Monaco

[Monty]

Watching FP1 on Sky (work is over rated anyway!). Hamilton and Vettel look like they are in a class of their own. They are consistently banging in times considerably quicker than anyone else.
Hamilton is 0.4 ahead of Vettel and Vettel is a further 0.5 ahead of Kimi. Rosberg is close to Kimi but then there is another half second back to Massa.
Button's car has suffered from the same ERS problem and he only got out with 20minutes to go!

[Steve A.]

Looks like Button is in for a troubled season, shame to go out on a low if it is his last season. Pray for rain during qauli,  to mix it up a bit and maybe make it a bit more of a race. I just hope it's not a procession.

[J.Clark]

  Max putting his .1 seconds behind Lewis in Free Practice 1.
1.  Hamilton   Mercedes   1m 18.750
2.  Verstappen    Toro Rosso   1m 18.899
3.  Ricciardo   Red Bull   1m 19.086
4.  Vettel      Ferrari   1m 19.134
5.  Sainz Jr      Toro Rosso   1m 19.245
6.  Maldonado   Lotus    1m 19.454
7.  Kvyat      Red Bull   1m 19.520
8.  Raikkonen   Ferrari   1m 19.679
9.  Rosberg      Mercedes   1m 19.762
10. Massa      Williams   1m 19.766
11. Alonso      McLaren   1m 19.791
12. Button      McLaren   1m 20.202
13. Grosjean   Lotus    1m 20.274
14. Perez      Force India   1m 20.619
15. Hulkenberg   Force India   1m 20.784
16. Nasr      Sauber   1m 20.857
17. Bottas      Williams   1m 20.917
18. Ericsson   Sauber   1m 21.219
19. Stevens   Manor    1m 23.234
20. Merhi      Manor    1m 23.404

[Monty]

Hamilton went almost a second faster in FP2 before the rain came. He was fast in the rain as well!
I think it will be a Mercedes benefit unless something happens in qualifying (like your team mate cheating by ruining your fast lap!).
A wet qualifying would certainly be interesting but the forecast for Saturday is good.

[John S]

Looks like Button is in for a troubled season, shame to go out on a low if it is his last season.

All this talk of Jens last season is rubbish IMHO, he's got a two year contract with Macca so he'll be there come Aus GP 2016.

 

[Irisado]

It was a very uneventful practice today.  I hope that the meeting livens up on Saturday and Sunday.  If it rains, it would make things interesting, but apparently the chances of that are receding.

Still, things can always happen at Monaco, so I'm going to be optimistic.  Let's hope for a slightly mixed up grid and an evenful race.

[J.Clark]

This is interesting view for particularly for those who have never been to Monaco.  The barriers are in place obviously, but this is what normal traffic looks like, even when there is no race.

https://www.facebook.com/massafelipe19/videos/vb.406696696171136/457020924472046/?type=2&theater

[Ian]

Good one J.C, pretty tight eh. 

[cosworth151]

Very cool, J.C. REminded me of the one Tiago Monteiro did for the 2006 season dvd. The track is the same.



Some of us oldsters remember that, up until about 10 years ago, most team garages were up in the hills. The drivers drove their cars down to the track every morning & back up every night.

[cosworth151]

A little something to get you all in the mood.

Monaco 1960:



...and 1965:

[Steve A.]

For anyone in the UK, there is a program on BBC 2 this afternoon at 4:10, Formula 1 Rewind. Showing coverage of the Monaco race over the years. Might be worth a look, I'll be recording it to watch later.

[Wizzo]

Thanks DH1, I'll be recording that for sure. 

[J.Clark]

Thanks Cos - nice clips.

FP3:
1.  Vettel      Ferrari   1m 16.143
2. Rosberg      Mercedes   1m 16.361
3.  Hamilton   Mercedes   1m 16.705
4.  Ricciardo   Red Bull   1m 17.120
5.  Sainz Jr      Toro Rosso   1m 17.256
6.  Raikkonen   Ferrari   1m 17.401
7.  Kvyat      Red Bull   1m 17.471
8.  Button      McLaren   1m 17.767
9.  Verstappen    Toro Rosso   1m 17.788
10. Grosjean   Lotus           1m 17.806
11. Perez      Force India   1m 17.832
12. Maldonado   Lotus    1m 17.956
13. Hulkenberg   Force India   1m 18.102
14. Alonso      McLaren   1m 18.197
15. Bottas      Williams   1m 18.212
16. Massa      Williams   1m 18.242
17. Nasr      Sauber   1m 18.767
18. Ericsson   Sauber   1m 19.269

Great work from Vettel.
Nico looks stronger since his win.
Button did well too.
What the heck is going on with Williams???
19. Stevens   Manor    1m 21.093
20. Merhi      Manor    1m 22.225

[J.Clark]

I guess with the passing of time, we will find out what happened to Massa.  It was never discussed during the race in the NBCSports coverage of what happened, other than perhaps we'll get to see a reply, which never came.

Lewis handled the interview fairly well I thought, all things considered.

I am happy for Nico and Vettel though.

Button has to be absolutely elated!

[Dare]

Another F1 procession made a little more
watchable by the big pit stop for Lewis.

Nice to see Ferrari back though I wonder what Kimi's
problem is.Now this is only my personal opinion I
wouldn't be surprised to see Bottas in his seat next year.

I too wonder what happened to Massa?Well on to Canada