As drivers put together for the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, there have been nonetheless lingering questions in Barcelona relating again to the Monaco Grand Prix and the way greatest to enhance the racing spectacle within the Principality.
After the introduction of two obligatory pitstops failed to provide any noticeable uptick in leisure this yr, former racer Alex Wurz pitched in with three concepts to change the circuit and support overtaking across the slim streets of Monte Carlo.
Now quite a few present drivers have had their say on Wurz’s proposals, with Motorsport.com rounding up the most effective of the responses.
Charles Leclerc
“I feel it is fascinating. I actually do not know all of Alex’s concepts. I’ve seen one thing in a short time on social media, however I do not even know if it is the total extent to what he proposed.
“I noticed like three modifications of turns, which I feel was very, very fascinating. Perhaps the one Flip 10 that he proposed to run on [into] the ocean is a little more difficult to realize, however the two others I feel are good concepts. Is it going to considerably change the motion on Sunday in Monaco?
“I actually do not assume so. Do we have to make completely each potential effort to make it higher on the Sunday? Positively.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lando Norris, McLaren
Picture by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Photos
“However Monaco has at all times been like that and I feel there are increasingly talks additionally as a result of now there are social media and there is a platform to share opinions, which is an effective factor in some ways. But it surely makes much more noise than it used to do up to now. And Monaco has at all times been the sort of race the place the Sunday not a lot is going on or loads much less in comparison with different races.
“However qualifying in Monaco is unbelievable. I feel as a driver, it is actually, actually particular and that is what makes Monaco so particular. So once more, I’ll welcome any adjustments to make it higher on the Sunday. However Monaco has at all times been like that.”
Pierre Gasly
“I’ve seen it. I feel in the meanwhile we must be fairly open-minded in what might be accomplished. I feel, to start with, subsequent yr goes for 1.80m automobiles quite than 2m. Facet by aspect you are 40cm distinction, so it’s higher. It is simply going to carry it again to what it was a few years in the past. Wanting additionally at Method 3, you continue to see it is extraordinarily troublesome [to overtake], so I feel they want to take a look at widening among the areas of the monitor.
“I am not too positive. I am not the one which’s going to discover a resolution. I feel we simply must have a bunch of individuals trying into it and placing proposals on the desk and simply taking a look at what’s higher. However being on a monitor like that additionally, if you’re in a position to have strains the place you may brake on the within and transfer again to the opposite line, underbraking, can also be serving to. There are numerous issues right here I am positive we will take a look at.”
Esteban Ocon
“I feel Alex has nice concepts. Each single time we take a look at issues with him, he is bought the racing driver eye, which is an excellent factor. I feel it could positively go in the proper path. Wouldn’t it be sufficient? Most likely not. However I feel he stayed on the life like aspect, which is an excellent factor. I feel the most effective factor can be to haven’t any chicanes and run it till Flip 12.
“However we’d like some run-off at Flip 12 to hope for an overtaking, have the DRS simply after the tunnel and maintain going flat out all the best way to the tip. That may be most likely the most effective factor. However, yeah, what Alex has accomplished, it is most likely essentially the most life like factor that we will do. It could go in the proper path. Most likely not sufficient, I might say.”
Alex Albon
“I feel they’re very smart. I feel half of the problem is that it is braking downhill and it is bumpy into that chicane, so it is actually laborious to be that dedicated on the brakes to overhaul automobiles, so that concept of getting 80 metres and following it down the monitor to a braking space that may be flat would give drivers much more confidence, to say the sincere… You have seen it, however as quickly as you brake late, when it is going downhill, if you add pitch to a automobile, which is then downhill, so that you add extra pitch, you create all this further rear limitation within the automobile, and that is if you get these huge crashes the place automobiles lose the rear.
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Crew, Alexander Albon, Williams
Picture by: Peter Fox / Getty Photos
“One other factor, perhaps, I do not know if F1 would ever take into account this, however we do DRS into Flip 1, in China and in Japan. We have accomplished that, and it is as much as us to manually change it off. I do know they’re not likely for this stuff, but when we had management over the DRS, it is as much as us.
“If we need to take the chance to make use of DRS by the tunnel, then we will flip it off once we get by the nook and open it again up once more as we exit. It may assist as nicely. So I feel there are some issues we will strive or not less than speak about.”
Carlos Sainz
“He steered three minor adjustments to, I feel it was Loews. Like one possibility was the chicane after the tunnel to delay the entry and perhaps make it a bit tighter, a bit additional down the street. He made Loews wider, the entry of Loews wider.
“After which he made the entry of Rascasse tighter. These three adjustments. My opinion, that may assist, however it could assist [with] 1-5% of the problem that we now have. I feel you possibly can nonetheless place the automobile in the midst of the monitor. Go 30kph and nonetheless not get overtaken. You’d must be a bit intelligent about it.
“You’d must be extra anxious, perhaps trying within the mirror in case somebody sends one on the within as a result of it is a bit wider. However the automobiles are so broad which you can mainly go as gradual as you need, that they are not going to go you. In order that’s why I used to be driving, why we have been driving for 5 seconds of the tempo.”
George Russell
“Monaco has at all times been the identical. I feel I’ve seen among the proposed monitor adjustments that positively won’t make it worse, as a result of the small downside you’ve in Monaco is the one overtaking alternative, which is out of the tunnel. The pure racing line is you are going from the left, braking by the center of the monitor, and then you definately pull over to the proper.
“So it’s totally straightforward for a driver to place his automobile. However I actually, proper now, I haven’t got the reply. Perhaps the guide override can be an answer. However a part of me simply thinks we have to settle for Monaco for what it’s.
George Russell, Mercedes
Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Photos by way of Getty Photos
“Method 1 is healthier by having Monaco on the calendar. It’s the most exhilarating qualifying of the season. And the race is at all times fairly boring, however it additionally makes us recognize the opposite races as nicely. So I do not know, to be sincere.”
Oscar Piastri
“I feel the one approach you may encourage overtaking at Monaco actually is by altering the monitor ultimately, form or kind, or making the automobiles half the scale they’re. They’re getting smaller subsequent yr, however they must be loads smaller. Perhaps we must always simply have a go-kart race round there, which may assist.
“However I do assume tweaking the monitor is the one actual factor. Having extra pitstops is clearly not going to alter it as we noticed, so I feel that is essentially the most life like route. However there’s additionally not that a lot house to try this both, so I haven’t got any nice concepts, and if you’re qualifying on the entrance and you have a fast automobile, it is alright the best way it’s.”
Learn Additionally:
On this article
Mark Mann-Bryans
Method 1
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