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This race felt odd because there seemed to be no chance of a Ferrari win for the first time since very near the beginning of the Schumacher era. The current run of seven races without a win is the longest since he joined in 1996, so many younger fans will have known nothing but success and the remembrance of the long wilderness years will have faded for older tifosi. Even so, it was still a huge shock in Q1 when Schumacher, running fourth, turned in a 1:16.186 after recording 1:14.961 in second free practice earlier in the day, especially as predictions were that the pole would be in the 1:13s. Support races had made the track surface very slippery but Villeneuve brought home just how bad things were for Ferrari by posting a quicker time on the very next run! An ill-timed, American-voiced Bridgestone commercial later added insult to injury - a year too late chaps! After the Jordans, which were slower than the Minardis, Massa was next out and he was slower than MS, but then Heidfeld was a second quicker. Rubens was next up, and was a second down on the Williams driver, but 0.04 quicker than his team mate. Coulthard was next out and then Montoya, whose performance over the weekend demonstrated his best and worst qualities. He was fearless and quick but earlier in the day had caused a multi-car accident in which Coulthard came off worst. Montoya felt that Ralf had spoiled a quick lap and brake-tested him on the fast and narrow (Beau Rivage) uphill section, which caused Villeneuve to shunt into Coulthard. The Stewards found Montoya guilty and penalised him by disallowing his Q1 time, which meant he would have to start the race from the back of the grid for a foolish and pointless action which turned out to be very expensive. He really needs to grow up a little. Mark Webber was on provisional pole when Ralf went out. He allowed for understeer in Tabac which then didn’t happen, clipped the left hand barrier, the front suspension shattered in an instant and he clouted the barriers hard on the other side of the road, strewing debris and fluids everywhere. This gave Webber the advantage and put immense pressure on those to follow, Trulli, championship leader Alonso and previous race winner Raikkonen, because at Monaco more than anywhere, qualifying position is all. After a 20 minute delay Trulli went out but was too cautious. Then it
was Alonso’s turn, a man who had to temper speed with caution as
he had to qualify well to score well and to keep piling up championship
points. Despite all this he posted a stunning 1:14.125, which put him
on provisional pole by nearly half a second! Surely Raikkonen could not
match that? Yet the Finn turned in the lap of the season, almost half
a second quicker than Alonso, to take provisional pole. Despite the disappointment
of Ferrari’s performance (Rubens 10th, Schuey 11th), you had to
rejoice at the display of virtuoso driving put in by the young challengers. McLaren must have been concerned that the fast-starting Renault of Alonso might out-drag Raikkonen from the start, especially if his car was heavy, but in the event, it didn’t happen. As in Spain, Raikkonen made a perfect start and was first into the first corner, gaining a lead he was never to lose. Once again, he turned in a blistering series of laps and his only moment of concern came during the Safety Car period. On lap 24, Albers spun his Minardi at Mirabeau, blocking the track. MS was unsighted and knocked off his front wing when he rear-ended Coulthard; a new nose was fiited and MS continued. Both Renaults dashed into the pits and were re-fueled to the end of the race. McLaren called Raikkonen in too late and he was then faced with building up a big enough lead to allow for his pit stop, which he managed easily, and later was able to back right off and cruise to the win. Raikkonen was helped, and much of the course of the race decided, by the Renaults’ heavy rear tyre wear, later blamed by Michelin on poor strategy - pushing too hard when the car was too heavy. Alonso held second, with the two Williams’ behind him and Fisichella held 5th with a train of cars behind him led by Trulli. On lap 63, Trulli launched his Toyota up the inside at the hairpin, clattered over the kerb and through - most of the train followed and Fisi dropped from 5th to 10th in the blink of an eye! Trulli paid the price for his audacious move as something seemed wrong with the Toyota. He pitted but later continued. Raikkonen carried on in the lead, followed by Alonso, Heidfeld, Webber, Montoya (from the back of the grid), Ralf and Rubens and Michael – in the points! Alonso succumbed to first Heidfeld and then Webber and all looked settled - until Schuey decided it wasn’t. On the last lap, he passed his team mate coming out of the tunnel and made a lunge at his brother on the run up to the finishing line. Both victims were displeased – Rubens later complaining that if he hadn’t let Michael through then both would have crashed (but MS must have known he would). Ralf was furious, complaining that his brother could have killed them both – but he didn’t and it must have been worth a go as Ralf probably thought he was home and dry. Schuey was unrepentant, saying "I didn't think there was much risk involved in the moves. I am a full-blooded racer, that's why I'm here. Do they think I came here just for a Sunday afternoon outing?" Therein lie the seeds of seven world titles and Ferrari’s next renaissance. Unlike Montoya, MS took a calculated risk in pursuit of gain, unlike Montoya too, he got away with it. In the past, Ferrari would probably have entered a downward spiral of recrimination and self-destruction by now; they need Schumacher’s certainty and strength to prevent this. The omens aren’t all bad - once again, Schuey set a series of mid-race fastest laps and Jean Todt has said that the change in qualifying format will help their dismal single-lap pace. The championships may be gone, but hopefully it won’t be too long
before we can look forward once again to the prospect of a Ferrari win.
Click here to return to the Ferrari Happenings page.
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