Monaco Grand Prix - Free Practice Two

What are your favourite Monaco Grand Prix memories?

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 11:56:12 AM

3rd & 7 37yd

Hello and welcome (or welcome back) to our live coverage of practice for the Monaco Grand Prix, coming to you on a Thursday for the first and only time this season.

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 11:43:38 AM
Hamilton topped FP1 but the real star was a certain Mr (or is it Master?) Verstappen, finishing second on his first morning driving around the Monte Carlo circuit.

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 11:44:09 AM
Lewis Hamilton tops impressive Max Verstappen in FP1
ESPN UKLewis Hamilton predictably goes top of first practice session but Toro Rosso rookie Max Verstappen is star of the show by finishing one tenth behind.

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 11:44:35 AM
Just to whet your appetite a bit, there's our morning report for you.

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 11:46:09 AM
So what can we expect in FP2? Well, some supersoft running for a start. This is the session where track conditions will theoretically mimic qualifying the best, so the teams conduct their low-fuel flying laps on the softer tyre.

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 11:52:19 AM
by Renault Sport F1 via twitter 5/21/2015 11:54:35 AM
The air temperature has stayed around the 14 degrees mark this afternoon, though track temperature has increased to 22. The session this morning started on intermediate tyres due to damp from overnight rain - no chance of that happening again this afternoon.

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 11:57:37 AM
I remember Trulli winning here in the Renault I think. Was that the same race where Montoya plowed into the back of MSC during the safety car period? Think it was 2004?

by M_mIsH5 5/21/2015 11:58:33 AM
@M_mIsH5: That's right. That moment changed the whole complexion of the race and ended with Button behind Trulli for the whole race unable to get by.

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 11:59:01 AM
Expect to see the order mixed up this afternoon from the morning timing screen. The balance shifts slightly on the supersoft tyre compared to the soft tyre.

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 11:59:55 AM
One legendary Monaco was Olivier panis winning in '96 !

by timot 5/21/2015 12:00:39 PM
Of course, '96 was something else also. Panis winning in the Ligier, only 3 cars were running in the end I think. MSC took a gamble on slicks on a damp circuit and slid off. Hill's suspension broke I think after commanding the race with up to that point.

by M_mIsH5 5/21/2015 12:00:54 PM
Rosberg, who finished down in ninth in FP1, heads straight out there. He has another lock up at that Mirabeau corner he made so infamous last year but keeps it away from the run off area.

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 12:02:57 PM
There's a threat of rain later in this session with clouds gathering and that explains the early flurry of cars joining the track.

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 12:03:33 PM
Vettel goes into P1 with a 1:19.733 as team-mate Raikkonen bails it out in the Turn 1 run off area.

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 12:04:47 PM
Raikkonen in P23, seven tenths down on Vettel.

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 12:04:57 PM
So I was wondering, are this year's cars really better than last year? The Ferrari and mercs supposedly found big amounts of extra horse power, the cars are supposedly much better aerodynamicely and yet... the pole lap in Bahrain and Barcelona was barely better than last year. And some teams did even worse than last year! Lotus did better lap times in qualy than this year (with bad engine and aerodynamics). How is this possible? I also looked at the onboard laps of the 2014 and 2015 pole positions and in some corners they were faster in 2014.

by Michael Bialocur 5/21/2015 12:05:00 PM
@MichaelBialocur: That's a good question. Naturally, they are better as the development curve is still going up - this new formula is only a year and five races old, after all. Sometimes conditions of sessions need to be taken into account but that's one I'll have a look at and think about this afternoon and tomorrow during the day off!

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 12:05:52 PM
Maldonado is off at Mirabeau now, looks like he went well too deep into that corner.

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 12:06:10 PM
In '98, I think the Arrows of Salo and Diniz finished 4th and 5th respectively. Brilliant back then since points were only up to 6th place and they were seen as 'minnows'. Nate, what happened to the 'no chance of rain this afternoon?'

by M_mIsH5 5/21/2015 12:06:17 PM
@M_mIsH5: My credentials as a weatherman are falling apart!

