Concerns Over Monaco Qualy

Some drivers in F1 have voiced their concerns over qualifying for next weekends Monte Carlo Grand Prix. Jacques Villeneuve and Mark Webber have both suggested that 22 cars trying to set lap times in the short 15 minute first session could be dangerous. Villeneuve went on to say that he hoped nobody was planning on playing “games” and Webber warned drivers “that if they back off they really have to look in their mirrors”.

Hang on a minute, isn’t Formula One a dangerous sport anyway? I know it is much safer now than it was even 10 years ago, but that still doesn’t rule out any dangers that come with driving a car at 180mph!

Secondly, qualifying in the days before the FIA meddled with it was a 15 minute 20+ car shoot-out. All the drivers would go out in the dying quarter of the session to post a lap because the circuit was invariably quicker.

And thirdly, Monaco is a tight and twisty circuit that will penalise even the smallest of errors. The barriers and lack of run-off areas always catch one or two drivers out over the course of the weekend, and this is in itself part of the charm of the magical track. No other Grand Prix comes close to the challenges presented by Monte Carlo, and is one reason why it is still so popular.

Well, that and the casinos!

So quit your whining and your moaning and get on with it, for crying out loud.