Ross Brawn hopeful Mercedes have improved their race
By Hall_Green_Wolf
May 24 2013
Ross Brawn is cautiously optimistic Mercedes will have a stronger race pace in Monaco than they did in Spain.
The team have struggled with rear-tyre wear this season and both drivers went backwards in the race after locking out the front row in Barcelona.
The Silver Arrows set the pace on Thursday on the streets of Monte Carlo - with Nico Rosberg topping the timesheets in both sessions - but it was their long run pace that the world was watching.
"Our priority here has been long runs and durability and how the tyres are going to perform in the race. I think everyone knows you want to do a one-stop here if you can manage it, but if you do that with tyres falling apart then you are in trouble.
"We have brought some developments since Barcelona. After Barcelona we put our heads together and even though the track is very different here we have had some positive feedback from the changes we have made."
Whilst Brawn would not expand on what those development parts were, he added he was pleased they did not seem to have hampered the cars' single lap pace.
"I am not going to go into detail, but it is to effect tyre consistency and durability and how they behave on the track and that is what we have done whilst also trying to maintain our one lap performance which seems ok," he said.
Mercedes have topped qualifying at each of the last three events and, with overtaking at a premium in Monaco, a fourth consecutive pole would give the German-marque an opportunity to control the race from the front.
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"Leave it to Lewis Hamilton to ruin Red Bull's day" - Martin Brundle
In memoriam: Sessions
Hype hype. But if some track suits our Q pace its Monaco. It will not be easy to overtake here. Ferrari has few secs quicker pit stops due to their pit stop exit acceleration. So i quess Ferrari will leap us during pit stops unless there is 5 sec or more gap.
5 sec because if Alonso gets 2-3 laps in fresh air. He is 0,5 sec / lap faster it is 2,5 sec advantage. + They seem to have lightning fast pit stop + exit lap. So we need more than 5 sec gap to Alonso if we want to keep him in leach.
That times 2-3 so i think we are not in great position for race.
Only cure is race pace. I doubt we have made over 0,5 sec faster car in just 2 weeks. Hope is not enough!
