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Russia’s Robert Shwartzman (Prema Racing) has already shown, in Formula 2 free practice Thursday morning, that his experience could prove useful this weekend in Monaco, where three races are scheduled on the F2 agenda. Last year, he finished 4th of the series, with 4 wins, which was an impressive result for a rookie. The year before, he was crowned FIA F3 Champion, for his first and only season in the category.
With a fastest lap in 1 :22.041, the St Petersbourg native was half a second faster than Britain’s Dan Ticktum (Carlin), followed on the timesheet of this session by another Russian driver, the very promising Juri Vips (Hitech GP). One of their compatriots, Gianluca Petecof (Campos), had a major issue when his engine blew up at Sainte-Dévote, producing a huge smoke cloud when he tried to continue driving towards the Casino. He then stopped his car in a safe place, surrounded by ACM marshals who proved very efficient, as always.
The Orange army is famous in the whole world of motorsport and had to act several times Thursday morning, always with total commitment and efficiency, in order to take care of single-seaters in deep trouble. The Chinese leader of the series, Guanyu Zhou (Uni-Virtuosi), had to be happy with the 9th time of the session, almost one and a half second slower than Shwartzman. Not very encouraging for him before qualifying scheduled for today, between 1 :20 and 2 :00, for two groups of 11 cars.
Formula 1 is back in Monaco, with 20 drivers including four World Champions (Lewis Hamiton, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Räikkkönen), who all won at least once in the streets of the Principality, and four younger drivers who never drove an F1 car on the toughest track on the calendar (Mick Schumacher, Yuki Tsunoda, Nicholas Latifi, Nikita Mazepin). The sun was shining and the show was brilliant in front of thousands of masked spectators having passed a PCR test in order to access the grandstands. In these very hot conditions, the quickest driver was Mexican, in the person of Sergio Pérez (Red Bull), who clocked his fastest lap in a promising 1 :12.487, only two seconds slower than Hamilton’s pole position in 2019 (1 :10.166)
Several experts such as Toto Wolff, the big boss at Mercedes F1, expected the Red Bulls to be faster, they were right : 10 minutes before the end of the session, Max Verstappen, followed by Sergio Pérez, settled down on the first lines of the timesheet and eventually, the Mexican recruit of the Austrian team won this first match. He did slightly better than a very promising Carlos Sainz, 2nd for his first outing in Monaco at the wheel of a Ferrari, Verstappen 3rd in the other Red Bull-Honda, and a very surprising Pierre Gasly, 4th in his Alpha Tauri. As they often do during the first free practice sessions, Mercedes drivers took it easy and posted the 5th and 6th times, half a second slower than their Mexican rival.
The crowd had all reason to be disappointed since local hero Charles Leclerc could only complete 4 laps before parking his beautiful Ferrari in the garage for the rest of the session, he had a major gearbox issue. « I don’t understand, is my engine broken ? », he asked his crew. In the meantime, his Spanish team-mate managed to clock the 2nd time of the session, only one tenth of a second slower than Pérez, ahead of Verstappen, in the other Honda-powered Red Bull. A very promising result, waiting for FP2 scheduled at 3 pm.
This digital catering service will give you the opportunity to follow the ontrack racing show with the respect of sanitary rules.
Rx Eat, a 100% foodie app, allows each user to get a large selection of meals delivered, with fresh, local, quality products prepared in a short circuit.
In partnership with the association FAR (Foi, Action, Rayonnement) for the Grandstand T and the AS Monaco Rugby for the Grandstand NOP, the free App will be deployed in order to offer a digital and quality catering service during the Grand Prix.
Spectators will have the possibility to lunch without to leave their seat.
In the current sanitary context, the App is applying with 2 objectives:
How does the RX Eat App work?
Spectators will be able to download the application for free, by scanning the QR code on the flyers distributed at the event entrance, directly on their smartphone or tablet.
After selected its grandstand, each spectator will be able to choose between a large choice of sandwiches, salty or sweet snacks, drinks, and popcorns.
Once order confirmed with the located seat filled and the order payed (by credit card or cash), your booking will arrive directly to you in the grandstand, by the service or the FAR and ASM Rugby association volunteers .
Download RX Eat App on Apple Store or Google Play
Follow the 78th edition of the Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco throughout the week-end on CANAL+ with an exclusive program.
The young F1 driver retired, Romain Grosjean, will start its new career of TV Consultant with Canal Plus this week-end.
You will have also the possibility to watch all live the F1 sessions on Monaco Info, and also the Porsche Supercup Race and the Lap Tour of the Princely Couple from 14:10 on Sunday 23rd .
Find all the TV Broadcast Coverage by countries on the following link: https://www.formula1.com/en/toolbar/broadcast-information.html
A few weeks before Monaco Grand Prix, the Monaco-born Scuderia Ferrari driver talked to the Monégasque media about his home race. He is more confident than ever about this 78th edition because he knows the track by heart and because his Ferrari, this year, is much better than the one he drove last year. So who knows what can happen this weekend in the streets of the Principality ?
