Monaco GP free practice & qualifying thread

**wisepie** · 27th May 2017, 17:05

Brilliant quali from our drivers and team and on the circuit where it's most needed. Hope for a trouble-free race but Monaco can be very cruel and we shouldn't be too ecstatic about HAM's woes, it can affect any driver and team, we're in the best place to make the most of it, though! Forza Ferrari sempre!

**hrc5555** · 27th May 2017, 17:37

Originally Posted by 19000rpmF-2004

It won't be a team orders. Frrrari has change. Like Grieg is saying. WCCits more important and if they finish as is nothing change. If sab can keep what he is doing he will win the race. If not the point for the team is the most important now.

Of course there wont be team orders, Ferrari will just accidentally make a mistake and hold on Raikkonen in the pits 2-3 sec. longer than it should and problem solved.

MJ · 27th May 2017, 17:48

hoping for a trouble-free run down to turn one.. with both cars still leading the pack.

if i am in charge, i'll see the pace of both cars after a few laps.. if kimi is holding up seb, then i'll decide to switch cars, if not then let kimi have the win..

though this is gonna be a tough one as seb can get the maximum points relative to lewis for the driver's championship..

MJ · 27th May 2017, 18:04

on another note.. given the number of component changes due to its (questionable?) reliability and the possible penalties that may be incurred late in the season.. i think it's best to give the maximum points for seb.. hmmm..

**Module** · 27th May 2017, 18:24

Originally Posted by MJ

on another note.. given the number of component changes due to its (questionable?) reliability and the possible penalties that may be incurred late in the season.. i think it's best to give the maximum points for seb.. hmmm..

Or just maybe trust in your team and drivers that they will win without fixing results?

**Jax** · 27th May 2017, 19:00

Kimi's and Seb's thoughts after qualy . https://youtu.be/B4C-mrgtTZM

**DJTaurus** · 27th May 2017, 19:01

So mercedes were sandbagging....? Botas time is almost equal to ours despite what they show in practice sessions.

**Jax** · 27th May 2017, 19:09

Originally Posted by DJTaurus

So mercedes were sandbagging....? Botas time is almost equal to ours despite what they show in practice sessions.

scary, so if hamilton was at ease with his car he may have taken pole, considering he is always like a tenth ahead of bottas.

**Seb** · 27th May 2017, 19:10

Let the drivers race, I don't want to see team orders tomorrow, everyone talking about Sebs WDC, who knows this could kick start a challenge from Kimi to win the WDC?

Out of the 2 I prefer Seb but I'd rather have a fair race and if Kimi can be in intention to win WDC let him

**Greig** · 27th May 2017, 19:22

Originally Posted by Module

Or just maybe trust in your team and drivers that they will win without fixing results?

Or realise our team has always played a team game?

**jpalmito** · 27th May 2017, 19:28

Originally Posted by DJTaurus

So mercedes were sandbagging....? Botas time is almost equal to ours despite what they show in practice sessions.

Bottas overperformed with the car.
Really Doubt he Will have the same Ferrari race Pace.

**Lega Verde** · 27th May 2017, 19:48

Originally Posted by Jax

scary, so if hamilton was at ease with his car he may have taken pole, considering he is always like a tenth ahead of bottas.

Not true. HAM-BOT is now 3-3 on quali and HAM was really struggling in Monaco. Bottas was awesome today.

**IulianFerrari** · 27th May 2017, 19:58

Too early to say in the WDC, if Seb and Hamilton get 2 DNF, like Kimi and Bottas got last race they will bunch up together. Of course Seb looks good now and he will more than likely be our horse, but its too early. Tomorrow if Seb is faster and Kimi is holding up the bunch we should let him bye, but if Kimi pulls away we will look so ridiculous to make a switch like that

**Jax** · 27th May 2017, 20:16

Here's the notebook where ted goes bla bla bla and talks about how he hero failed if anyone wants to watch https://youtu.be/XaPAgRBEoFg

**jgonzalesm6** · 27th May 2017, 20:35

Originally Posted by jpalmito

Bottas overperformed with the car.
Really Doubt he Will have the same Ferrari race Pace.

