Monaco strategies??

[Inigo Montoya]

What do you think the top teams will do? Given the difficulty in passing in Monaco, this should be particularly interesting. Do you go light in qualifying to get ahead of the traditional backmarkers, pit early and hope that your rivals will be held up? Or do you fill it up to the brim and wait for everyone else to pit?

Should be interesting!

[speedbump]

That's a tough one ?????
You got to take a risk on this course.

I'd mabe go with a 1 stop.
The stop would be early so you'd be fairly light on fuel and get a good qualifying position than fill it up on your one and only stop.

Tiers may not be an issue on this track.

I really wonder what teams may do.
Qualifying is so important.

[Raven]

I reckon most teams will go for a 2 stop on one car and a 3 stop on the other. It will be interesting to see if anyone actually goes for a 1 stop, they'd be compromising their qualifying a fair deal if they do.

[paddywic]

I predict quite a few casualties at this one, firman could do a sato and a tight fight up front between the Macs and the Reds could yeild some nice scraps, even a clash. Montoya seems to be setting up nicely in the Williams so he could also be pushing.
I see a great deal of parity between fuel stops, a mistake like ferrari's last race would not be forgiven in time or position, so everyone will be on edge.
I predict, Montoya, Kimi, M Shumi.

[Wrex]

Oddly enough, I think the success or failure of any strategy this weekend will largly depend on the opposition choices. Places wont we won on stategy, just lost.

A 3 stopper will get an early advantage but if you come out behind a slower car thats on a one stopper you could have your finished (see DC and Bernoldi).

A traditional one stopper could be risky. You could slip down the grid and spend so much time behind a slower car that that the 2 stoppers could build and lead and get out before you get a chance to catch up.

IMO, the top teams will most likely go for a 2 stop (and make the first one at around 25% distance. This should give the optimum balance between race speed and grid position.

[Glen]

Three stops is very unlikely - this is a one stop race because the time lost to stop is so much. I can belive that some teams might have a short one stop, and others might even go for a short two with the hope of controlling the race for a while, but this doesn't alter the fact that the theoretical quickest way to the end is via a single stop. Qualifying on the front row is no use if you have to stop so much that you re-join in the middle of the pack, because that is exactly the situation you would have been trying to avoid in the first place - ie being stuck with cars ahead of you.

One major complication is the ultra-soft tyres - last year's Michelins were coming apart alarmingly and actually wouldn't cope with one stop on the Williams. The cars that are easier on tyres, such as McLaren and Renault (and BAR and Ferrari on the Bridgestones) will have a bit of an edge with being able to go a little bit softer, and thus give themselves a great chance in qualifying.

The great thing about Monaco is that is is possible to make a big difference with the driving, so those that are responding well to one lap qualifying will like it - Schumacher (M), Alonso, Webber and Montoya for the first two rows?

[Mania]

2 Stops are probably more likely..with people like the Renaults and the Jaguars going for a very light first stint..Williams will probably stop later..as will Mclaren and Ferrari..

I dont think 3 stops are going to work out..it takes a long time to make pit stops in Monaco

[Dutton]

I see it being one stops and two stops (could be a few of them). I agree a thjree is not that likely, but possible: it happened in 1994 after all... I will answer this again after practice and qualy on Thursday.

Okay, time for Neighbours. ttfn.

[Bononi]

Three stops would be suicide, no team (the top ones at least) would risk to do that without previously knowing what the others would do. I reckon that a one pit stop is risky too, but if there's a team that can do it, definitely is MacLaren.

[BootsOntheSide]

I think Michael and Alonso are the most likely to three-stop. They will have to get to the front at the start, and build up enough of a cushion over the 2-stoppers to avoid getting stuck behind them.

Running a 2-stopper with the first stop at 25%, as suggested, also makes good sense, as track position is vital.

Sauber will probably run light, pitting form the front row on the warm up lap I guess. Fisichella will then forget his grid slot.

[jetsetter]

I'd lean towards a one stopper & hope to make up positions through pit stops.

[Redlake27]

i'd go for a late two stop, giving the option of switching to a one stop if things were going pear shaped

[Asp]

This is probably the most difficult circuit to work out - it's the one where grid position is most important, and where a 1 stopper is potentially the only way to go.

So I'd do both. Fill it as light as possible to get to a one stop window - and hope that you don't get held up by anyone and can build up a nice lead!

[twig]

Since there is really no passing on the track. Very few cars will qualify light, because only two cars will be able to make an advantage of being in a good qual position, (1/2) and the rest will run heavy.

I can really see an accident happening when a faster car tries to pass a slower one, either at the start, or early. Will we ever have a safety car period? because we really havent had one for a while there.

[Glen]

Notwithstanding driver errors in the single lap there should be no instance of faster car being stuck behind slower one at the start - because if it is a faster car it will have qualified ahead of the slower one.

[twig]

yes, but taking into account the fuel loads, as well as making a mistake, which will definately happen.
As we saw at Sepang, faster cars with more fuel will or could pass slower cars with less fuel.

[Wrex]

Forget the fuel strategy, this weekend will be down to the driver on Saturday.

Too careful, and you just lost 6 postions and got stuck behind some slower cars that ruin your strategy. Overcook it, and your in for a loooooong Sunday.

Whatever the strategy, it will come down to the individual drivers making it work for them, on both Saturday and Sunday.

[Glen]

No (twig). You put more fuel in and it makes it a slower car - that's how it gets stuck behind the other one! The main way that a car with pace to spare will find itself stuck is by being too cautious (or not cautious enough) on Saturday. Plus some "weather" luck. But you get the point - the quick car is only slowed by the extra fuel - they all weigh the same with empty tanks.

At least his year we won't get all that whining about spoiled laps.

[Bononi]

Uhn... hey the first qualifying will be on Thursday ????

[golem]

What about a 1 stop at somewhere around 42-46% race distance. Get the driver to qualify on fuel for such a distance, have them drive the tyres fairly hard in that first stint, then load up for a smoother, longer second run. That'd be my slower car tactic.

Renault maybe go longer in the first, hope that Fazzas pit before them and their drivers can stay in striking range, and with the last of the tyres and low fuel put in 4 laps faster than the just out of pits cars, short stop for second, shorter stint where hopefully they can get out in front.

Fazza would maybe inclined to go longish? Schu can qualify well for any given fuel load with that car. This allows them to watch their opponents in front.

[high contrast]

Low fuel load has gotta to be the best bet, you'd lose too much time on the road behind slow cars with a heavy car, defeating any advantage.
A light car at the front should be able to make up useful time in the early running.

But where you re enter the race is the main problem as I see it.

[Adam43]

I'd so what is theoretically quickest. That is likely to be a 1 stopper. If someone qualifies ahead because of a light fuel load then he'll still be quicker at the begining of the race, let him go. Eventually he'll stop and come back out behind you and maybe some others.

The race should pan out to the advantage of those who simply chose the quickest strategy.