Formula One 2017: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

There’s really nothing at all the same about today’s race and Monaco’s joyless ‘follow the leader fest’ other than the tire choices (Ultra Soft, Super Soft, and Soft) and the fact that it’s a street track where the cars leave marks on the walls because there are no run off areas.

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve takes up basically all of the Île Notre-Dame which in off season is the Parc Jean-Drapea and, because it is not hemmed by commercial development, actually is kind of a race track with straights you can really call straight and opportunities to pass.

While very fast it’s incredibly easy on tires and it would be entirely possible to run a one stop solely on the Ultra Softs (the softest available) if regulations permitted it. In Practice and Qualifying Scuderia Marlboro has shown speed even on the Softs and a frequent complaint of Mercedes drivers is that the team has yet to show that they can be competitive on the harder compounds.

Speaking of driver complaints, Fernando Alonso is tired of driving bricks and is looking for a ride that can win him another championship. Good luck with that. He could probably snag a seat with Renault, maybe Red Bull, but Ferrari is finished with him and Vettel doesn’t like rivals. Mercedes seems happy enough with Bottas, so where’s he going to go? Of course after Memorial Day that could be Indy Car but I’m not sure he’d be happy driving Mad Max all the time. Yesterday in Texas they finished under Yellow and lost 2 thirds of the field again.

Owners are also not happy. Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull dump over $200 Million a year into their programs, everyone else is less than half of that. I, of course, think the solution is to allow more on track testing (cheaper and more comprehensive than wind tunnels and simulations) and introducing more variables into the equation like in race fueling. I also think you might save some money relaxing the engine durability rules which are ridiculously restrictive.

Hamilton on Pole which he really needs if he’s going to stay in the hunt with Vettel (some controversy over whether team orders have been stifling Raikkonen). It ties him with Senna 3 behind Schumacher but basically it’s Mercedes, Ferrari, Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, and everyone else.

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    • on 06/11/2017 at 14:04
      Author

    Vent Hole

    • on 06/11/2017 at 14:05
      Author

    Oops, already racing, Sainz collects Massa after being hit.

    • on 06/11/2017 at 14:06
      Author

    Looks like it was Grosjean who initiated

    • on 06/11/2017 at 14:08
      Author

    Safety Car of course. Lap 2 of 70

    • on 06/11/2017 at 14:11
      Author

    Racing again. Vettel has wing damage, Verstappen passes.

    • on 06/11/2017 at 14:12
      Author

    Vettel pits for a new wing

    • on 06/11/2017 at 14:13
      Author

    Lap 5 of 70

    Hamilton
    Verstappen
    Bottas
    Ricciardo
    Perez
    Raikkonen
    Ocon
    Hulkenberg
    Kvyat
    Alonso

    • on 06/11/2017 at 14:13
      Author

    Vettel at the rear

    • on 06/11/2017 at 14:19
      Author

    Lap 10 of 70

    Hamilton
    Bottas
    Ricciardo
    Perez
    Raikkonen
    Ocon
    Hulkenberg
    Kvyat
    Alonso
    Vandoorne

    • on 06/11/2017 at 14:20
      Author

    And Vertstappen stops.

    So Mercedes 1 & 2

    • on 06/11/2017 at 14:20
      Author

    Hulkenberg, Palmer, and Ericsson pit

    • on 06/11/2017 at 14:22
      Author

    Virtual Safety for Verstappen

    • on 06/11/2017 at 14:27
      Author

    Lap 15 of 70

    Hamilton
    Bottas
    Ricciardo
    Perez
    Raikkonen
    Ocon
    Alonso
    Magnussen
    Stroll
    Hulkenberg

    • on 06/11/2017 at 14:31
      Author

    Perez pits

    • on 06/11/2017 at 14:33
      Author

    Lap 20 of 70

    Hamilton
    Bottas
    Ocon
    Ricciardo
    Alonso
    Perez
    Raikkonen
    Magnussen
    Vettel
    Stroll

    • on 06/11/2017 at 14:40
      Author

    Lap 25 of 70

    Hamilton
    Ocon
    Bottas
    Ricciardo
    Perez
    Raikkonen
    Alonso
    Vettel
    Magtnussen
    Hulkenberg

    • on 06/11/2017 at 14:44
      Author

    Bottas has pitted, that’s why he’s behind Ocon. Hamilton has more than the pit delta, but seems to be content to lead.

    • on 06/11/2017 at 14:46
      Author

    Lap 30 of 70

    Hamilton
    Ocon
    Bottas
    Ricciardo
    Perez
    Raikkonen
    Vettel
    Alonso
    Hulkenberg
    Kvyat

    • on 06/11/2017 at 14:47
      Author

    Hamilton pits

    • on 06/11/2017 at 14:48
      Author

    Ocon pits

    • on 06/11/2017 at 14:52
      Author

    Lap 35 of 70

    Hamilton
    Bottas
    Ricciardo
    Perez
    Raikkonen
    Ocon
    Vettel
    Alonso
    Hulkenberg
    Kvyat

    • on 06/11/2017 at 14:59
      Author

    Lap 40 of 70

    Hamilton
    Bottas
    Ricciardo
    Perez
    Raikkonen
    Ocon
    Vettel
    Alonso
    Hulkenberg
    Kvyat

    • on 06/11/2017 at 14:59
      Author

    Rakkonen pits

    • on 06/11/2017 at 15:00
      Author

    Wehlein pits

    • on 06/11/2017 at 15:01
      Author

    Alonso pits

    • on 06/11/2017 at 15:06
      Author

    Lap 45 of 70

    Hamilton
    Bottas
    Ricciardo
    Perez
    Ocon
    Vettel
    Raikkonen
    Hulkenberg
    Kvyat
    Magnussen

    • on 06/11/2017 at 15:06
      Author

    Magnussen pits

    • on 06/11/2017 at 15:10
      Author

    Vettel pits

    • on 06/11/2017 at 15:13
      Author

    Lap 51 of 70

    Hamilton
    Bottas
    Ricciardo
    Perez
    Ocon
    Raikkonen
    Vettel
    Hulkenberg
    Kvyat
    Stroll

    • on 06/11/2017 at 15:15
      Author

    Kvyat pits

    • on 06/11/2017 at 15:18
      Author

    Lap 55 of 70

    Hamilton
    Bottas
    Ricciardo
    Perez
    Ocon
    Raikkonen
    Vettel
    Hulkenberg
    Stroll
    Alonso

    • on 06/11/2017 at 15:21
      Author

    Kvyat parked

    • on 06/11/2017 at 15:25
      Author

    Lap 61 of 70

    Hamilton
    Bottas
    Ricciardo
    Perez
    Ocon
    Vettel
    Raikkonen
    Hulkenberg
    Stroll
    Alonso

    • on 06/11/2017 at 15:31
      Author

    Lap 65 of 70

    Hamilton
    Bottas
    Ricciardo
    Perez
    Vettel
    Ocon
    Raikkonen
    Raikkonen
    Hulkenberg
    Stroll
    Alonso

    • on 06/11/2017 at 15:34
      Author

    Alonso stops

    • on 06/11/2017 at 15:37
      Author

    Final

    Hamilton
    Bottas
    Ricciardo
    Vettel
    Perez
    Ocon
    Raikkonen
    Hulkenberg
    Stroll
    Grosjean

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