You have never completed a Monaco Grand Prix since the start of your single-seater career. Do you feel like you are cursed here?
No, I don’t believe in curses (he laughs). These are things that happen, it’s bad luck and unfortunately it happened to me the last few times. However, before single-seaters, I won here in go-karts (he smiles). I will do everything to get the best possible result this year.
What is your favourite turn on the track?
The S at the swimming-pool because we go through that portion at incredible speeds being very close to the barriers; we have no room for mistakes. That’s what I like the most. I also have fond memories at the pool with friends when we were younger.
What is the main improvement of the SF21 compared to the SF1000?
It’s hard to say, it’s a new car so there are lots of differences… The car’s balance has been improved, so it is easier to drive. There was no revolution on the car between 2020 and 2021, it is more of an evolution. 2020 has been a really tough year, although I’ve learned a lot, especially from my mistakes.
Carlos Sainz Jr. replaced Sebastian Vettel as your teammate. How would you describe your relationship with him?
Everything is going well between us. I have never spent as much time with a teammate as I have with Carlos before. We get along well because we are almost the same age, we are at the same point in our career and we also have a lot of common interests such as padel tennis, golf or chess…
And at work?
We work well together and expect the same from the car, which is very important. We have the same desire to bring Ferrari back to winning ways. There is a lot of motivation and I’m sure we will push each other on the track for better results.
Do you feel like you’ve changed status within the team?
Not really. Even though I’ve turned from being the least experienced driver in the team to the one who knows the Scuderia best, Carlos has been in F1 for more years than me. My goal remains the same: to give my maximum every time I am in the car.
© Olivier Caenen
F1 is back in Monaco after two years of absence…
I’m so happy to be able to race at home again, I can’t wait. The Monaco Grand Prix is necessarily very special to me, it was always a dream to take part in this race. The cancellation was hard to accept last year, but fortunately the ACM was able to find solutions for this year.
As a Monegasque, you are in great demand here. Is it a more tiring weekend than the others?
Yes, in Monaco and Italy, it’s always very demanding and it’s not easy to manage. But I’m not complaining, it’s better that way than the other. It’s always very special to be in Monaco and I feel it every time.
What’s your opinion on Monaco marshals ?
They do an exceptional job and without them the Grand Prix could not take place. Coming to F1, I found out about them and realised how well prepared they are here. Even if throughout the season marshals on other circuits are well-trained, Monaco marshals are still a step above. They are really impressive and they play a major role for us and our safety.
© wri2.net – Jean-François Galeron
This is an historical date for Williams Formula 1 Team: this Monaco Grand Prix will be the 750th in the history of the squad founded in 1975 by by Sir Frank and his partner in crime, Sir Patrick Head. This accounts for races entered by Frank Williams Racing Cars in 1975, then Williams Grand Prix Engineering from 1978, but without including the time in 1976 when the Williams FW 05 cars driven by Jacky Ickx, Michel Leclère and Arturo Merzario carried the banner of Walter Wolf Racing, founded by the Canadian billionaire.
Then Williams won 9 Constructors world titles, 7 Drivers crowns, 114 F1 races, and the Didcot started going down, until it was bought out last year by an American investment fund. The staff has changed, the Williams family has retired, but the name stays and high ambitions are set by the new owners.
In order to make this 750th GP memorable, the very talented George Russell, who had subbed for Lewis Hamilton at Sakhir GP, last November, in a Mercedes, will carry a special helmet. And he has another idea to celebrate the occasion : getting into Q2 on Saturday afternoon. This would be quite an achievement !
Two World Champions, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, discussed the glorious history of Formula 1 on the eve of the first free practice sessions for Monaco Grand Prix 2021. The oldest of the two, the Spaniard, has been crowned twice (2005, 2006) with Renault F1. He now drives a blue Alpine, ha has already won in Monaco (2006, 2007), each time starting in pole, and he also won Le Mans 24 Hours for Toyota, but not yet at Indy 500. His experience his immense and he believes that the races of our times will be appreciated, in 20 or 30 years time, just as much as the 70s races are lauded today by nostalgic fans who miss the fights between Lotus, Ferrari, Tyrrell, Williams and McLaren.
© Olivier Caenen
« I don’t think we can compare cars and years, championships and driving styles », Alonso said on Wednesday. « I think that in those years, it was amazing to drive these cars in Monaco. I can only imagine how hard it was, and how tricky it was at the same time. Now we have cars that go 15 or 20 seconds faster per lap. But the challenge is still the same and you have to maximise the package that you have in your hands. It doesn’t matter if you’re running in 1’30s or in 1’10s, at the end of the day it is the same spirit that has to go into the driving. So I respect a lot what the F1 drivers of the past achieved, and how they were able to drive those cars. And now I think it will be the same respect in 20 or 30 years’ time when fans watch the races that we are doing now.”
