Monaco F1: Could it be six?

F1 News
Date: 24/May/2012

After five different winners from the opening five rounds, the 2012 Formula One World Championship heads to the most glamorous event in motorsport this weekend - Monaco.

While three of this year’s race winners - Jenson Button (McLaren), Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) and Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) - are no surprise, debut victories for Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) and Pastor Maldonado (Williams) have highlighted an early season full of unpredictability.

Those yet to triumph include former Monaco winners Lewis Hamilton, Mark Webber, Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen - and few will be surprised if another new name is added to the 2012 victory list on Sunday.

“I think there can be six different winners. Of course, why not?” said Red Bull driver Webber, winner at Monaco in 2010. “And it would be nice if it’s me!”

Schumacher is still seeking his first podium since returning to F1 in 2010, but is second on the all-time Monaco win list behind only the late Ayrton Senna (six victories).

“I think quite a few of us who have not won yet have the capacity to win this race,” said the Mercedes driver, who will start with a five-place grid penalty after a collision with Bruno Senna at Catalunya.

Fellow former world champion Hamilton begins the weekend third in the championship, just eight points from joint-leaders Vettel and Alonso.

The Englishman believes victory is ‘wide open’, especially since the unique nature of the Monaco street circuit allows drivers to rise above the limits of their machines.

“It’s massively tight between quite a lot of teams,” added Hamilton, a Monaco winner in 2008. “I think it’s wide open. Particularly at this race, where the driver can make more of a difference.”

Hamilton also spoke about the need to balance speed and endurance with the ‘delicate’ Pirelli tyres, the performance limitations of which have recently been criticised by the likes of Schumacher.

“I really enjoy the racing that we have now, as I’ve enjoyed it every year,” began Hamilton. “There are some points in the race where you can really push, but not for very long and perhaps it is more about endurance, to try and make these tyres last.

“But it is still a challenge to extract the most out of the tyres for a longer period. It requires skill, technique and finesse - I’m still trying to get that fine touch sorted. 

“Nonetheless, it’s still Formula One, it’s still fun and there’s more overtaking which is what people like to see.”

“I think people are enjoying it,” Hamilton added of the season so far. “I notice people asking a lot of questions about how there’s been five different winners and the fans I’ve met said this is a fantastic season, so I hope that continues.”

The final words on the challenge of Monaco go to seven-time world champion Schumacher, who has conquered the event five times whilst driving for Benetton (’94, ’95) and Ferrari (’97, ’99, ’01).

“Monaco is certainly special and there’s something about you and the car that you just have to get every detail together,” he explained. “If you have the rhythm, the flow, the momentum it pays out much more here than at other tracks, because everything is so critical and difficult here.”

And is Monaco still a circuit where the driver makes more difference than any other circuit? 

“Absolutely,” replied Schumacher.

As is traditional, practice at Monaco starts on Thursday. Friday is then a day off before the action continues with final practice and qualifying on Saturday, then the race on Sunday.