Monaco: Qually – A solid job from McLaren

By McLaren Fans
May 28 2006

The McLaren drivers of Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya took 4th and 6th respectively for tomorrows Monaco Grand Prix after a fairly chaotic qualifying session which saw Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher take a controversial pole position from reigning world champion Fernando Alonso.

Knockout One

Many drivers including Toyota’s Jarno Trulli had voiced their concerns over how the new knock-out qualifying system would work in Monaco especially in the usual chaotic times of Knockouts 1 & 2. So all the drivers headed into a qualifying full of uncertainty and excitement. The session began with the Scuderia Toro Rosso driver of Vitantonio Liuzzi and the two BMW-Sauber’s taking to the track. Eager to get a decent lap in reigning world champion Fernando Alonso came out early as well. Liuzzi set the first time of the session with a 1.17.146 only to be knocked off the top spot by Alonso. Ralf Schumacher was the first of the Toyota’s on the circuit but he got caught up behind Alonso, which meant he only went third. But Jarno Trulli was looking mega round the streets of Monaco, where he won and took pole position back in 2004 with Renault, and went fastest on his first attempt with a 1.15.360 and then bettered it on his second run! But the red flags were brought out with less than eight minutes to go as Ferrari’s Felipe Massa went straight on at the top of Casino Square and into the barrier. This was very bad news for Massa as it means he will start at the back of the grid tomorrow but it was even worse for team mate Michael Schumacher who had not yet set a lap and looking in danger of going out. When the session finally restarted it was Fisichella in the Renault who displaced Jarno at the top of time sheets whilst Michael went into fifth - finally saving himself from near embarrassment. Ralf put in a great effort to jump up to fourth, which is where he would remain until the end of the session. Jarno eventually winding up ninth after choosing not to go out after Massa’s accident. Kimi Raikkonen showed off McLaren’s speed for the weekend by ending the session fastest, although a bit evelevent as the times would be reset for the next phase, his teammate Juan Pablo Montoya was fifith. Massa was the only big name to crash out of Knockout 1, going out with the Super Aguri’s, The Midland’s and Scott Speed in the Toro Rosso. But thankfully both Toyota’s were through to Knockout 2.

Top 6: Raikkonen, Alonso, Webber, R.Schumacher, Montoya, Klien

Bottom 6 and knocked out: Albers, Monteiro, Speed, Sato, Montagny, Massa.

Knockout Two

So after the chaos of Knockout 1, both of the McLaren drivers had made it through into the second phase where the top ten would go through into the final pole shoot out! The Renault’s and the McLaren’s were amongst the first cars out on track trying to get a decent lap in whilst they had clear space. But it was BMW’s Nick Heidfeld who set the first lap time doing a 1.15.137 only to be displaced by the Renault’s and McLaren’s. Jarno Trulli was the firs Toyota on track and went into sixth position. Ralf Schumacher then came out and went into tenth position and on the bubble, in danger of being knocked out as the likes of Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button had not set a lap time and surely would displace him. Michael Schumacher went onto the circuit gong into fourth dropping brother Ralf into eleventh and in the knockout zone with Jarno back in tenth and on the brink of the knockout places. Jarno saved himself slightly by putting in a lap time of 1.14.211 for eighth place which was good enough to send Jarno into the pole shoot out, but unfortunately Ralf was sent packing and was knocked out of Qualifying after a last lap attempt failed. Kimi Raikkonen again was the man to beat, setting a stunning pace and easily making it through into the final shoot out, Juan Pablo Montoya who dropped out at this stage at the last race weekend in Spain also made it through into the final ten. But the headline from knockout 2 was the departure of Honda driver Jenson Button who could only manage fourteenth place - dismal luck for the young British driver who had so much promise coming into the season.

Top 6: Raikkonen, Alonso, Fisichella, Coulthard, M.Schumacher, Webber.

Bottom 6 and Knocked out: R.Schumacher, Klien, Liuzzi, Button, Villeneuve, Heidfeld.

Final Pole Shoot-Out

The final pole shoot-out would be contested by Jarno Trulli, the Williams duo, David Coulthard in the Red Bull Racing who has been going well all weekend, the two Renault’s, the two McLaren’s, Michael Schumacher in the Ferrari and Honda’s Rubens Barrichello. As usual the first 5-10 minutes of the session saw the fuel burning laps, which meant very little to the grid. Juan Pablo Montoya set the early ‘’pace’’ with a time of 1.15.516, although things would hot up as the session progresses. Rubens Barrichello was the first driver to blink, putting a new set of tyres on the car and going for pole. Everyone else followed Barrichello lead and came into the pits to prepare themselves and their cars for the pole shoot out. Kimi Raikkonen set the first proper lap time going fastest with a 1.14.140, Schumacher became the first driver to go into the 1.13’s with a 1.13.8, a fantastic effort. Alonso came close to Schumacher with a 1.13.9 but Alonso would get another chance but yet again so would Schumacher. Australian Mark Webber put in a super effort for the Williams-Cosworth going into third place but Jarno had still yet to make a proper move sitting back in tenth. But with 30 seconds to go Jarno blinked and went into seventh place, looking heavy on fuel but the TF106B was promising as the new spec car can carry more fuel than its predecessor, Jarno would end the session in eighth. With seconds to go Michael Schumacher was trying to better his time but went straight on at Rasscasse, as Alonso was about to come through on a stunner of a lap, a deliberate attempt to cost the competition? Well Renault certainly thought so as Alonso’s lap was only good enough for second. Renault would launch a complaint to the stewards against Schumacher’s ‘accident’. So provisionally Schumacher is on pole ahead of Alonso, Webber, Raikkonen Fisichella in the second Renault, Montoya, Barrichello, Jarno, a good effort from Coulthard sees him ninth ahead of the young German Nico Rosberg.

Top 10: M.Schumacher, Alonso, Webber, Raikkonen, Fisichella, Montoya, Barricehllo ,Trulli, Coulthard, Rosberg.

Notes

Giancarlo Fisichella has been penalised for blocking in qualifying, and will start the race ninth on the grid.
Michael Schumacher was found by the stewards to had blocked the track deliberately in the final minutes of qualifying and has had all his times stripped, thus meaning he'll start from the very back of the grid.