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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
There are 8 former winners of a race at Monaco Grand Prix, in three different categories, among the very competitive field of drivers entered in this year’s 4th Monaco E-Prix. Two of them won in F2, formerly called GP2, Sam Bird and Stoffel Vandoorne. Most of the 24 drivers know this track, except five who had never experienced the long F1 version (3.3km) until this morning.
In 2009, Oliver Turvey won a Formula Renault race in the streets of Monaco, then René Rast won as well the next two years, but aboard a Porsche entered in the very glamourous SuperCup. Another talented British driver, Sam Bird, beat all his rivals two years in a row, but in two different categories, Formula Renault in 2012, then GP2 (now F2) in 2013. That same year, Nico Müller won the Formula Renault race included in the schedule of the World Series by Renault. A rookie this year in FE, Norman Nato also won in this category, in 2014. And two weeks only after the first ever Monaco E-Prix, in May 2015, Stoffel Vandoorne won in GP2 (F2), just like Bird.
Two years later, in 2017, Oliver Rowland won the feature race in F2 (formerly GP2), on Saturday, while Nyck de Vries won the sprint race on Sunday morning. The Dutch wonder, who lead the FE World Championship after Valencia last month, for Mercedes EQ, doubled his tally in 2019, still in F2, when he won the feature race for ART Grand Prix.
Among the 24 drivers on the grid this Saturday, five only never used the track in F1 Grand Prix mode : Jake Dennis, Alexander Sims, André Lotterer, Nick Cassidy and Tom Blomqvist. They all discovered the 3.3km version this morning during free practice 1 and 2. Last but not least, five of them, as well, raced here in F1 : Seb Buemi, Jean-Eric Vergne, Stoffel Vandoorne, Pascal Werhlein, Luca di Grassi. The best result was achieved by JEV, 8th in 2013 in a Toro Rosso with a Ferrari engine.
Robin Frijns, the Dutch leader of the Envision Virgin team, is now leading the Formula E World Championship after the Monaco race, although he has not yet won a race in Season 7. Thanks to 62 points collected in 7 races and less than three months, he is ahead of three Top Teams, Mercedes EQ (De Vries 2nd, Vandoorne 6th), Jaguar (Evans 3rd, Bird 5th) and DS Techeetah (Da Costa 4th, Vergne 7th). All the drivers of these three teams have won at least one race this season, except Evans. Mercedes EQ is still leading the Constructors Championship, despite a terrible Saturday in the streets of the Principality (De Vries 20th, Vandoorne 22nd).
Formula E World Championship standings after Monaco (Race 7):
Drivers:
…
Constructors:
…
The history between the Monegasque circuit and electric races started in 2015. Launched few months ago in Pekin on September 2014, Formula E is the only single-seater motorsport championship that uses only electric cars and recognized by the FIA. 11 dates are on the calendar for this first season, with only temporary city-centre street circuits. 10 teams are enlisted on the Championship, who shows the interest of famous manufacturers as Renault, Audi or even Venturi.
For this first year, Monaco, with its legendary street circuit was a key essential venue for the promotor on its calendar. « This is the most traditional race in the history” said the Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag. “The first Grand Prix back to 14 April 1929. This remains a very important date. And this Saturday will also register as another historic moment for the Formula E and for Monaco as well. A special day for the whole motorsport. »
Round seven of the FIA Formula E Championship, the first edition of the Monaco ePrix took place on May 9, 2015, on a revisited track: 12-turns, 1.76km layout which uses the same start-finish line and pit complex but rather than continue up the hill to Casino Square the cars will take a sharp turn at Sainte Devote and re-join at the exit of the tunnel.
Monaco Grand Prix race winner (2004 / Renault) Jarno Trulli said: “I think it’s a reasonably good track and obviously the location is fantastic. It takes in half of the Formula 1 circuit, which is enough for the Formula E car and I’m sure it’s going to be good for overtaking. You can see that going down into the first corner there is a hairpin, then we head rearwards down towards the tunnel (Turn 3), where there is another hard braking with a possible overtaking point.”
The Italian driver was right. The start of this 2015 Monaco ePrix was marked by a big collision between Daniel Abt and Bruno Senna after few meters in the race, forcing the safety car to intervene.
Former Toro Rosso driver in F1, Sébastien Buemi, who claimed pole position, dominated the entirety of this first electric race in the history of the Principality. Despite the attempts of the Brazilian Lucas di Grassi (early pit stop), the Swiss driver of the e.dams Renault Team was the first to cross the finish line. The podium was complete by two Brazilians (di Grassi & Piquet). With the Fan Boost use, Jean-Eric Vergne did the fastest lap.
“Winning in Monaco is a special feeling. I knew nobody had ever won in Formula E starting from the pole position so I’m glad to get there”.
Suspense for the 4 following races on the Formula E calendar. This trio on the podium is now in the first 3 places. Few weeks later, Nelson Piquet Jr. will become the first driver to win the Formula E Championship, one point ahead of Sebastien Buemi. This first edition will remain a sporting success and in terms of public attendance with full grandstand on this Saturday 09 May.
Full race :
https://youtu.be/nLz5M6fWIIo
Photos : Michael Alesi / Jean-Marc Follete
Fifty years after its maiden overall win on the Monte-Carlo Rally in 1971, Alpine returned to the crown jewel of the FIA World Rally Championship calendar. Despite tricky and unpredictable conditions, the five Alpine A110 Rallys at the start made it to the finish and dominated the FIA R-GT and two-wheel drive categories.
Victorious on its reappearance on the world rally scene last month at the ACI Rally Monza, Alpine renewed its relationship with a genuine motorsport monument this weekend.
Known for its atypical conditions that can include rain, snow, ice and fog in the same special stage, the Monte-Carlo Rally remains one of the most prestigious events on the international calendar.
Dreaded by everyone, its challenges enabled Alpine to forge its legend: first with the category win of Jacques Feret with the Alpine A108 in 1964, then the success of Ove Andersson in the Alpine A110 1600S in 1971, and finally the sweep of the podium by the Alpine A110 1800s to begin the World Rally Championship in 1973.
Despite an itinerary adapted to curfew measures and an edition held without spectators, the 89th Monte-Carlo Rally lived up to all its promise by offering competitors the full range of all the possible traps for the 110th anniversary of the event.
In his first Monte-Carlo Rally, Manu Guigou led the Alpine A110 Rallys to victory in the R-GT and two-wheel drive categories while finishing 22nd overall. Leader of the R-GT category from SS2, the Frenchman won ahead of 2018 FIA R-GT Champion Raphaël Astier and Cédric Robert.
Thanks to these impressive performances, Alpine can worthily celebrate the 50th anniversary of its first overall victory in Monte-Carlo in 1971. Just like this year, Alpine demonstrated extraordinary reliability as five of the Alpine A110s entered officially completed the rally back then!
After the cancellation of the Historic and Formula 1 Grands Prix due to the Covid-19 epidemic, the Automobile Club de Monaco, following the bad weather related to the Alex Storm, decided to give up the kick-off of the 5th E-Rallye Monte-Carlo, which was to be held from October 22 to 25.
This 5thedition promised to be brilliant, due to the record number of 49 entries which was a world first in the discipline.
The distress of the inhabitants, especially of the Vesubie and Roya valleys, could only encourage us to consider the tragedies that have occurred, rather than the interest of a sporting event.
Consequently, the Organizing Committee of the 5thE-Rallye Monte-Carlo has decided to cancel the event altogether.
On the other hand, the staff of Marshals actually available are ready to help the municipalities affected by the disaster.
Already, in consultation with the town halls concerned, three convoys are sent in the direction of Bollene-Vesubie, Breil sur Roya and Tende, with essential equipment, taking into account in particular the early winter conditions which aggravate the situation.
Devastated by the tragedy, the Automobile Club de Monaco and its volunteers are profoundly motivated and enlisted by this solidarity and mutual aid operation…
Monaco, October 7, 2020
For this 5th edition of the E-Rallye Monte-Carlo, the Automobile Club de Monaco beats its participation record with 49 crews registered.
See you from the 22nd to the 25th October 2020.
For this 2020 edition of the E-Rallye Monte-Carlo, the Organizing Committee of the Automobile Club de Monaco has decided to focus its event exceptionally around the Principality by proposing, despite the actual situation, a new route, in the Alpes-Maritimes and Var departments.
Reducing the total mileage but not the number of 220 stage kilometers, as stipulated by the international regulations of the discipline, while keeping an equivalent number of regularity stages (SR), this was the equation to be solved, to allow competitors to make the most of the event in a minimum number of competition days. The Organizing Committee of the Automobile Club de Monaco has adapted to redefine the route as a whole and offers an alternative to the initial plans which should delight all participants. But this concentration does not mean simplification of the E-Rally Monte-Carlo difficulties, it is a certainty!
Provisional Program
Publication of the Supplementary Regulations & Opening date for entries:
Friday 21st August 2020
Closing date for entries:
Friday 25th September 2020
Entry list publication:
Friday 2nd October 2020
LEG 1 – Thursday 22/10/2020 (150 km)
Start from MONACO – Quai des États-Unis
SR 1 – La Bollène-Vésubie / Peïra-Cava (Alpes-Maritimes)
SR 2 – La Cabanette / Coaraze (Alpes-Maritimes)
Back to MONACO – Quai des États-Unis
LEG 2 – FRIDAY 23/10/2020 (360 km)
Start from MONACO – Quai des États-Unis
SR 3 – Col de Gratteloup / Vidauban (Var)
SR 4 – Grimaud / Gonfaron (Var)
Regroup – Le Luc (Var)
SR 5 – La Motte / Bagnols-en-Forêt (Var)
SR 6 – Pont de Pré-Claou / Montauroux (Var)
Back to MONACO – Quai des États-Unis
LEG 3 – Saturday 24/10/2020 (120 km)
Start from MONACO – Quai des États-Unis
SR 7 – Col de Castillon / La Cabanette (Alpes-Maritimes)
SR 8 – Peïra-Cava / Sospel (Alpes-Maritimes)
Back to MONACO – Quai des États-Unis
LEG 4 – Saturday & Sunday 24-25/10/2020 (120 km)
Start from MONACO – Quai des États-Unis
SR 9 – Sospel / Peïra-Cava (Alpes-Maritimes)
SR 10 – La Cabanette / Col de Castillon (Alpes-Maritimes)
Back to MONACO – Quai des États-Unis
Monaco, June 12, 2020
