2010 F1 Monaco Grand Prix Review

Mark Webber crosses finish line to win 2010 Monaco Grand Prix. Photo by AP.

Last Sunday (May 16, 2010), I enjoyed watching the 2010 F1 Monaco Grand Prix. It is the most anxiously anticipated race on the schedule every year, and it always provides some of the most exciting and entertaining racing atmosphere and history. The winner of this year's Monaco GP, making his second straight victory for Red Bull Racing (Renault powered RB6 cars), was Australia's Mark Webber.

The elite Formula One drivers of the past and present mingle with some of the biggest music and film stars near the racing area before the event. They also get together at parties before and after the race. The race itself though, with it's historic, old fashioned and treacherous snugly fitted course (Streets of Monte Carlo), is the real star here.

If you missed the 2010 F1 Monaco Grand Prix, or you just want to get more detail and behind the scenes information, the following items ought to serve as a review of the event. F1 items posted to the internet that are not specifically about this particular race can be found in regular Junior's 'Reading And Viewing List' blog entries.


Qualifying - Webber takes thrilling Monaco pole
Posted at Formula1.com on May 15, 2010

Red Bull’s Mark Webber deprived Renault’s Robert Kubica of pole position in Monaco on Saturday afternoon to continue his strong run of form. The Australian squeaked ahead of the Pole’s 1m 14.120s best with 1m 14.104s, but then slammed in the only sub-1m 14s lap of the weekend with 1m 13.826s to throw the issue beyond doubt. €t was his second consecutive pole and his third of the season, and Red Bull’s sixth.

As they share the front row, Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel moved ahead of Ferrari’s Felipe Massa in the closing moments, 1m 14.227s to 1m 14.283s, leaving McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton fifth on 1m 14.452s...

Qualifying - selected team and driver quotes
Posted at Formula1.com on May 15, 2010

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso on not participating in qualifying after his shunt in final practice; Lotus’s Heikki Kovalainen on spinning as he pushed for 18th on the grid; Renault’s Vitaly Petrov on crashing out of Q2; and Mark Webber on clinching Red Bull’s sixth pole of the season. All 24 drivers, and senior team personnel, review Saturday’s action in Monte Carlo...

FIA post-qualifying press conference - Monaco
Posted at Formula1.com on May 15, 2010

Drivers: 1. Mark Webber (Red Bull), 1m 13.826s; 2. Robert Kubica (Renault), 1m 14.120s, 3. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), 1m 14.227s

Q: Mark, you are on fire at the moment. Pole in Spain and a victory and now pole here. How did you do it?
Mark Webber: I don’t know if my previous lap was enough. I can’t really remember. It was a bit of a blur at to be honest. I remember it was pretty quick, but I told Ciaran Pilbeam (Webber’s race engineer) that lap three and four are the ones I am going to try and murder if I could...

Spectators watch 2010 Monaco Formula One GP Qualifying from hill. Photo by AP.

Qualifying analysis - can Kubica take bull by the horns?
Posted at Formula1.com on May 15, 2010

An in-form Mark Webber combined with a near-perfect Red Bull made for an untouchable combination around Monte Carlo on Saturday. Almost as impressive, however, was Renault’s Robert Kubica, who has a chance to spring a surprise from P2 on the grid on Sunday. We take a team-by-team look at qualifying...

Paddock Postcard from Monte Carlo
Posted at Formula1.com on May 16, 2010

Monaco is always a hotbed on the social side and 2010 was no exception after luminaries such as Sir Jackie and Lady Helen Stewart, and Nigel and Rosanne Mansell (supporting son Greg who was racing in World Series by Renault) attended a Mumm/Total champagne reception at l’Hermitage on Thursday to celebrate the 60th birthday of the FIA Formula One World Championship...

...Showbiz visitors included Jennifer Lopez, Mick Jagger, Paris Hilton, Pharrell Williams, Michael Douglas, Liz Hurley and David Furnish, many of who attended Friday evening’s Amber Lounge Fashion Show to raise money for the Elton John Aids Foundation. Lotus’s Heikki Kovalainen was among the biggest bidders in the charity auction, while Lewis Hamilton, Adrian Sutil, Jaime Alguersuari, Tonio Liuzzi and Nico Rosberg were among the F1 drivers-turned-models for the night...

Race - Webber and Red Bull hit Monaco jackpot
Posted at Formula1.com on May 16, 2010

Red Bull’s Mark Webber underwent trial by safety car in Monte Carlo on Sunday afternoon, but kept his cool throughout four interventions, the last of which was after a late tangle at Rascasse between backmarkers Jarno Trulli and Karun Chandhok which happened right in front of his Red Bull.

