The Monaco stewards, including driver representative Damon Hill, have imposed a penalty that drops Michael Schumacher out of the points placings.

The seven time world champion passed Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso at the last corner of Sunday’s race, after the safety car that had been deployed for the Jarno Trulli/Karun Chandhok crash pulled into the pits.

There is a new rule in 2010 that allows overtaking between the safety car line and the finish line.

Where the confusion arises is that if a race finishes under the safety car, there is no overtaking allowed even though the safety car itself pulls into the pits.

Ferrari and Mercedes disagreed fundamentally in the stewards’ room, and ultimately the officials declared that Schumacher had breached article 40.13 of the sporting regulations.

The rule states that if the race ends under the safety car, “the cars will take the chequered flag as normal without overtaking”.

In lieu of a drive-through penalty, 20 seconds has been added to Schumacher’s time, meaning he drops from sixth place to twelfth.

But Mercedes’ Ross Brawn believes that because the cars raced at full speed to the chequered flag rather than in slow formation behind Webber, all the teams acknowledged that the safety car period had ended.

“I think you saw the reaction of all the other drivers,” said the Briton.

“If what Stefano (Domenicali) has said was true, they would just cruise to the start/finish line because they knew they couldn’t be overtaken, but everyone went for it and I’m afraid Fernando was a little asleep and we took advantage.”

(GMM)

Michael Schumacher and Ross Brawn are confident there will no post-race penalty applied by the stewards in the wake of a controversial last-lap incident.

The seven time world champion passed Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso at the last corner of Sunday’s Monaco grand prix, after the safety car that had been deployed for the Jarno Trulli/Karun Chandhok crash pulled into the pits.

There is a new rule in 2010 that allows overtaking between the safety car line and the finish line.

Where the confusion arises is that if a race finishes under the safety car, there is no overtaking allowed even though the safety car itself pulls into the pits.

“We were advised before the end of the race that the safety car was coming in,” Brawn told the BBC.  “There was no instruction that the race was going to finish under the safety car.”

Schumacher told German television RTL: “We saw the message ‘Track Clear’ officially on screen two.  So that means the safety car goes in and the race is back on.”

The 41-year-old laughed that it is “interesting” that his former nemesis Damon Hill is the driver-steward this weekend.

(GMM)

Mark Webber on Sunday took over the lead of the world championship by winning his second consecutive grand prix in the space of a week.

The Australian, who was unchallenged in the Principality despite the appearance of several safety cars, dominated the entire Barcelona-Monaco double-header and is now level on points with his Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel.

Team boss Christian Horner urged Vettel to “relax” if he wants to get back on terms with the sister RB6.

“Sebastian dominated at the start of the season but Mark has really found his stride,” the Briton told the BBC.

“Seb is trying very hard and sometimes you have to relax a little bit and the times will come,” added Horner.

The biggest loser of the Monaco race is the former title leader Jenson Button, whose Mercedes engine overheated during the first safety car period because McLaren mechanics left a bung in his sidepod.

It was a fairly processional but nonetheless incident-packed race, with both Williams drivers crashing, and backmarker Jarno Trulli mounting Karun Chandhok’s HRT right in front of the leader Webber.

There is also a post-race controversy in the stewards’ room, after Fernando Alonso was passed by Michael Schumacher in the short blast between the safety car pulling in and the waving of the chequered flag.

There is some uncertainty as to whether overtaking is allowed in those circumstances on the last lap, with Mercedes’ Ross Brawn and Ferrari’s Stefano Domenicali both telling TV reporters their opposing views.

“Our understanding of the regulations is pretty clear but let’s just see what the stewards say,” said Domenicali.

(GMM)

After no less than three meetings in Monaco, a final decision about F1′s tyre situation for 2011 still has not been made.

The latest meeting was held on Sunday morning, with team bosses discussing solid proposals made by Michelin, Avon and Pirelli, amid reports Bridgestone might be persuaded to stay.

According to the BBC, FOTA’s technical chief Ross Brawn said the Italian marque Pirelli’s proposal is a viable one.

“We’ve had a good proposal from Pirelli which we’re looking into seriously,” he said.

It is believed another meeting will be held within the next few days, where a final decision is likely.

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Nico Rosberg insists he is not disappointed with the reversion to the newer long-wheelbase Mercedes car for the forthcoming Turkish grand prix.

After Michael Schumacher struggled with the original short-wheelbase car earlier in 2010, he was the team’s pacesetter in Barcelona, where a longer-wheelbase was introduced along with other car developments.

But for the twisty curves of Monaco, the original car is being used once again, and Rosberg has once again been in front of his famous teammate.