Bottas overperformed Hamilton....fixed it for ya

. I hope this keeps happening between VB and LH as we start to see a shift(possibly) in the Mercedes Benz camp.

**Winter** · 27th May 2017, 21:54

Originally Posted by Greig

A win in Monaco for Kimi is not going to feel the same as a WDC for Vettel so I tend to look at the bigger picture and the overall aim to win the titles. I doubt Kimi needs to win here to be motivated.

A bigger picture? Ok. What is the main purpose why Ferrari is in the whole F1 business?

**Greig** · 27th May 2017, 21:57

Originally Posted by Winter

A bigger picture? Ok. What is the main purpose why Ferrari is in the whole F1 business?

To win titles obviously. I could give you some examples of team orders if you want in case you missed them?

**Winter** · 27th May 2017, 22:34

Originally Posted by Greig

To win titles obviously. I could give you some examples of team orders if you want in case you missed them?

Titles them selves are worth nothing. F1 is Ferraris main promotion channel.

Seb getting booed at the podium due false/team order win at most famous F1 race is promo job gone bad.

**Tifoso** · 27th May 2017, 22:41

Yesssssssssssss!
Hats off to Kimi-an absolutely perfect lap.

Vettel nearly as perfect
FORZA FERRARI!

Let's 1-2 boys

**Greig** · 27th May 2017, 22:49

Originally Posted by Winter

Titles them selves are worth nothing. F1 is Ferraris main promotion channel.

Seb getting booed at the podium due false/team order win at most famous F1 race is promo job gone bad.

LOL titles mean nothing, time for bed. Seb will probably beat Kimi come race day as he does normally anyway so no need to worry too much.

**The Architect** · 27th May 2017, 23:07

Would love to see Kimi win tomorrow and go on to win the world title, but I would settle for a 1-2 and no strategic balls up like Spain.

**Winter** · 27th May 2017, 23:11

Originally Posted by Greig

LOL titles mean nothing, time for bed. Seb will probably beat Kimi come race day as he does normally anyway so no need to worry too much.

By knocking Kimi off the track/race you mean?

**Giallo 550** · 28th May 2017, 00:58

Originally Posted by vecchiasignora

Sebastian Vettel is not Fernando Alonso, he is not a team killer. And he wont ask the team to prioritize him over Kimi tomorrow.

For the love of god, you go on about Alonso like he got with your mom or something.

**Giallo 550** · 28th May 2017, 01:06

Originally Posted by Winter

Titles are everything in F1.

I fixed that for you.

I doubt Ferrari lost any fans when they told Massa to let Alonso through. Ferrari fans care about one thing: Ferrari winning. It doesn't matter who drives because it's all about the team to the tifosi.

I don't completely agree with this sentiment because it's the drivers who are behind the wheel, and when they are overshadowed by the team, it removes some of the human element from the sport. The proof lies in the fact that if we had two Kimis, we probably wouldn't be in contention for either title, as it stands now. Vettel statistically has the better chance of winning WDC and I want BOTH titles at the end of the season, so I'm hoping he jumps Kimi at the start and they both finish 1-2. We need it bad.

**enjaybel3** · 28th May 2017, 02:09

Originally Posted by DJTaurus

So mercedes were sandbagging....? Botas time is almost equal to ours despite what they show in practice sessions.

Just a thought - I wasn't that surprised by Bottas's time in Q3. For me it was consistent with what we have seen from Merc in Q3 for quite some time. They seem to have a mode they can turn on for a lap and have consistently been able to improve 3 or 4 tenths in Q3. In fact, this makes me feel really good as it seems that our conventional mode was, at least in Monaco, faster than Merc with their one-lap-super-mode switched on.
As long as we can get both cars away cleanly tomorrow, and 1-2 through T1 I'm expecting our cars to run away from the rest of the field.
I don't think there's any need for team orders talk. Let the race unfold, lets see what happens. Whoever is in P2, if they stay close, can try to pass with an undercut. I hope the "team" is focused on winning first, a 1-2 next.