That brought out Bernd Maylander and the Mercedes for the last time, the previous three occasions involving two heavy crashes by Williams drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Rubens Barrichello...

Monaco Grand Prix - selected team & driver quotes
Posted at Formula1.com on May 16, 2010

McLaren’s Jenson Button his early exit; Williams team mates Nico Hulkenberg and Rubens Barrichello on their high-speed retirements; HRT’s Karun Chandhok and Lotus’s Jarno Trulli on their dramatic coming together; and Red Bull’s Mark Webber on scoring his second win in a week. All 24 drivers, and senior team personnel, report back on Sunday’s race...

Robert Kubica driving in 2010 Monaco Grand Prix. Photo by Reuters.

Failures to blame for both Williams shunts
Posted at Formula1.com on May 16, 2010

It was a bitterly disappointing Monaco Grand Prix for Williams, with both Nico Hulkenberg and Rubens Barrichello crashing out of the Monte Carlo race. But rather than driver errors, the British team have already discovered that both high-speed accidents were caused by car failures.

Hulkenberg’s race ended when the German slammed into the barriers in the tunnel on Lap One, after his car suffered a problem with a front wing mounting component, following clutch issues on the formation lap. Barrichello, meanwhile, who had been enjoying strong race, crashed into the wall coming up the hill to Massenet and was pitched into a dramatic spin on Lap 30 following a failure on the rear of his car...

Schumacher penalised for Alonso safety-car pass
Posted at Formula1.com on May 16, 2010

Mercedes GP’s Michael Schumacher has been penalised by the Monte Carlo race stewards for his overtaking manoeuvre on Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso in the dying moments of the Monaco Grand Prix...

FIA post-race press conference - Monaco
Posted at Formula1.com on May 16, 2010

1st Mark Webber (Red Bull), 1h50m13.355s; 2nd Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), 1h50m13.803s; 3rd Robert Kubica (Renault), 1h50m15.030s.

Q: Mark, you are leading the World Championship and you are a Monaco winner. How does it feel?
Mark Webber: Absolutely incredible and for sure the greatest day of my life today. To win here is a very, very special day. It started yesterday with qualifying when it went well but this place is such a test for two hours. I had a lot of work to do. The track was changing quite a lot during the grand prix as well, we had backmarkers and a lot of safety cars so we were tested quite often...

Q&A with Red Bull’s Christian Horner
Posted at Formula1.com on May 16, 2010

How do winners celebrate? Red Bull’s one-two Monaco victory ended with both drivers in the Monte Carlo harbour and the rest of the team in the Energy Station’s swimming pool. A wet but grinning team principal Christian Horner is certainly happy...

Sebastian Vettel driving at Monaco in F1 Grand Prix. Photo by Reuters.

Winning combo - Mark Webber & Sebastian Vettel Q&A
Posted at Formula1.com on May 16, 2010

Mark Webber’s second win in a week means he has earned a maximum 50 points from the last two races. Sunday also saw him become only the second Australian to triumph in Monaco after Sir Jack Brabham. A good day indeed then. For Sebastian Vettel it was second place, but the German insisted he was not disappointed, especially as he leaves Monte Carlo level on points with his Red Bull team mate, the new championship leader...

Monaco analysis - resurgent Webber on a roll
Posted at Formula1.com on May 17, 2010

Mark Webber banished any doubts about him being a true championship contender on Sunday as he dominated a second Grand Prix in succession, leaving his rivals - Red Bull team mate Sebastian Vettel included - in the shade. As the likes of Ferrari and McLaren were left licking their wounds, Red Bull left Monte Carlo leading the 2010 constructors’ standings for the first time, with Webber and Vettel level on points atop the drivers'. We take a team-by-team look at the Monaco race...

Q&A with Cosworth’s Mark Gallagher
Posted at Formula1.com on May 17, 2010

After a positive start to Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix, which saw Williams driver Rubens Barrichello running in the top six and some feisty opening laps from the Lotus, Virgin and HRT drivers, it was ultimately a tough race for the eight cars with Cosworth power. Although there were no issues with regard to their CA2010 engines, none was able to complete the 78 laps as a result of incidents or car-specific mechanical problems. General manager of Cosworth’s F1 business unit, Mark Gallagher, reflects...

Monaco debrief with Renault’s James Allison
Posted at Formula1.com on May 17, 2010

Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix saw Renault score their second podium of 2010 following another stellar drive from Robert Kubica, allowing the team to narrow the gap to fourth place in the constructors’ championship. Technical director James Allison looks back on the Monte Carlo weekend and assesses the progress Renault have made since the start of the season...