But for F1′s next stop in Istanbul, it has been confirmed that the newer car will be back in action.

Rosberg, however, insists it will not disadvantage him.

“Michael and I have the same driving style,” he told Germany’s Bild-Zeitung.

“Even if Ross Brawn wanted to make a car that only worked for Michael, it would also work for me,” insisted Rosberg.

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Sebastian Vettel has repeated his desire to one day race a Ferrari in formula one.

With Vettel under a longer contract to Red Bull, his teammate, Mark Webber, is being linked with a move for 2011 to the famous Italian team.

“I am very happy with Red Bull,” the 22-year-old German told Spain’s El Pais newspaper.

“I am not going anywhere else, but in the future, I don’t know.

“I want to fight for the world championship, and if you look at the past, Ferrari has always designed very competitive cars.

“Why not go there in a few years?” Vettel admitted.

He added: “Ferrari is unlike any other team, it’s a legend. There are other brands that achieve great success, but Ferrari is special.”

Bernie Ecclestone is said to be pushing very hard for Vettel, the F1 chief executive’s unabashed favourite, to end up in red overalls.

“I don’t think that’s true,” Vettel insisted. “I have a good relationship with Bernie, but fortunately I will decide my future.”
(GMM)

A warm and sunny day has greeted the formula one world ahead of the 2010 Monaco grand prix.

There is just a smattering of white cloud in the sky, and still the odd local forecast predicting a slight possibility of afternoon rain.

Causing more nervousness than the Monte Carlo forecasts, however, are reports that say the Icelandic volcano ash cloud is “rapidly encroaching” British airspace.

Airports in Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man have already closed, and officials are warning that flights into England and other parts of Europe are also set to be disrupted in the coming days.
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Fernando Alonso has psychologically “destroyed” his Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa.

That is the belief of former Super Aguri driver Anthony Davidson, who now attends grands prix as a commentator for British radio BBC.

Ferrari incumbent Massa, 29, has struggled to match team newcomer Alonso so far this season, but the Brazilian has put the situation down to the F10 car and the tyres.

But Davidson has a different theory. “I can sum up Massa’s problem in two words — Fernando Alonso,” said the Briton.

“He has destroyed him mentally. Already. And I think that started at turn one in Bahrain,” said the 31-year-old, referring to the Spaniard’s pass on Massa on the outside of the first corner of the championship.

Alonso’s controversial pit entry pass in China recently was also widely interpreted as another psychological victory for the feisty double world champion.

Davidson added: “Every time he (Massa) goes out there, Alonso’s gone faster. He is driving hard, but in the back of his mind he will be thinking ‘yeah, but I bet Fernando has gone faster’.

“And you get back to the pits and he has. It does get you down,” he said.

Mark Webber is emerging as the favourite to win the 2010 world championship.

That is the belief of Mercedes reserve driver Nick Heidfeld, after seeing Webber’s second pole position within a week on Saturday.

Webber, 33, still lags his highly-favoured teammate Sebastian Vettel in the points standings, but won dominantly in Barcelona and is the favourite to hang onto first place in Monaco on Sunday.

He is 3:3 in his 2010 qualifying battle with Vettel, and now has the momentum of recent success, Heidfeld told German television Sky.

“We all know how strong Sebastian is,” said the German, “but Mark is now beating him. It’s his third pole position.

“More and more he is evolving into the world championship favourite,” added Heidfeld.

Also impressed with Webber is retired ten time winner Gerhard Berger, who is in the Principality this weekend and has spent time watching the cars from a trackside vantage point.

“What is great is that the driver can still make a big difference here,” said the Austrian. “At the chicane Webber is really very good — very aggressive, fast.

“We are seeing that it is not only the car but also the driver,” added Berger.

And triple world champion Niki Lauda told Kleine Zeitung: “Right now he (Webber) is almost unbeatable.

“Vettel’s problem is that suddenly his greatest enemy is within his own team, just as it was with myself at McLaren with Alain Prost,” added the Austrian.
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Bernie Ecclestone is helping HRT on the technical side.

The F1 chief executive caused a stir this weekend when he indicated he was helping the struggling Spanish team to financially survive its debut season.

But according to the Daily Telegraph, that help actually relates to HRT’s efforts to establish a technical facility, following the split with car designer Dallara.

“The development will please F1′s Spanish community reeling from errant reports of financial hardship,” said the newspaper.

We reported earlier this month that HRT wanted to build its own car for 2011, and was close to announcing a deal with a wind tunnel.

The Telegraph added that team boss Colin Kolles will make an announcement about the plans by next month’s Canadian grand prix.

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Lotus could be contemplating a change of engine supplier for its second season in formula one.

