Race Review: Monaco Grand Prix

Tag Heuer grid girls atmosphere. Monaco Street Circuit 26/05/12. ©2012 WRI2. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: www.wri2.net

Beautiful location, Check. Royalties, Check. Challenging street circuit, check. The Monaco Grand Prix is like no other Grand Prix. Drivers who have won here show an extra twinkle in their eyes when they recall their win. The prestige of winning here is priceless.

Much of that, surely, is due to the mental and physical demands of racing at top speeds for 78 laps, where smallest of errors through the narrow streets can bring the race to an abrupt end; another part is that legends are made on this track. Ayrton Senna won 6 times at this track. Schumacher 5 times. All the championship top contenders for this season have won once or twice around this track before.

This year is no different. One particular contender, Mark Webber, often overlooked and over-shadowed by double World Champion teammate, came out a-blazing and took home the Gold medal. Vindication through victory has never been sweeter. It was as if stars were aligned for Webber to win at Monaco.

First, Schumacher lost the all-important pole position after qualifying due to a 5-place grid drop penalty, resulted from running into Bruno Senna in the last race. It must have been bittersweet for Schumacher to come so close to leading the race to fighting all the way, and ultimately out of the race due to car troubles. The luck continued for Webber when Vettel qualified 9th. With a pole position at hand on a track where it's nearly impossible to overtake, raindrops that teased but never came until after the race, Webber sealed the win with a spectacular well-deserved drive. He also won the Best Post-race Five o'clock shadow in my books. Rosberg still won Best Post-race hair though, someone please find out what shampoo he uses!

I didn't see too much of the grid girls on the race coverage, but the few shots I saw left me wondering where is the glamour and classy factor in the outfit. An upside-down triangle cutout near the bosoms in a white top over black shorts? I didn’t know what to expect but I certainly expected more from Monaco! Well, hopefully the grid girls outfit will improve in the Canadian Grand Prix on weekend of 6/8!

Monaco Race Preview

It's not often that I get to talk about hairpin in an F1 post. When the opportunity comes up, I can't let it pass. You see, I own quite a few hairpins, in different colors, shapes and some even with fabric flowers attached to it. Really, what's not to love about hairpin?

Alright, alright. Back to the real topic at hand - Monaco Grand Prix this weekend. The Hairpin I want to talk about is actually the Hairpin at the Monaco street circuit aka Turn 6. Turn 6 demands the race drivers to slow down to snail speed and negotiate a sharp 180 degree turn and then accelerate onto the next turn. Lucky guests (with the luckiest ones hanging out on the rooftop swimming pool) at Fairmont Monte Carlo get the best view of this challenging turn. I swear, one day I will be there, live-blogging the race from the rooftop swimming pool.

Even more challenging than Turn 6 is The Tunnel. One moment you're high-speeding through a winding tunnel, next moment you're hurtling through open road again with blinding sun in your eyes. How the race drivers manage to follow their racing lines without a moment of hesitation is beyond my comprehension. I'm amazed every lap of the way.

"The track is always asking you to give more." said Red Bull's Mark Webber. "If you bite and try to give it more then you crash so it’s a very, very challenging circuit mentally."

While the Monaco Grand Prix is set in the most glamorous of locations, the Monaco street circuit is no doubt unforgiving. I can't wait to see the drivers coming through the Hairpin and the Tunnel on the Monaco Grand Prix. I hope Hamilton will finally get to the top of the podium, it's time for a win for him, don't you think? Alas, it's really anyone's race to win though, if the last five races are any indications. Who are you rooting for this race weekend?

American Conor Daly To Test Force India F1 Car

American GP3 driver Conor Daly gets fitted in the Sahara Force India VJM05, May 15th, 2012

Coming off of a spectacular win in the GP3 series at Barcelona, American racer Conor Daly is getting his chance to join the Formula 1 club as the Sahara Force India team announced that Conor will be testing some car configurations tomorrow in England.  Conor will be helping Force India test out various aerodynamic options and collecting data as they look to improve the VJM05 car for the 2012 season.

Yesterday, Conor was fitted for a seat in preparation for Thursday's test and had the following to say about the opportunity:

Someone seriouisly might have to pinch or kick me because I feel like I'm dreaming! So thankful for this opportunity.

Over the weekend, Conor secured his first win for the Lotus GP team at the Barcelona GP3 Series race, garnering the attention of many in the Formula 1 scene, including Stefano Domenicali, the Ferrari team principal, and former F1 world champion and American driver, Mario Andretti, who tweeted:

Conor's performance in the GP3 series has proven he is a great fit for the sport, and entering as a testing role for an up-and-coming team like Force India will be a great match for him.  With Alexander Rossi testing with the Caterham F1 Team and now Conor Daly's position with Force India, evidence is mounting that the teams are keen to gain American eyes on their cars.  It could be just a matter of months before we see one of these talented Americans on the grid for the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas.