25 May 1998 |
No 14 |
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Reflections On Monaco. Mika Joins The Monaco Masters.
By Roger Horton
Mika Hakkinen produced yet another dominant performance to win the Monaco Grand Prix. He qualified in pole position,and led every lap of the race.
David Coulthard's challenge came to an end when his engine failed on lap 18. Thereafter it was just a question of Hakkinen maintaining his pace and concentration to take his 4th win from 6 races in 1998. This he duly did.
For once, Michael Schumacher's luck in the "bash and barge" that it mostly takes to make a passing move at Monaco let him down. In 4th place in the race, and stuck behind Fisichella, he made an intelligently timed 1st pit stop to pass him into 3rd place, but then found himself stuck behind his team mate Alexander Wurz, who was 2nd.
When Wurz was held up behind a queue of back markers, Schumacher took advantage and dived down the inside forcing Wurz wide. Wurz fought back, and despite being off line retook his place and the two continued side by side through the right hander prior to the tunnel. Somewhere in all this they not surprising made contact, which was to effectively end Schumacher's race when he pitted for repairs which took some 3 laps. He was to eventually finish 10th.
Wurz was to pay the price for his refusal to give way when his damaged car pitched him into the wall some laps later. This was the best piece of "action" in the race,and perhaps best of all neither driver blamed the other for there their contact. These are after all racing drivers and they were racing.
Schumacher's day was not quite over,as on the last lap he made a rather silly attempt to un lap himself by passing Pedro Diniz into the chicane from a long way back,rather wisely sacrificing his own car into the barrier when it didn't work. He was to finish minus his front wing.
With the demise of Schumacher the race became rather static. Once Fisichella had ruined any chance of putting any serious pressure on Hakkinen with a quick spin on the exit from the rascasse it was just a question of surviving to the finish.
Eddie Irvine again finished in 3rd place after another forceful drive. Early in the race he decided that driving around behind Frentzen was not for him and "did a Schumacher" at Loews hairpin. Frentzen was hit hard enough to be pushed too wide to make the exit of the corner, and his nose parked itself neatly into the barrier. This spoilt Frentzen's 100% finishing record in 1998 and almost certainly a podium finish.
The two Arrows certainly believe in doing things by the numbers. After retiring in formation in Spain this time they BOTH finished, and in the points. Salo 4th and Diniz 6th. Some well deserved encouragement for a struggling team.
Villeneuve filled the remaining points position in 5th place. Clearly Villeneuve is incapable of coming to grips with this Monaco circuit. In 1996 he qualified 10th and drove around slowing until making contact with a back marker. Last year we had the "slick tire in the wet" fiasco,and this year he qualifies 13th,some 8 places and almost 2 seconds behind his team mate.
The Jordan,Prost and Stewarts teams all had pretty forgettable weekends,although Trulli qualified a creditable 10th ahead of his team mate Panis 18th.
If the race lacked drama the previous days qualifying was the thing to watch. There is something special about watching Formula One cars being driven on the limit around the streets of Monte Carlo. The swimming pool section has always been something special in recent years. Here you can for yourself judge the drivers commitment. With a well balanced car a driver can be quick and neat when at 9/10 tenths. But powering through there at 10/10 tenths with the barriers waiting is another thing all together.
Fisichella gave us all a wonderful demonstration of total commitment as he powered out of the right hander in a wonderful power oversteer slide. The limit found!
Eddie Irvine provided two more examples. Firstly another wonderful power slide on the exit to Casino,just inches from the barriers,then on what would have been his best lap losing the back end on the approach to the Rascasse. The limit exceeded!
This was not a classic Monaco grand Prix,but this should take nothing away from another convincing performance by Mika Hakkinen. He now appears to be able to consistently dominate his team mate David Coulthard. With time running out for Ferrari to mount a challenge for either championship, it appears that Schumacher will need a minor miracle to win from here.
All this was not lost on Hakkinen. He drove one of the slowest "slowdown" laps in history,seemingly to fully saviour the moment and who can blame him. As he approached the Parce Ferme,and in full few of the packed stands,he smoked his tires in a display of pure joy just the way a previous "master of Monaco" did.
Round 7 is in Canada in two weeks time.
Talk to Roger |
Roger Horton |
Singapore |
Send your comments to Roger at - rmhorton@pacific.net.sg |
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