Räikkönen refused entry to Briatore club in Monaco

Flavio Briatore addressed the media, proudly strolled the paddock and grid and appeared for the popular British motoring show 'Top Gear' as F1's most prestigious grand prix took place last weekend in Monaco.

But also in the Principality, another former member of the F1 circus was making a much lower profile visit.

Kimi Räikkönen, the 2007 world champion and now rally and NASCAR driver, rushed from a Nationwide race in the US late on Saturday to be harbourside in his yacht in time for Sunday's Monaco grand prix.

In his entourage were 'The Dudesons', a ramshackle group of friends known on Finnish television for their highly popular and extreme Jackass-style show.

Räikkönen, 31, was seen with the group as they relaxed in his yacht's open spa, and they also ventured to Briatore's 'Billionaire' nightclub -- but were refused entry.

The bouncers, apparently, failed to recognise the winner of 18 grands prix, and - enjoying his anonymity - Räikkönen failed to rebuke them and the party moved elsewhere.

"Maybe it was just time to sleep," Spanish AS newspaper reporter Rafa Paya speculated.

Source: F1Zone

Photos: Kimi Räikkönen in Monaco Grand Prix 2011

After his debut in the NASCAR Nationwide Series category Kimi Raikkonen relaxes on his yacht in the prince of Monaco 2011




Courtesy: Miezicat

Button: More needs to be done in Monaco

Jenson Button says Formula One still needs to improve the safety barriers in Monte Carlo after Sergio Perez crashed heavily in qualifying

Perez's accident was similar to that Button had in 2003 which resulted in the Brit having to miss the Monaco race. At present, it looks like Perez will suffer the same fate as the Sauber rookie has a concussion and a sprained thigh.

However, that's a marked improvement on what happened in 1994 when Karl Wendlinger hit the divide and spent weeks in a coma.

"I think the cars have improved dramatically with safety since Karl Wendlinger's accident and the barrier has been moved back since my accident," said Button.

"But there are some areas - and this is the main one - where we want it to be safer so that we can come here and enjoy the racing.

It is a tricky corner and it's difficult to know what it (the solution) is - but I think we need to look further on what we can do with the run-off there.

"Motor racing is dangerous and it says it on the passes, (but) there is always more we can do. We need to keep tweaking some areas, sit down and really improve for the future."

Button's comments was echoed by Mark Webber, with the Red Bull driver saying there is always more that can be done to improve safety.

"It has always been bumpy there under the brakes and every year the cars we have are a bit different aerodynamically," said the Aussie.

"And in terms of safety, it's probably an area we need to look at and improve on, especially after JB and also Karl Wendlinger in the mid 1990s.

"There is a bump there, but it is just that if you have a problem with the rear, the chance to recover is very low. We saw Vitaly (Petrov) and he went straight down.

"We were also lucky they pulled the sleeping policeman up after this morning because he [Perez] could have had a nastier accident.

"We need to keep learning and work hard with the FIA with the drivers and help out the guys - we are the ones in the cockpit so it's nice to improve if we can."

Source: Planet-F1

Webber: 'A lot of question marks' ahead of Monaco

Red Bull Racing star Mark Webber suggests this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix could be even more of a lottery than usual - as Christian Horner warns McLaren-Mercedes has taken a big step forward

As he bids to make it back-to-back victories in the most glittering race on the annual F1 schedule, Red Bull Racing star Mark Webber contends that there are 'a lot of question marks' approaching this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix.

Webber celebrated the finest moment of his top flight career to-date around the narrow, tortuous streets of Monte Carlo last year, leading from lights-out to chequered flag in the glamorous Principality to seal a tremendously popular triumph and confirm his status as a genuine title contender.

Returning to the scene of his success twelve months on, the Australian is under pressure to deliver a good result and turn the tables on runaway Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel – but he cautions that with so many changes this year, a race already renowned as one of the most unpredictable on the calendar could throw up even more surprises than usual.

“We know this is one of the most prestigious races of the year,” the 34-year-old acknowledged. “There are a lot of question marks going into this year's race in terms of how the tyres will be, and the strategy could be the most complicated of the year. It's a track that I've always seemed to do reasonably well at, though, and I have some of my best memories as a racing driver there.

“It's clearly a demanding street circuit, which requires incredible concentration and composure for the drivers throughout the weekend, starting with Thursday's practice sessions. The dramatic coastline and cliffs make an incredible backdrop to one of the most famous tracks in the world – it's clearly like no other circuit we race at.”

“It's remarkable to drive an F1 car around Monaco,” concurred Vettel, who will arrive there with a commanding 41-point margin over any of his pursuers in the chase for the drivers' crown, having won four of the five grands prix this season to-date. “It's a completely unique track and a unique challenge for the driver. You have to push as hard as on a normal racetrack, but the smallest mistake can bring a big penalty.

“Grid position is very important and can determine your race, as traditionally, overtaking in Monaco is very tricky. Managing the traffic during qualifying is also a big challenge. As an event, it's one of the highlights of the year. We did well there last year, and I hope we can be very strong again.”

