2006 Monaco Grand Prix
 2006 Monaco Grand Prix
| |
|---|---|
| Date | May 28, 2006 |
| Round | 7 |
| Track | Monte Carlo |
| Laps | 78 |
| Weather | Hot & Sunny |
| | |
| Driver | Fernando Alonso |
| Time | 1:13.962 |
| | |
| Driver | Michael Schumacher |
| Time | 1:15.143 |
Round Seven saw the F1 teams head for Monte Carlo for the Monaco Grand Prix, one of the greatest occasions in Motor Sport. Michael Schumacher was desperate to win the race to reduce his championship arrears. It would be one of the most exciting Monaco Grand Prix for years.
In qualifying, Schumacher looked set for pole, when he was deemed to have intentionally crashed his car at the last hairpin, in order to block the storming Fernando Alonso, who looked set to snatch pole away from him.
It took seven hours for the race engineers to make their decision - Schumacher was to be sent to the back of the grid, and Alonso, who was second at the time, was promoted to pole in Schumacher's absence. He was alongside his fellow Ferrari team mate in Massa, who crashed in Qualifying 1.
In the race proper, Schumacher decided to start from the pit lane and immediately stormed through the field into 16th, where he was held up behind the Honda of Jenson Button.
At the front, Alonso, Raikkonen, Webber and Montoya pulled clear of fifth-placed Barrichello, who was slow due to being on a one-stop strategy, with the drivers in front being on a two-stop strategy. This held up the likes of Coulthard and Fisichella, who were unable to get past on the Monaco streets.
Indeed when the front four pitted, they came out ahead of Barrichello, such was their advantage. At the back, Schumacher, also on a one-stop strategy, was beginning to move up, he was up to 12th after the people in front of him pitted.
Alonso retained a slim advantage, as he came out from the pits. However, Raikkonen put more fuel in the car, to give him the advantage at the next scheduled pit stop. Alonso was struggling on his new tyres though, and the front four bunched up.
They then had to go through a long queue of cars (the one formed behind Barrichello). Fisichella took advantage of this cleverly. The cars were looking out for a Renault (who they thought would be Alonso), so Fisichella took a gamble, thinking that they would let the Renault through. Whilst Coulthard had no choice, Fisichella moved into the points as he stormed past some sleeping drivers.
Alonso negotiated the traffic with Raikkonen - who was to be held up by Fisichella - but the real loser was Webber, who was unable to get past the back markers as easily.
But disaster struck for Webber, who's Cosworth engine blew with 30 laps to go. He was forced to stop on the pit exit, and as a result, a safety-car was called.
Alonso and Raikkonen immediately pitted, simultaneously. This took away Raikkonen's pit advantage that he gained earlier. As the whole field stopped for fuel, Fisichella was cought out, having to wait behind Alonso for his pit stop.
It worked brilliantly for Schumacher, who took this opportunity to pit.
Raikkonen's engine then blew under the safety car conditions, leaving Alonso out infront.
When the safety car came in, Alonso had the safety of six cars between himself and new second place man, Montoya, who did not receive any blue flags to let him through because the marshalls were waving green flags to let them know they could race again.
The real winners from the safety car were Klien, who moved up to fifth, Coulthard, who was sixth, Barrichello, who was third, and Trulli, who had come from nowhere to fourth.
Klien unfortunately had an engine failure. Barrichello then had a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane. Trulli also lost drive coming up the hill after Saint Devote corner, and suddenly Coulthard was on course for a surprise podium.
At the front, Alonso was coasting to victory, a quarter of a minute ahead of Montoya. Meanwhile Schumacher, was up to fifth with the number of retirements, and closing in on Barrichello in fourth in the final few laps.
Alonso coasted to victory, with Montoya in second. Coulthard secured his first podium since 2004, and his first for Red Bull Racing.
The result left Schumacher twenty-one points behind Alonso with 11 races remaining. Schumacher is comfortable in second place.
[edit] Results
| Rank | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Fernando Alonso | Renault | 78 | 1:43:43.116 | 1 | 10 |
| 2 |  Juan Pablo Montoya | McLaren | 78 | +14.5 sec | 4 | 8 |
| 3 |  David Coulthard | Red Bull | 78 | + 52.2 sec | 7 | 6 |
| 4 |  Rubens Barrichello | Honda | 78 | + 53.3 sec | 5 | 5 |
| 5 |  Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 78 | +53.8 sec | 22 | 4 |
| 6 |  Giancarlo Fisichella | Renault | 78 | + 62.0 sec | 9 | 3 |
| 7 | Nick Heidfeld | BMW Sauber | 77 | +1 lap | 15 | 2 |
| 8 | Ralf Schumacher | Toyota | 77 | +1 lap | 10 | 1 |
| 9 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 77 | +1 lap | 21 | |
| 10 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | Toro Rosso | 77 | +1 lap | 12 | |
| 11 | Jenson Button | Honda | 77 | +1 lap | 13 | |
| 12 |  Christijan Albers | Midland | 77 | +1 lap | 16 | |
| 13 |  Scott Speed | Toro Rosso | 77 | +1 lap | 18 | |
| 14 |  Jacques Villeneuve | BMW Sauber | 77 | +1 lap | 14 | |
| 15 |  Tiago Monteiro | Midland | 76 | +2 laps | 17 | |
| 16 |  Franck Montagny | Super Aguri | 75 | +3 laps | 20 | |
| 17 | Jarno Trulli | Toyota | 72 | Hydraulics | 6 | |
| Ret |  Christian Klien | Red Bull | 56 | Transmission | 11 | |
| Ret | Nico Rosberg | Williams | 51 | Accident | 8 | |
| Ret |  Kimi Raikkonen | McLaren | 50 | Heat shield fire | 3 | |
| Ret |  Mark Webber | Williams | 48 | Exhaust | 2 | |
| Ret |  Takuma Sato | Super Aguri | 46 | Electrical | 19 |
