Okay, we admit it – we got it thoroughly wrong last week. Having predicted that the Spanish GP would see a Ferrari resurgence spearheaded by Fernando Alonso, the double world champ could only manage fifth and Felipe Massa crashed out of the race, leaving our faces as red as their nose cones.While they’re certainly starting to find their form in qualifying, the boys from Maranello just can’t seem to make it work on a Sunday afternoon, leaving Alonso 67 points adrift of championship leader Sebastian Vettel, and us looking like a bunch of idiots.
Well guess what? We’ve not learned our lesson in the slightest, and we’re tipping Alonso to finally get his championship challenge under way in Monaco this weekend. And here’s why.
Firstly, Alonso is something of a street circuit master, having won twice at both Monaco (2006 and 2007) and Singapore (2008 and 2010). The tight, winding corners and zero margin for error suit the Spaniard’s driving style like a fetching Spandex glove – in both his winning years we remember watching him fearlessly nailing apexes with an enthusiasm that’d earn most other drivers a liquid-only diet and the rest of the season off.
Then there’s his car. Though it’s looked poor alongside the aerodynamic marvel that is the Adrian Newey designed Red Bull RB7 in race trim, Monaco’s short straights and low-speed corners ought to minimise the benefit of any technical superiorities Red Bull have capitalised on so far this season. The Thursday practice timesheets certainly show a smaller disparity in performance between the big three teams, with Alonso, Hamilton, Vettel and Rosberg taking turns to clock impressive laps. After nudging out Lewis by a tenth of a second in second practice, Alonso said he felt ‘very confident’ in his car, and so he should.
Finally, and most crucially, Alonso simply cannot afford not to win this weekend, and he knows it. Following the most barnstormingly dominant start to a season we’ve seen in years, you can expect your local William Hill to close the book on a second world title for Vettel should he win this weekend. It’d be his first at Monaco, and as the race all drivers want to win above everything else, the confidence boost of a victory at the most iconic circuit in motorsport could see the season virtually sewn-up.
So there you have it – at the risk of provoking your jingoistic vitriol, we’re tipping Fernando for the win. Again. And if he shows us up twice in a row, maybe we’ll think about taking up gardening or something.
What do you reckon – are we in for another faceful of eggy embarrassment, or is this the moment Ferrari finally get their act together? While you have a think, here’s our good-as-gospel qualifying prediction.
1. Sebastian Vettel
2. Fernando Alonso
3. Lewis Hamilton
4. Mark Webber
5. Nico Rosberg
6. Jenson Button
7. Felipe Massa
8. Michael Schumacher
9. Nick Heidfeld
10. Vitaly Petrov
2. Fernando Alonso
3. Lewis Hamilton
4. Mark Webber
5. Nico Rosberg
6. Jenson Button
7. Felipe Massa
8. Michael Schumacher
9. Nick Heidfeld
10. Vitaly Petrov