That is the claim of Heikki Kulta, the F1 correspondent for the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat.

Veteran Kulta, who has been attending grands prix since 1983, is known for his close relationships with Finnish drivers, including Lotus’ Kovalainen.

He reported from Monaco that Lotus, the most impressive of F1′s three new teams this year, will unveil one more big aerodynamic update for the British grand prix and then turn its attention to the 2011 car.

Kulta said Lotus is eyeing a change of engine supplier, having entered F1 with FIA-preferred Cosworth in 2010.

“I am very confident that next year we will have a good car, which we will be able to build over a longer period,” Kovalained is quoted as saying.

“This car was a rush but next year our team will be seen in the real way,” he added.

It has been reported that Renault is willing to supply another team, and the very best advertisement for its product was Saturday’s 1-2-3 in Monaco qualifying.

Mercedes’ V8 is known to be the most powerful in F1, but Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel said the driveability of the Renault V8 is paying off on the streets of Monaco.

“If you have the first three cars in qualifying with the Renault engine I think that’s a positive note,” said the German.

(GMM)

Martin Whitmarsh sounded unimpressed with the stewards’ decision not to penalise Felipe Massa after qualifying for the Monaco grand prix.

McLaren driver Button was unhappy with the Brazilian for blocking him towards the end of a flying lap in Q3.

“On top of that the next timed lap was destroyed as well, because I had a bad run onto the pit straight,” said the Briton, who qualified.

It had been expected that the stewards would penalise Massa, but the Ferrari driver insisted: “I didn’t hold up Jenson.  We were in the last corner and there was a car in front of me.”

McLaren team boss Whitmarsh confirmed that the stewards decided not to penalise Massa.

“The stewards decided Massa did his best to get out of Jenson’s way,” he is quoted by the Daily Mail.  “On this occasion, his best wasn’t good enough.”

(GMM)

Michael Schumacher accepted an apology from his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg in the hours after qualifying at Monaco.

After the seven time world champion told reporters he had been blocked in Q3 by the younger German, Rosberg later said: “I apologised because I realised that it wasn’t ideal.”

The Brackley based team also took a portion of the blame, admitting that the radio and GPS systems have not been working well in the Principality.

Boss Ross Brawn conceded that Schumacher, who has been outqualified by Rosberg at every grand prix venue this year except Barcelona a week ago, was initially “annoyed” about the incident.

“But when I explained to him what happened he was ok, just frustrated,” said the Briton.

And he said it was a mistake to have the two W01 cars circulating nose-to-tail, following a problem getting “Nico’s car out of the garage”.

“We cocked up,” admitted Brawn.

(GMM)

Mark Webber is F1′s man of the moment, but on Saturday he was not in the mood to confirm the latest paddock rumour.

In the space of a few months, the Australian has been linked with a looming retirement and a 2011 Ferrari seat, and the latest whisper is that he has signed an extension of his contract with Red Bull.

But in Monaco, after scoring his second consecutive pole position within a week, the last-start winner played a straight bat.

“Certainly haven’t come to any agreements yet but there’s still a long way to go in terms of what to do for next year,” said the 33-year-old, the first Australian since Sir Jack Brabham in 1967 to be on pole in the Principality.

And if he wins on Sunday, leaping towards the very top of the drivers’ standings, it will be the first Australian win in Monaco since Brabham more than 50 years ago.

“We’ve worked very hard over the last few years, Red Bull and myself to get into this situation.

“I’m actually in no real rush to make any big decisions myself; also I think both of us are very happy with each other, a lot of trust with each other, so let’s see how it goes, there’s plenty of time,” added Webber.
(GMM)

Michael Schumacher’s complaint about his teammate Nico Rosberg was diluted in an official team media release.

Immediately after qualifying behind his 24-year-old countryman in Monaco, Schumacher said Rosberg’s sister Mercedes was “the only car” that blocked him.

“It’s a shame but there you go. It happened in Q3 when there were only ten cars on the track,” said the seven time world champion.

But in a subsequent media release provided by Mercedes, Schumacher was quoted as admitting the Rosberg indiscretion had been committed “unintentionally”.

Schumacher was only half a tenth behind Rosberg in the grid-decisive Q3, but Rosberg’s Q2 time was three tenths faster than the best time Schumacher managed all weekend in the Principality.

Rosberg, just sixth on the grid ahead of Schumacher, told TV reporters: “I should have had pole, or at least first row of the grid. I just didn’t get it together; too many laps with traffic and I made a mistake myself.”

Even team boss Ross Brawn admitted that Rosberg’s Q2 form was “more indicative” of the true pace of the W01 car.
(GMM)