[morini]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/merce...x-1039968/

<snip article>

Must be a slow news day Everyone knows Mercedes will be in damage limitation mode this coming weekend.

[forzaferrari]

Must be a slow news day Everyone knows Mercedes will be in damage limitation mode this coming weekend.

I wonder will Ferrari having the slightly longer car this year affect their performance @ Monaco?

[morini]

I wonder will Ferrari having the slightly longer car this year affect their performance @ Monaco?

Will be interesting to find out.

Hamilton wasn't too shabby around sector 3 in Spain, to be fair. But I'm still expecting the RBR to be the car to have this weekend. Dan Ric will want some retribution!

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[Edit] Retribution for 2016 I mean, by the way!

[Monster Hesh]

Probably Forza, I did read however, Mercedes are bringing a new front suspension element to help in the tighter turning. One that due to its much flatter profile, also adds more downforce due to the increased surface area.

[Jody Barton]

Forza, we've had three sections of track so far that could be said to resemble parts of Monaco as I've said. S2 Australia, S2 Azerbaijan and S3 in Spain. From times through those sectors alone you'd argue that Monaco should favour to Red Bull. Whether it does or not we don't know.

However, what we can clearly say is that relative to last year, Ferrari have not done as well in S2 of Australia and S3 of Spain this year relative to Mercedes. However, their performance in S2 of Azerbaijan is better and Mercedes performance is much worse. Last year in Baku it was Hamilton and strangely Alonso who were rapid there. Thing is Baku came after Mercedes dismal performances in Russia and Monaco last year and the team had clearly learned something.

My gut? Ferrari will struggle around Monaco compared to last year's performance there. The big questions are those for Mercedes, because Lewis hasn't done all that bad in typically Monacoesque sections of track this year. He's certainly done better than Bottas, but last year we all saw Lewis' issues. Will there be a repeat.

[Monster Hesh]

A little later into the thread pages than usual, Folk were getting excited about this race : P

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Weather wise, dry all weekend, quite warm at about 23C throughout the weekend.

Half the field take new gear boxes as the new 5 race cycles begins.

Mechanical grip is critical around the streets, more so, than maximum downforce package. We've taken form from previous race sectors in the past, and it hasn't always quite worked out. Last year Mercedes were comfortably leading all relative sectors leading up to Monaco, and they struggled to covert. 

This year we could do the same as Jody has, fact is, everyone has led in a comparative sector. Coupled with, that all top three teams have been damn close, usually within 0.1-2s in best sector times. It could be anyone's. 

Teams will being a specific package for the track, as mentioned Mercedes to bring a new suspension layout. For Ferrari to be loosing their power advantage with this oil ordeal. May not seem to big a deal here, but you need grunt to push downforce generation through the air. RedBull's shorter wheel base could be their key however, as Merc is long and Ferrari went longer than last year.

Big question I think comes back to tyres. This races goes the softest of the season, in warm temperature also, that could see track temps into the 40's. We'll get to see how the hypersoft performs in anger. Lewis proclaimed it to be the best Pirelli tyre he has ever driven on, in the Abu Dhabi post season test. That was the last time Mercedes donned that tyre.

Will the strengths of Ferrari's operating window return, will Mercedes weakness on softer tyres be apparent again. Or were Spain upgrades the turning point. Ferrari openly said about the normal tyre tread thickness would of hurt them more in Spain, but what would it of done to Mercedes?
Can Ferrari have a reliable weekend?

Pole time (I'm starting early this week Jody) 1:10.2 -  I might be revising this after FP2.]

Anyone want to call out first crasher? Im saying Saniz.

[Jody Barton]

First into the wall will be a Williams, with both Stroll and Sirotkin prone to snatching breaks,vandca rear end that what's to snap at every input on the steering wheel it's going to be a long weekend for them. Failing that Gasly. He's had excursions early on in every FP1 so far this year, because he likes trying to find his limit early... in Monaco that means finding the wall.

As for pole time that's a lot to shave off around Monaco, especially given the move from the 2016 to 2017 cars only saw the pole lap shaved by 1.2 seconds or so. You're predicting a full 2 seconds off of the 2017 pole, which was a stonker from Kimi. It'll depend on the new curbs being used and how those Hyper Softs work. A 1:10.2 isn't out of the realms of possibility if the Hypersofts work though, and the bigger curbs aren't a problem.

[Antilochos]

Anyone want to call out first crasher? Im saying Saniz.

I go for Hartley.

[forzaferrari]

The changes that make Red Bull a real threat in Monaco...

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/tech-...40373/?s=1

[forzaferrari]

Minus the dog ear`s

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Mercedes believes its longer wheelbase car is not handicapped that much at Monaco, because the 0.1 seconds loss associated with the concept is wiped away by downforce gains.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/merce...co-1040312