Webber on Monaco
By Ian Lockwood
May 23 2013
Mark Webber is something of a Monaco expert. He'll be looking to secure his 3rd Principality victory this weekend and make it four in a row for Red Bull.
“I don’t know what it is about this place,” says Mark. “I just love racing around here. I enjoy the challenge of the track because it’s a real drivers’ circuit and it’s unlike anywhere else on the calendar. I also like the event as a whole; I don’t live my life like some of the people who live in Monaco, but I appreciate that it is one of the big sporting occasions, up there with Augusta and Wimbledon. I’ve got some Australian mates over to watch, so I hope to have a good weekend.”
One of the biggest challenges of Monaco for the drivers is the lack of run-off. Armco barriers line the track and even the smallest error can result in an accident, yet the drivers don’t back off.
“You can’t afford to leave a margin,” says Mark, “because you know the next guy won’t be – especially in qualifying. You have to treat the barriers as if they’re white lines and you end up kissing a few of them on a qualifying lap as a result. You have to be very precise and it’s very satisfying when you put together a good lap.”
Pirelli are bringing their two softest tyre compounds to the race, the soft and the super-soft. But unlike in Barcelona two weeks ago, where four stops were necessary for most cars, Pirelli expect no more than two pitstops in Sunday’s race.
“This isn’t a tough grand prix for the tyres,” says Mark. “There are no fast corners and the asphalt isn’t abrasive. Strategy will probably be between one and two stops. I won the race last year with a one-stop race, but I was nursing the tyres for 72 of the 78 laps! We’ll know a bit more after practice.”
Overtaking is always difficult at Monaco, with 83 percent of its 59 world championship races being won from the front row of the grid. As a result, qualifying on Saturday afternoon takes on even greater significance.
“You need to qualify well and then make a good start,” says Mark. “If you’re out in front, you can control the race and look after your tyres. That’s what all of the front-runners will be aiming to do.”