A Monaco resident, Hamilton already won three times in the streets of the Principality, for McLaren (2008) and Mercedes (2016, 2019). He is still very excited by this very special track, after all these years : « Just driving the track, in practice or in the race, going through the tunnel, up into Casino, the whole experience for the weekend is mesmerising. And that never changes. The feeling of winning here is never any less. Every year is unique and special if you are lucky enough to get the opportunity », he adds. By the way, in his own match against Alonso, with regards to Monaco wins, Sir Lewis is leading 3-2…
Jaguar Racing posted the best two times of Free Practice 1, early morning on the Monaco track, with Sam Bird clocking a 1 :32.220 and Mitch Evans a 1 :32.253, only 33/1000 of a second behind his team-mate. On the full F1 layout (3.3 km), used for the first time this weekend in Formula E, all drivers enjoyed a 35-minute session since 10 minutes were lost because of a mechanical issue for Sergio Sette Camara (Dragon) who stopped at La Rascasse.
Mechanical issue for Sergio Sette Camara (Dragon)
The provisional Top 6 was completed by Robin Frijns (Virgin) in 3rd place, reigning champion Antonio Felix da Costa (DS Techeetah) in 4th and Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche) in 5th, ahead of World Championship leader Nyck de Vries (Mercedes EQ) in 6th place. A very promising result for five of the best current Formula E teams
In order to show how tough this day at the races will be, 15 drivers were grouped in one second in this very first session, the next one being scheduled for 10 :15 for 30 minutes only. Qualifying will start at noon, with 4 groups of 6 cars, and culminate with the Super Pole session, for the Top 6 drivers.
Free Practice 2 started, as scheduled, at 10 :15, for 30 minutes only, and finished with a similar result to FP1 : two Jaguars ahead, with only one change, Mitch Evans going faster than Sam Bird.
We had to wait for the last six minutes of this session until Max Günther (BMW) improved Bird’s time in FP1 : 1:32.105 thanks to a very useful power supplement (250 kW instead of 200) available, in order to prepare the mid-day qualification session. At that time, the German driver was ahead of his team-mate Jake Dennis, a rookie in FE this season but already a winner, at the end of Race 2 in Valencia last month.
However, on the complete 3.3km F1 track used for the first time this weekend by FE single-seaters, the perspective of a potential 1-2 for the BMW Andretti Team was first ruined by DS Techeetah, when Antonio Félix da Costa, the defending champion, clocking a very impressive 1:31.359. This was until Evans, the fastest Kiwi in the electric world, ended up with a 1:31.118 under the chequered flag marking the session end, ahead of team-mate Bird, only 185/1000th back. This was a good way to convince all potential spectators, around the track and on the internet, that they cannot afford to miss the qualification sessions, starting at noon : 4 groups of six cars, then Super Pole for the Top 6 drivers. Game on !
Portuguese defending Formula E champion Antonio Félix da Costa will start on pole for the 4th Monaco E-Prix, Saturday at 16 :03, after achieving an almost perfect lap in 1:31.317 during the Super Pole session, three hours before the start of the 7th leg of the 2021 season.
Da Costa had already started on pole this season, for Race 1 in Valencia last month. He was only 12/1000th faster than Dutchman Robin Frijns. On the second row, Mitch Evans’s Jaguar will start next to another DS Techeetah driven by Jean-Eric Vergne, the winner in 2019 here and double Formula E FIA champion.
The leader of the World Championship, Nyck de Vries (Mercedes), had a terrible qualifying session and will start in 23rd place, at the back of the grid.
Super Pole :
1. Da Costa ; 2. Frijns ; 3. Evans ; 4. Vergne ; 5. Günther ; 6. Rowland
Group 1 : Robin Frijns, Stoffel Vandoorne, Sam Bird, Nyck de Vries, Mitch Evans, René Rast
Robin Frijns 1:31.638
Mitch Evans + 0.134
René Rast + 0.487
Stoffel Vandoorne + 0.639
Sam Bird + 0.643
Nyck de Vries + 1.432
Group 2 : Nico Müller, Oliver Rowland, Jean-Eric Vergne, Jake Dennis, Edoardo Mortara, Pascal Wehrlein
Jean-Eric Vergne 1:31.839
Oliver Rowland + 0.011
Pascal Wehrlein + 0.061
Jake Dennis + 0.408
Edoardo Mortara + 0.490
Nico Müller + 0.505
Group 3 : Oliver Turvey, Antonio Félix Da Costa, Alexander Sims, André Lotterer, Nick Cassidy, Alex Lynn
Antonio Félix Da Costa : 1:31.832
Nick Cassidy : + 0.021
Alex Lynn : + 0.120
Alexander Sims : + 0.314
André Lotterer : + 0.507
Oliver Turvey : + 0.801
Group 4 : Sergio Sette Camara, Lucas di Grassi, Sébastien Buemi, Maximilian Günther, Norman Nato, Tom Blomqvist
Maximilian Günther 1:31.817
Norman Nato + 0.147
Sébastien Buemi + 0.392
Lucas di Grassi + 0.486
Tom Blomqvist + 0.813
Sergio Sette Camara OUT