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 12:06:30 PM
And the race time was a bit longer this year than last year in Barcelona. No safety cars involved. It doesn't make sense for me

by Michael Bialocur 5/21/2015 12:06:35 PM
While I appreciate that Verstappen did a great job this morning, let's not get carried away by one FP. He has shown great potential but lets bear in mind that we're only on race 6 yet of his F1 career. He has a lot to do before we start applying the term master

by RobS 5/21/2015 12:06:37 PM
Speaking of Verstappen, he's moved into P3 early on - half a second off Vettel's early benchmark.

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 12:06:55 PM
That's some pretty good braking there Pastor... ????

#FP2 #MonacoGP

by Renault Sport F1 via twitter 5/21/2015 12:07:19 PM
'96 starting grid was MSC, Hill, Alesi, Berger, Couldhard, BAR, Irvine, Hakkinen, FRENZ, VILL. What a hall of fame list !

by timot 5/21/2015 12:07:57 PM
"Jesus, every lap there's traffic!" Hulkenberg complains.
"Yep. Rosberg keeps slowing down ahead, and we're not building tyre temperatures like this."

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 12:08:29 PM
Sainz shows anything Verstappen can do, he can do, too. He leaps into P1 with a 1:18.772, The track getting quicker and quicker again.

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 12:08:56 PM
Vettel the latest to run very deep into the Mirabeau escape road.

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 12:09:06 PM
My favourite Monaco memory was the great Ayrton Senna holding off Nigel Mansel in a much faster Williams to take the win, think it was in 1992

by AdiosAyrton 5/21/2015 12:09:09 PM
In '99, didn't MSC build a huge lead over Frentzens Jordan? Only to breakdown. Man, that was gut wrenching. I think Frentzen also spun off into the barriers from 2nd with a couple of laps to go.

by M_mIsH5 5/21/2015 12:09:17 PM
@M_mIsH5: Schumacher won in 1999.

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 12:09:36 PM
Button complaining about wheel spin through the final corner. Similar complaints to his gripes in Spain...

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 12:10:17 PM
As you were then as Rosberg goes P1....

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 12:10:25 PM
...Before Hamilton takes P1 from his team-mate by three tenths of a second.

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 12:10:44 PM
So which corners does Laurence like to scope out? Swimming Pool I'm sure, but can he get into the Loews Hairpin?

by mfbull 5/21/2015 12:10:46 PM
@mfbull: He's out there now. Anyone with a TV feed should look out for him - majestic beard and a lot more hair than me.

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 12:11:03 PM
Must be confused with another year then!

by M_mIsH5 5/21/2015 12:11:07 PM
Looks like Ferrari PU issues for Ericsson. His car is in the Sauber garage and doesn't look like it's going anywhere fast.

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 12:11:38 PM
Nate, in your opinion, how long will it take Schuey's son Mick to show up on the grid?

by Phoenix 5/21/2015 12:11:41 PM
@Phoenix: Impossible to predict. His name will probably be a hindrance to him - much like Bruno Senna, people will expect huge things from him. Winning in German Formula 3 is good but there are much bigger series he needs to step into. He doesn't seem to be a can't-miss talent like Verstappen, who basically was so good Red Bull couldn't pass up on him.

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 12:12:34 PM
Walking the circuit the first time in 2007

by I am a Red Bull 5/21/2015 12:12:36 PM
Funny fact: Monaco is the only current racetrack where F1 cars don't reach 300kph. I wonder if that will change in 2017 with the new rules!

by Michael Bialocur 5/21/2015 12:12:40 PM
@MichaelBialocur: Yep, and yet it's probably the drivers' favourite circuit! Proof F1 isn't just about pure speed.

by Nate Saunders 5/21/2015 12:13:05 PM

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