Monaco GP: Single point for Senna
Bruno Senna
By Andrew Hooper
May 27 2012
The results of the 2012 Monaco GP would see the Williams F1 team score a single point from a tenth place finish from Bruno Senna. Team-mate Pastor Maldonado would crash his car into the rear of another car at Turn one retiring his car later in the lap. Not the result that the Williams team had hoped for as they started the Monaco GP weekend but it was still a great effort for Bruno to get his car into the points.
| Monaco GP Race Review |
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For the Williams
F1 team a series of penalties would see Pastor Maldonado start the race from
last on the grid for the seventy eight lap 2012 Monaco Grand Prix. For
team-mate Bruno Senna, even though he qualified fourteenth, the shift of his
team-mate to the rear would see him start from thirteenth. It would come
down to strategy if the team had any prospect of achieving a god result.
Mark Gilliam would say before the race "From our side it is quite clear, we
need to make things happen now. From that position for both drivers, and
obviously Bruno is in a much better position than Pastor, we need to make
things happen." It was later announced that Perez would also have a gearbox
change seeing him start from last and Pastor twenty third. It was dry at the
start but there were reports that there may be rain near the end of the
race. |
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Grosjean had made contact with
the rear of Alonso's car seeing the Lotus move over onto Schumacher seeing
the Lotus make contact and lose his left rear wheel. Pastor had made contact
with a car damaging his front wing. Pastor would stop seeing the Safety Car
come out. His car would be craned away seeing Williams down to just one car.
Bruno was running in tenth as on lap three the Safety Car would come in. Webber was still leading from Rosberg with Hamilton third. Petrov would pit as the two Ferrari's followed Hamilton. Vettel was in sixth from Raikkonen and Schumacher. Schumacher was lucky to still be running after making contact with Grosjean's Lotus. Lap five and Webber's lead was 0.8 over Rosberg. DRS was now enabled on the main straight. Button was down in fourteenth as Webber started to stretch his lead. Bruno was now 1.5 seconds behind ninth placed Hulkenberg. Kobayashi would retire in his pit. Lap nine and Bruno was losing ground to Hulkenberg with the gap now 2.4 seconds. Lap twelve and Webber was now leading by 1.6 seconds. Bruno had found some time closing the gap to Hulkenberg to 1.8 seconds. It was now reported that rain may arrive in fifteen laps time. The race was starting to turn into a three horse race with fourth placed Alonso dropping away from Hamilton. If rain is to arrive the teams would want to keep their drivers out as long as possible to avoid any extra pit stops. Lap sixteen and Webber was now leading by 2.0 seconds while Bruno was now 1.5 seconds behind Hulkenberg. Petrov would pit to retire while on lap eighteen Vergne would pit taking on the soft tyres. Alonso had started to push setting a new fastest lap on lap seventeen. Alonso would continue to close the gap to Hamilton as he continued to set fastest laps. There was questions as to when the teams would pit given that rain may arrive shortly. Pastor would say when interviewed "It was difficult to brake, I was on the dirty side of the track and I locked the fronts. Somebody drove my line and it was a difficult moment." Lap twenty five and Webber was leading by 2.5 seconds while Bruno was now just 0.8 seconds behind Hulkenberg. Hulkenberg was running close behind eight placed Schumacher. Rosberg would pit on lap twenty eight taking on the soft tyre coming back out in sixth. But if it rains it could be a costly decision. Raikkonen, Schumacher, Hulkenberg, Bruno, Di Resta, and Ricciardo were all running very close together. Schumacher had tried a few passing moves at the chicane trying to pass Raikkonen but could not get past. |
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On lap twenty nine Webber would
pit joined by Hamilton, all taking the soft tyre. Alonso was now leading
from Massa and Vettel. Raikkonen, Hulkenberg, and Bruno would also pit while
the enxt lap would see Alonso pit seeing Massa leading from Vettel.
Kovalainen would pit from tenth while Alonso had been able to move ahead of
Hamilton. Massa would pit on lap thirty two seeing Vettel take the lead.
Vettel was running on the soft tyre as Schumacher
continued to run with his super soft tyre. Vettel was now out to a 11.6
second lead with Rosberg in third from Alonso, Hamilton, Schumacher, Massa,
Di Resta, Ricciardo, and Button in tenth. Bruno was down in sixteenth as on
lap thirty four Pic would pit from thirteenth. Schumacher would pit on lap
thirty five joined by Perez. Lap thirty six and Di Resta would pit from
seventh. Vettel was now 16.2 seconds ahead of Webber while we had Ricciardo in seventh and yet to make a pit stop. Perez would be given a drive through penalty for a late pit entry. Lap thirty nine and Button would pit taking on the super soft tyre looking at a one stop strategy. Button would come back out behind Kovalainen. Bruno was now thirteenth 0.9 seconds behind Raikkonen. Lap forty one and Perez would take his penalty and on the same lap Ricciardo would pit taking on the soft tyre coming back out in fifteenth. Vergne was now in eighth while Bruno was twelfth and 1.2 seconds behind Raikkonen. Vettel was the only driver yet to pit but was helped by Webber slowing those behind him allowing him to build a lead in preparation for his pit stop. Lap forty five and Vettel's lead was out to 17.2 seconds but his pace did not seem to be enough to see him gain an advantage. Vettel would pit on lap forty six taking on the super soft tyre. Vettel would come out in front of Hamilton on the drive up the hill from the pit exit. Webber was now leading Rosberg by 1.5 seconds with Alonso third from Vettel and Hamilton. Massa was behind Hamilton followed by Schumacher, Vergne, Di Resta, and Hulkenberg in tenth. The top six were covered by six seconds as Rosberg ever so slowly started to close the gap to Webber. Lap fifty three and Webber's lead was 1.8 seconds while team-mate Vettel was running close behind Alonso. Webber was doing just enough to stay in front despite having a big lock-up going into the chicane. Lap sixty two and Vergne would pass a struggling Schumacher on the main straight. Schumacher had previously complained of a problem with his car. Lap sixty three and Rosberg continued to follow Webber with the gap 1.5 seconds. Schumacher would be passed by Di Resta and Hulkenberg as the rain started to arrive with spots of rain falling. Schumacher would pit on lap sixty five retiring with Bruno now eleventh still right behind Raikkonen. Lap sixty six and Rosberg was now challenging Webber as Ricciardo pitted to retire. |
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The top six were all now covered
by 3.6 seconds with a train of cars behind Webber. Alonso was right behind
Rosberg as they completed lap seventy. lap seventy one and Vergne would pit
taking on intermediates. This would see Bruno move up to tenth. There was
yellow flags at St Devote while Button would retire after having made
contact with Kovalainen at the Swimming Pool spinning his McLaren. The top
six would get past back markers on the run down to the tunnel. Lap seventy
three and Webber continued to lead Rosberg by 0.9 seconds. Vergne's stop was
a big mistake as on lap seventy five Kovalainen would pit his Caterham.
Three laps remaining and the top six still remained to run close together.
Webber would start his last lap with Rosberg still there followed by Alonso.
He would complete
his lap taking victory in Monaco. Rosberg would finish in second from
Alonso, Vettel, Hamilton, Massa, Di Resta, Hulkenberg, Raikkonen, and Bruno
tenth. A single point for Bruno and the Williams F1 team in what was a great effort from the Brazilian. A shame that Pastor was not able to get past the first turn without damage to his car seeing him end what must have been a frustrating race for him. Hopefully he can turn things around in the next race in Canada. |
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