Meanwhile, RBR team principal Christian Horner has argued that the reason Vettel was pushed so hard for victory by Lewis Hamilton in last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix – despite an advantage of the best part of a second in qualifying – was that McLaren-Mercedes had brought a substantial raft of upgrades to its MP4-26.

“We knew it would be a close battle,” the Englishman told Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat. “It would be very presumptuous to believe we have a car that is one second per lap better. We just had a phenomenal qualifying. I stress that McLaren brought an enormous update to Spain – it's almost a B-model.”

Source: Crash.net

Massa’s diary - Not long to wait to be on track again

I got back home to Monaco on Monday morning, after a very disappointing weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix. We had hoped to do much better than this in performance terms and also I suffered our first technical failure of the season. We had expected our main rivals to be strong in Barcelona, given the fact our car is not quite as efficient as theirs in terms of aerodynamic downforce. However, what we had not expected was to suffer so much on the new Hard compound tyre that Pirelli had introduced for this race. We had already found life difficult on the original version of the Hard and we had seen that we struggled a bit more than the others on these. Then with these new hards we discovered we were having an even tougher time to get them to work properly and I would say we lost two or two and a half seconds when compared to our lap times on the Soft. You could see the effect clearly in the race. Myself and Fernando were both able to fight at first with him doing better than me as he was actually at the front thanks to his start, while I was fighting with the Mercedes guys, passing them to move up to sixth. But after that, once I fitted the hard tyres, it was almost impossible to drive the car. I ended up losing all the places I had gained, then I had a spin and eventually with a few laps to go, I had to park the car at the side of the track as I could not select any gears. Meanwhile Fernando went from leading the race to being one lap down within the space of about 40 laps which is an unbelievable situation. I would say that in Spain, it looked as though Red Bull and McLaren were the only teams able to exploit the hard tyres properly.

Staying on the subject of tyres, starting with free practice this Thursday at Monaco, we begin a run of three Grands Prix using Pirelli’s Soft and Super Soft and that should work better for us. They will definitely suit the characteristics of our car which is a positive factor. We have seen this year that the biggest factor when it comes to passing another car is the tyres and we will have overtaking this year, even in Monaco, because of that. When a car in front of you is struggling with worn tyres, it will have very poor traction and even in places such as the exit to the chicane after the tunnel, if you don’t have traction, you will lose position before Tabac. I believe degradation will play a significant role on this track.

I enjoy the whole Monaco weekend and it is an important event on the calendar, but when I’m there I don’t walk to the track in the morning thinking about it being the most famous motor race in the world. It’s another race to concentrate on and it has a unique challenge because of the track itself. Nothing compares because even if Singapore comes close, that track is much bigger. So Monaco is just another race where you have to work hard and try to do your best. It’s nice to be home and I’m very lucky as I think I’m one of the few drivers to have two real home races, not just races that take place in the country you come from. Both here and Sao Paolo I actually get to sleep in my own bed in my own home and then have a short trip to the track. It’s another very nice aspect of this weekend, during which I hope we can make up for the disappointment of Spain.

At least we don’t have long to wait to be on track again!

Source: Ferrari.com

Photos: FIA Gala Prize Giving Ceremony 2010

2010 FIA Gala Prize Giving Ceremony on December 10, 2010 in Monaco

Source: Daylife, NextgenAuto, Motorsport

Inside the Ferrari motorhome at Monaco 2010

Source: Youtube - steferrari3

McLaren mechanic 'devastated' by error

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh says the mechanic responsible for Jenson Button's early exit from the Monaco Grand Prix is "devastated" by his mistake

Button's defence of his Monaco GP crown lasted barely two laps after the unnamed mechanic left a transport cap over his left radiator inlet at the start of the race and caused his engine to overheat.

"I think it's disappointing for everyone in the team, and devastating for the person responsible," Whitmarsh told Speedtv.com. "I know these things happen, but it's just hard to accept when it happens.

"Anyone who's involved with a team like this, when you're trying to do your best and you make a mistake and it contributes to something like that, it's devastating for them."

Whitmarsh admits Button never stood a chance once the airflow into his car was blocked.

"It was something that's used in transport or the garage," he said. "It's a cooling cover, a water one, and it was left in. So the car went to the grid with no air flow. So the car was cooked. You do what you can after, but you can't recover it. On a circuit like this, and with Safety Car as well, you really can't recover from that sort of thing.

"These cars don't have fans - they rely on airflow - so if you deny the airflow, you're not going to live very long. An F1 engine dissipates 200kW of heat energy, and if you don't take the measures to do something about that, then it's over very quickly, unfortunately. You don't know what's going to fail, but we knew we were over temperature, and there's not much you can do at that point.

"Obviously people are monitoring temperatures, and at a race like this it's particularly critical anyway. Other parts under the engine cover would have been very, very hot, and it was a secondary failure rather than a primary failure of the engine."

Source: Planet-F1

Alonso's Blog: Even more united after a bittersweet weekend

Posted by Fernando Alonso

The Monaco Grand Prix was bittersweet for me. Clearly, in terms of the points I picked up, it was not good enough, especially as we were in the right shape to fight for the win. Following on from Barcelona, where we were not fast enough to win, on the Monaco track, where aerodynamics is less important, we were more competitive. When you have a car that is easy to drive, as is the case with the F10 - something which Felipe and I both realised immediately right from the first test in Valencia - it means you quickly feel confident with it. And that is vital on a track like this one.

