Monaco Grand Prix: Mercedes Preview

Mercedes’ former driver Michael Schumacher en route to his pole position at the Principality in 2012.

A year ago, Mercedes were making headlines across the Formula 1 pit lane with their quick cars racing around the modern jungle of Monte Carlo. Michael Schumacher was in the last year of his contract and still hadn’t performed anywhere close to what he did with the Italians. There were talks about him possibly extending his contract for a year, but the driver himself ruled it out.

That weekend, Michael Schumacher grabbed pole position, setting the fastest lap time before being struck with a penalty that pushed him down to fourth. Mercedes, on the whole, looked very strong across the weekend. They set good times in practice, they continued their dominance in the opening rounds of qualifying, and, in the end, grabbed pole and third. (Nico Rosberg)

This year, Mercedes are in an even stronger position, as they’ve come into the Principality with three successive pole positions and Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg are two young hungry drivers waiting for their opportunity. Monaco might be just that.

Mercedes have had their problems over the past four years. Their tyre-degradation issue has been their Achilles heel, and they’ve failed to sort it out. This year, they have improved their car, much like many other teams, but the previously mentioned issue lingers on.

Ross Brawn has an almost dream-team-like technical team, and along with two of the most talented drivers in the sport, the team is heading no where but up. Their car has been great on track conditions with lower mercurial levels, and Monaco comes under that bracket. That, coupled with the fact that overtaking is rare, could prove to be the catalyst that drives Mercedes to their second win in Formula 1 since returning.

Red Bull have struggled with qualifying pace as compared to the Mercs. Ferrari and Lotus have done the same, but could put up a challenge for top spot given their vast improvement with the new parts brought in before the Spanish Grand Prix. Mclaren failed to do what Ferrari and Lotus did, and will continue to suffer unless they bring on some major upgrades. Force India look like a good team and have the best settings that maintain their tyres for a long time giving them a huge advantage over the rest.

In the top teams, Lotus have got a setting similar to that of Force India, and given the right strategy, they can pull off a single pit stop race, thus putting the other teams at a direct disadvantage. But this is Monaco, and we’ll never know what happens until the very last lap. My money, however, is still on Brawn’s men.

Earlier this month, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Red Bull’s Mark Webber acknowledged this fact and admitted that the Brackley-based team were the team to look out for. Straight-line speed, enough downforce and the barricades inches away on both sides could lead to the ‘silver arrows’ winning the Monaco Grand Prix.