Monaco Grand Prix Preview

Love it or hate it, the Monaco GP which winds around the Principalities narrow, bumpy streets certainly grabs the world's attention. Those that love it (the fans) see the race as the epitome of motor racing, combining fast cars with the glamour and sophistication of the world's richest people. Those that hate it (the teams) see it as a cramped, overly busy, freak of a track. Alain Prost famously likened it to trying to race push bikes in your living room. The truth is Monaco is so unlike any other circuit that the cars simply were never designed for its like. Heavy crowns, potholes, manhole covers and other such delights blight the track surface tearing the car apart whilst simultaneously shaking the hell out of the drivers who struggle with the physical style required. Naturally the unusual nature of the track means unusual results are common, in particular if it rains. The Jordans and Minardis of this world know nothing short of a miracle will see them scoring points at a traditional circuit, but Monaco, with its high attrition rate and cruelty to driver errors offers a rare glimpse of hope to these stragglers. Indeed these teams will often target Monaco as their one and only hope for the year. Drivers tend to relish the Monaco challenge but that eagerness rapidly descends into intense frustration as they find themselves struggling to get into the groove or get caught in a seemingly impassable queue of slow moving traffic. The difficulty in overtaking means qualifying is all important here, if you are off the front two rows then you race is, in all probability, over before the red lights dim. Overtaking issues also mean a one stop race to maximise the all important track position. No other event has such a focus on qualifying, meaning teams are happy to forgo any sort of race pace to climb a couple of slots on the grid. Expect light fuel loads and super soft tyre compounds to be in evidence. Car set up is essentially all about maximising grip where the speeds are generally too low for aerodynamics to be enormously important, meaning mechanical grip is vitally important. The generally lack of grip means outright engine power is less important here although driveability is a key issue. The Spanish GP finally realised some of the potential of the 2005 Mclaren with Kimi streaking to a dominant victory and Montoya, still struggling with a shoulder injury, endured a difficult race banging in some fast laps when needed. The team as a whole looked every part the title contender they were predicted to be in 2005. Mclaren have a driver line up which boasts outrageous talent, both drivers more than capable of winning on a given day. As it stands I'd go for Kimi over Juan due to his injury free status and ice cold composure.Renault must be a bit shaken over Mclaren's pace in Spain, but Alonso still holds a healthy lead in the championship and the team can not expect to be the pace setters at every circuit. They do however need to be front runners at all times and this is certainly what they are. Fisichella is still having a nightmarish run at the moment, although the pace and determination are still evident for anyone who is looking. The Renault appears to have a very good balance, plenty of mechanical grip and the engine seems to be the most driveable out there. Package wise it will be tough to beat round Monaco. Ferrari will be praying Bridgestone pull something special out of the bag for this race, the team are once again floundering with freak tyre failures being the latest catastrophe. Bridgestone appear to be miles off the mark in selecting a suitable rubber compound and tyre construction, for sure this is destroying what slim chance Schumacher had of making a title charge from this position. Williams seem to have lost a bit of the spark that made the team great a few years ago; possibly ongoing struggles with BMW are taking its toll on the teams decision makers. They have clearly been surpassed by Renault and Toyota this season and are gently slipping backwards into the clutches of the midfield. Major changes are needed urgently if the slide is to be arrested before long term damage is sustained.BAR will be serving the last race of their suspension and therefore will not attend. Whilst this will have damaged the teams title hopes massively, the damage to the BAR/Honda relationship is of far greater concern in the longer term, the Japanese giant will be very disappointed to be associated with the alleged rule infringement (assuming it wasn't their idea of course!).Back to this weekend and the all important qualifying sessions. It will be a hard task for anyone to better the Renault on this circuit so it's got to be Alonso for pole.With the all important pole position in his grasp then there's only ever likely to be one result, Alonso for the win. Monaco - Glamorous it might be, exciting it isn't!