Hi guys, 3 days till the 1st practice session on a really special track from the f1 calendar. Tradition and history go together with glamour and excitement at this event.
And because it is so unique, strategy here will be more vital than anywhere else, even in Spain, because overtaking here is not just difficult, it is barely close to impossible (but not quite, as Michael proved last year at the last corner of the last lap
)
So lets leave the fan-boyism beside and discuss... the pit stops . A question to you all: what do you think about the following strategy:
1) give it all in qualy (don't spare any soft tyres) ==> qualify around 3rd -7th on the grid.
2) then try a run on those soft's for about 25 laps, pit for hard's and go for it till the end. The reason:
everyone from the leaders will pit around lap 12-14.
3)Then if you are Felippe Massa for example, you will go to 1st place (of course if you keep within 20 seconds from the leader for those 12-14 laps, which is quite possible if you start from the 2nd or 3rd row).
4) the guy with the fresh soft's who is second (and already with a pit stop behind him), will catch you until lap 18 or so. The main focus here is DEFEND at all costs, because the guys behind the 2nd placed can close and start putting him under pressure as well, which would be a little help because of the situation with your tyres.
P.S. if you think this kind of defending will be difficult, just take a look at DC doing it for 78 laps in 2002.
5) stay out till lap 25-28. Pit. Put hard tyres. They will be definitely slow, but not as slow as the rubber of your challengers in 1st and 2nd and 3rd, who have pitted about 15 laps ago.
6) the main focus here is: PUSH HARD. try to stay within touch with the top runners. Even if you have Perez or Alguersuari to deal with:
a) you have a lot faster tyre than his already worn out soft's.
b) the front runners will surely occur a traffic at one point.
7) Then when they (the frontrunners) pit, you are ahead of them after the pits (because of the better pace on the hard's than they have on their badly worn soft's) and again DEFEND until the last lap.
I am open for your ideas, and suggestions of this strategy. And of course don't forget to post new all around the Monaco Grand Prix 2011
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/25/2011 12:08AM by mortal.