year.
34:56Missed out at his home race two weeks ago.
34:58But even then, talk about his calm demeanor.
35:01There it was.
35:02His home Grand Prix, home crowd, sellout house, everybody pulling for him.
35:07Afterwards, he said, no, I was happy to finish second.
35:11On the podium in every race so far this year.
35:15Whatever it is that a good racing driver should have, he's got it.
35:19See those extra little eyebrow winglets on the front wing of the Renault.
35:26Wow, and still building time.
35:30This is over the third fastest guy in yesterday's first round of qualifying.
35:35Just leaving Webber in the dust.
35:38Oh, look at that.
35:405.2 seconds.
35:41And a lap down to the 1 minute 16 second zone.
35:45Deeply in it.
35:46116.281.
35:48So that's just over two seconds quicker and slower than he was yesterday.
35:53So that's not a lot slower.
35:55How much fuel is in that Renault?
35:58Quick, Steve.
36:00If I knew that.
36:02To the last milliliter.
36:06But again there, look at it.
36:07You know, it comes over the curve.
36:08Sure, you're bound to come down with a bump on the other side or a bump as far as Renault
36:12say.
36:13But it works very well and grips immediately the tires.
36:17Does he really slip on them at all?
36:19Kimi Räikkönen was nearly half a second quicker than he was yesterday.
36:22But is Kimi Räikkönen going to be able to do that today?
36:24It depends on the fuel loading.
36:27Well, this car has really come to life, hasn't it?
36:31The McLaren MP420 carbon fibre transmission on the back.
36:35That's the transmission they could not get to use on the car that ever raced.
36:40Great horsepower, great aerodynamics.
36:43Do you, I mean, what do you do as his team?
36:46Do you tell him what Alonso just did?
36:48That the Spaniard put up this incredible lap?
36:51I think in Kimi's case you would do.
36:53Yes.
36:54Yeah.
36:55He'd be inspired by that.
36:56Oh, by the way, Kim, so he's just gone quicker than you.
36:59That's right.
37:02Good straight line speed.
37:04And again, goes over that curve.
37:05The car very compliant.
37:08How close it gets.
37:10Uses a lot of road there, which is great.
37:13Look at that.
37:13And perfect curb use there.
37:15Just on the curb, but not on the back of it.
37:17Which is what upsets the car.
37:18182 miles an hour through that tunnel.
37:21And quicker than Alonso.
37:23Yeah.
37:23Oh my goodness me, Alonso obviously got this locked up.
37:26This is for Pol, and Pol is never more important.
37:29And it is here in Monaco.
37:32And there it is.
37:34Boy, he backed up early.
37:36It looked like he almost backed up before he got to the line.
37:39Now very, very keen to conserve fuel.
37:41You're right, David.
37:42The split second is over the line.
37:44Back straight off the throttle.
37:46Remember it.
37:47Wow.
37:47I wonder if he meant to cut it that fine.
37:51.083 seconds.
37:52Yeah, I wonder.
37:53Cumulative over two hot laps.
37:55I guess the old adage is it doesn't matter.
37:58I don't know.
37:58A miss is as good as a mile.
38:00Well, how much of it was backing off?
38:03And how much of it is the McLaren perhaps carrying a little more fuel than the Renault?
38:08Now see how it works over that bump in the track there.
38:10Very good.
38:11Very smooth.
38:11You see some of the cars.
38:12I mean, they really come up at the back end when they go over that.
38:15But this car is great.
38:17And this chicane here, look how good it looks over there.
38:20But that eye-blank decision the driver has to make about where to turn in.
38:24You saw him take a couple of shots at it to get within an inch or so of that barrier
38:28on the left.
38:29Absolutely.
38:29He put his wheel on the curb, which is only about a foot wide.
38:33Right.
38:33And missed the guardrail by it.
38:34Look at that.
38:35See?
38:35Just uses the front of the curb.
38:37Doesn't go over the back of the curb.
38:38Oh!
38:39Sacre bleu!
38:40Or whatever he says.
38:42Then he gives a grip.
38:44He knows the camera's on him.
38:46Old Hollywood.
38:49Wow.
38:50Well, this will set up an interesting start.
38:52Raikkonen and Alonso, the world championship leader and the hottest driver in the series
38:58right now starting next to each other on the front row.
39:01And then Mark Webber, who as I mentioned, has not been able to get away cleanly this year
39:06in any of the previous five races.
39:08And he'll have Giancarlo Fisichella trying to make certain he gets past the Williams
39:13before they get down to turn one at Sandoval.
39:15You see that Raikkonen is considerably slower than Alonso in that qualifying two session,
39:19which indicates that he's carrying more fuel than Alonso to me.
39:23There's very little between them in Q1 when they were down on low fuel runs,
39:26but a big difference in Q2.
39:28In that two lap run there, Michael Schumacher over four seconds slower than Kimi Raikkonen.
39:33Wow.
39:34That's a lot.
39:35That's the other thing about Monaco.
39:36Not only can you not pass, but you also can't get away from anybody.
39:40It's only two miles around.
39:41And if he gets stuck behind somebody like David Coulthard or Nick Heidfeld,
39:45he's never going to get around.