Then, on Saturday morning, you all know what happened and sixth place on Sunday therefore had a very different flavour to it: this result should make the team proud of all they did in difficult circumstances. It’s never happened to me before, not to be able to take part in qualifying. It can happen that you go out in the early stages, because of a mistake or a technical problem, but to find yourself having to watch the screen right from the start, that was really cruel. But I think this incident brought us even closer together as a group: it’s at times like these that you get the measure of people and the entire team was amazing.

Sunday was very satisfying. We were aware that if we wanted to finish in the points, everything had to be perfect: the car, strategy, overtaking and tyres. And that was indeed the case. The first laps were very hectic, with six overtaking moves and then I had to try and make the most of the strategy, waiting for others to pit. From lap 28, I found myself sixth and, from that point onwards, my main aim was to manage the car and the tyres. We had only finished rebuilding the car a few hours earlier and to finish such a tough race without the slightest problem shows just how great the lads are. Then at the end came the incident with Michael: the pit wall had told me that, as the race was still under the Safety Car on the last lap, overtaking was not allowed and so I was calm and that was later confirmed by the Stewards, who put things right.

Now, we have to roll our sleeves up to push even more on the development of the car. We still have to make up some ground in terms of performance and as we are in the thick of the fight, we don’t want to leave anything to chance as we try and reach our goals.

Source: Alonso's Blog - Ferrari.com

Horner cools contract talk

Red Bull Racing principal Christian Horner is adamant that the team are not in contract talks with Mark Webber, saying they are relaxed about the future of the new drivers' championship leader

Webber powered away to a Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday and reports before the race had suggested that Horner had been in talks with the driver's agent.

Webber's management team were seen entering into discussions with Horner ahead of the 33-year-old Australian's Monaco Grand Prix triumph, which propelled him to the top of the drivers' championship standings, and later emerging with beaming smiles.

But Horner maintains Webber's future has yet to be discussed, although if that is the case, he has certainly done himself the power of good with his back-to-back wins over the past two weekends.

"The team and Mark are very relaxed about the situation," said Horner. He is an important member of the team and he is driving fantastically well at he moment. He enjoys driving here, and we enjoy having him.

No talks

"But we have not spoken and have no real interest in speaking with any of our drivers, so when the time gets to it, we will sit down and look at the paperwork."

Horner acknowledged Webber is in the form of his career, underlined by the fact he has won in Spain and Monaco from pole to flag, a total of 144 consecutive laps in the lead.

"I said to Ann (Neal), his partner, 'I don't know what you have been giving Mark for breakfast, but please keep giving it to him'," joked Horner.

"His form has been exemplary in the last 10 days, and at two very different tracks. You can tell he is completely at one with his car and his confidence is high."

Although Webber and Vettel are tied on 78 points at the top of the championship - the former ahead on countback by two victories to one over the latter - and Red Bull now lead the constructors' title race, Horner is fully expecting a backlash from their rivals.

Opposition

"It's very early in the championship, and it's foolish to underestimate your opposition, especially quality teams like Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes," said Horner.

"They are teams with great pedigrees, and there is still a long way to go." Horner is also expecting it to be a nip-and-tuck battle between his two drivers, with no advantage given to one over the other at any stage.

"The best situation is to have both the drivers at the front of the field," added Horner.

"We treat them fairly, with the priority to beat everybody else, although I am sure between the two of them we will see the ebb and flow from now until the end of the season."

Source: SkySports.com

Mercedes not proceeding with Monaco appeal

Mercedes has decided not to appeal the Monaco stewards' decision to penalise Michael Schumacher.

As per FIA rules, the German team lodged notification of its intention to appeal within an hour of the publication of the decision.

The actual appeal application then had to be filed within 48 hours.

In a media statement issued on Tuesday, the Brackley based team said it "cannot be happy with the outcome" but has decided not to appeal "in the best interests of the sport".

Mercedes explained that the governing body recognises "the reasons" for informing Schumacher and Nico Rosberg to race in the final corner of the race, adding that many teams have the same opinion.

The team said its interpretation of the rule will be discussed at the next meeting of the Sporting Working Group, with the FIA also agreeing to listen to Mercedes' view that the 20-second time penalty was "disproportionate".

Mercedes also seemed to comment on reports that Damon Hill, Schumacher's former title nemesis, now feels "uncomfortable" with the concept of former drivers having full voting powers as stewards.

1996 world champion Hill revealed earlier on Tuesday that he had received "hate mail" from those who believe he acted with prejudice.

"Mercedes would like to emphasise that we fully support the inclusion of past drivers on the stewards panel and are completely satisfied that the Monaco Grand Prix stewards acted professionally, impartially and properly in this matter," read the statement.

Source: Motorsport.com

[Video] Mark and Seb jump out in the Monaco harbour

Source: YouTube @GrandPrixGirls

[Photos] FP3 and Qualifying in Monaco

Click here to view all images