**19000rpmF-2004** · 28th May 2017, 03:15

Originally Posted by hrc5555

Of course there wont be team orders, Ferrari will just accidentally make a mistake and hold on Raikkonen in the pits 2-3 sec. longer than it should and problem solved.

If you say so it will exactly like that, but I doubt it and also I hope they don't do it. Will see tomorrow.

**nani_s23** · 28th May 2017, 03:53

Originally Posted by DJTaurus

So mercedes were sandbagging....? Botas time is almost equal to ours despite what they show in practice sessions.

Pls don't use the word sandbagging anymore.
Mercs weren't hiding pace anymore. It's just their tyre problems couldn't have the pace. They were struggling to warm up their tyres in right window.

Where Ham couldn't able to manage that tyre range window, he was out of q3.
Where as bottas, was consistently doing 1.16's preparation laps in q3 on single set of US. This was to generate tyre temp into their working range, this was mercs solution. Do multiple laps n one final quali lap.

Remember bottas didn't come into pits for change of 2nd set of US tyres in q3.

This mercs car has the pace, but they r struggling with US tyres, same was the case last year Singapore gp.

**trim reaper** · 28th May 2017, 05:05

The only reason Bot was anywhere near us was he needed three laps to get the tyres up to temp,if we get a clean start
Then there's no reason we can't run away from the rest,the only worry I have is a safety car
Early in the race but we look like we have a solid car.

As for team orders,if kimi buggers off then let him win,if he holds vet up then swap,simple.

**Kristof_F40** · 28th May 2017, 07:28

My personal thoughts on the race:
It's impossible to predict thing since anything can happen around Monaco.
If we assume a clean start for everyone and positions aren't changed then I think Seb will probably start saying to the team he can go faster. The thing is a swap on the track isn't possible. So this situation will stay like that the first stint, which would leave Seb frustrated and which isn't good for the race. My guess is that BOT and both RBRs will have good race pace so will be able to stay with us.

HAM had a disaster of a qualy and Merc know it's bad for the WDC. I think they might pit him early and give him clean air to push so if there is an early SC he gets the benefit and when the first stops arrive he'll be perhaps top 6, which would be a good result I think considering it's Monaco and he didn't make Q3.
BOT is in a difficult position because:
1) RBRs will try and fight him if they have the race pace.
2) Mercs will want to win
3) Merc will perhaps focus on BOT taking points from Seb

Since RBR have both their drivers together, if they have race pace they can try something, pit one driver much earlier and try undercut on BOT. The question is will MErc react ot RBR or will they focus on Seb.
Seb is in a reall bad position unless we can pull off a big gap to BOT which I don't think will be possible. Because Ferrari can't risk not winning, so they need to give the front driver the best strategy when a SC comes out for instance.This will mean that Seb needs to wait behind Kimi and loose time and BOT gets the jump on Seb, which is bad for WDC; For RBR it's the same but I think they can pull a bigger gap from Sainz etc.

It will be a very though race for us strategy wise. Because Kimi P1 and Seb P2 would be great for both championships, but I think Seb's P2 will be vulnerable. The thing is that we simply can' let them swap on the track and peraps with pit stops we can do something, the question is should we. I hope we can pull off a gap from BOT, no bad SC's happen and we can have a normal boring Monaco GP.

**Kristof_F40** · 28th May 2017, 07:30

Originally Posted by 19000rpmF-2004

If you say so it will exactly like that, but I doubt it and also I hope they don't do it. Will see tomorrow.

I think that everything will be discussed with the drivers upfront.
They did this with Massa aswell.
I just don't think Ferrari can do it.
Only thing is see happening is if pit stops happen without a SC, that Seb gets the first stop to cover and undercut from BOT abd Kimi pits next lap and therefore Seb has undercutted him. This way the team keep P1-2. If in that situation we would pit Kimi first since he is leading perhaps we loose P2 to BOT.

I just hope Kimi isn't sleeping at the start and he doesn't crash.