39:47That's the new pit complex on the left, introduced last year,
39:50and a huge addition to this interesting and unique circuit.
39:57Speed Channel's coverage of the FIA Formula One World Championship
40:01is brought to you by New Mobile One Extended Performance, the oil that's changing oil.
40:08Welcome back.
40:09The all important final round of qualifying for this afternoon's Formula One Grand Prix of Monaco is now complete.
40:15The top three drivers are now up in the interview room with our own Peter Windsor.
40:20Congratulations to the fastest three qualifiers for the Monaco Grand Prix.
40:25Third quickest for BMW Williams, Mark Webber.
40:28Second fastest for mile seven Renault, Fernando Alonso.
40:31On the pole for the second consecutive race for West McLaren Mercedes, Kimi Raikkonen.
40:36Kimi, the margin yesterday after light fuel qualifying half a second came down to one tenth today, but you're still
40:42on the pole.
40:44Yeah, it's enough.
40:46I took it quite easily, the first part especially, and then I slide it a bit wide on the last
40:51corner,
40:52but I think so we're in a very strong position right now, and I'm not too worried.
40:58Were you aware of Fernando's time when you went out, of how quick he had been?
41:02No, no I didn't know at all. I just heard after when I went over the line in the first
41:07corner,
41:07they told that I got the pole position, so actually I saw before they even told me on a big
41:13screen.
41:14So that's only what matters, and the time today doesn't really matter.
41:19Your thoughts going into this race, the jewel in the crown of the Formula One calendar, the Monaco Grand Prix?
41:24I think so, definitely in the best position where we could be, and like I said, we don't know how
41:30much fuel the other cars has,
41:31and I think so, we have a very good race car, the car felt it very good this morning.
41:36I was not maybe as much on the limit as yesterday, so I'm very happy and I'm looking forward for
41:42the race.
41:44Congratulations. Fernando, a great lap, quickest lap of the day, almost made it.
41:48Yes, I didn't know that it was so close at the end, you know, when I did the lap. I
41:54knew that it was a good lap.
41:55The car felt very, very good today with the fuel, and you know, felt like all weekend.
42:01I think yesterday's times were a little bit surprising, and also the accident was not helping, I think, my confidence
42:10and my car,
42:11but now with more normal conditions, again, we are in a very strong position.
42:15It was not enough for the pole, but it's enough for the front row, and from there I think we
42:21have to think in the race,
42:22in the strategy, in the start, and we'll see what we can do.
42:25Do you expect a lot of differences in strategy?
42:29I don't know. We are quite happy with ours, and we don't know what the others are doing, but I'm
42:35really confident,
42:36and, you know, I think in the race pace and for the race point of view, I think we are
42:43looking much better than for one time lap,
42:46and this is what gives us very good confidence for this afternoon.
42:51Congratulations to you too.
42:53Mark, I guess Giancarlo Fisichella and the other Renault was a threat in your mind, but you actually increased the
42:59advantage.
43:00Yeah, a little bit of a surprise. I thought Giancarlo, his lap wasn't superb yesterday.
43:05I think he made a mistake in the last sector, so we were expecting him to be a bit stronger
43:09today,
43:10considering he was only, well, two-tenths is a reasonable margin, but we thought he might be a little bit
43:15more of a threat today,
43:16but it's fantastic. We kept third place for the whole team, and we can get away well from there.
43:21We're pretty happy with our strategy. Obviously, it's a long afternoon here.
43:26Probably the hardest race of the year on rear tires, so, you know, we'll try and make sure that's all
43:32okay,
43:33but generally we're very happy with the car, with fuel as well, and we'll try and stay up there.
43:37Well, relative to the other races this year, how do you feel going into Monaco, relative to your own performances,
43:43the cars' performance?
43:44I think this is probably our best weekend so far, definitely on the race. You know, qualifying hasn't been a
43:48huge issue for us.
43:49We've been qualifying reasonably well, obviously not the ultimate pace, but we've been going okay.
43:53But the race pace here is probably still not at the level of these guys, but better than what we've
43:59seen in the past from us, so we're quite confident, actually.
44:03Thank you very much.
44:04Well, one slight correction, Peter. This is actually the third straight pole for Kimi Räikkönen.
44:08It's been a few years since McLaren has seen that. Here are the final results, the grid for the Monaco
44:13Grand Prix, boys.
44:14And there you see, in eighth and ninth, Michael Schumacher and Rubens Balochella.
44:17It's the first time both their eyes are finishing the top ten in qualifying this year.
44:21Of course, Montoya and Ralph Schumacher on the line.
44:25It would be pretty darn exciting down there in Sandovo.
44:28That wraps up qualifying. The grid is now set, and we are ready to race.
44:32So don't move a muscle because the Acura pre-race show for the Grand Prix of Monaco is coming up
44:37next.
44:38Of course, that will lead us straight to the start of the Grand Prix.
44:42For Peter Windsor, David Hobbs, and Steve Matchett, I'm Bob Varsha.
44:45Stand by for live Speed Channel coverage of the Formula One Grand Prix of Monaco.
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