Monaco Grand Prix Analysis

Controversy on the very last lap of the very last session of qualifying by none other than Michael Schumacher! That, combined with Massas shunt in the first session meant that the two Ferraris were relegated to the back of the grid! Now that is a sight rarely seen!

Another one who suffered in qualifying was Jenson Button. The poor fellow struggled, and it was not because of traffic. Even his race pace was so bad, one has to wonder why he is driving very poorly of late.

So... Did Schumacher deliberately 'accidentally' lose control at the Rascasse corner? The majority of the Fomula 1 personalities certainly thought so. Personally, I think he did the moment I saw him 'lose' control of the car. It just seemed so convenient, so timely, that it had to be more than just a coincidence. Even before the rumours started flying, I suspected something foul. And it was echoed by the TV presenters and the other teams. I think the race stewards did the right thing by putting him in the back of the grid. It sends a message that such tactics will not be tolerated.

Now, on to the race...

The first few laps of the race were exciting as Raikonnen passed Webber and kept it very close to Alonso. I have to commend Alonso for keeping his cool and not letting the sight of Raikonnen in his mirrors affect his driving. Things were quiet, until peoples engines started blowing up, starting with Mark Webber. I really felt sorry for him as I think he genuinely had the pace to keep up with Raikonnen and Alonso. A few laps later, Raikonnens engine blew up as well, which was strange because it was under safety car conditions. This opened the door for Montoya, who quickly moved into second place. The battle for third was interesting as there were a gaggle of cars following each other. Trulli seemed to be poised for a podium finish but his engine lost power a few laps to the finish. All of a sudden, Coulthard had third place! Now all he had to do was make it to the end. The whole Red Bull paddock was tense as they counted down the laps. And he made it! A well deserved third place finish for the Scotsman, who went up to claim his trophy wearing a Superman cape! It was all part of the sponsorship deal of Red Bull who were promoting the movie. It looked good, matching his blue racing suit. I hope he gets more podiums... I love rooting for the underdog!

Move of the day: When Raikonnens engine blew up, he simply got out of his car and started walking... not to the pit area, but to the docks, where his yacht was moored. Before we knew it, the cameras focused on him aboard his yacht without his shirt, surrounded by his friends, all while the race was still taking place! Only in Monaco, baby, only in Monaco...

Next stop... Silverstone, home of the British Grand Prix!

Life is Beautiful!