Monaco Grand Prix, Monte Carlo (Race 6, 2014) - Race

Rosberg holds on to win Monaco Grand Prix

Nico Rosberg managed to hold off a feisty Lewis Hamilton to win the illustrious Monaco Grand Prix. It was another perfect race weekend for Mercedes who dominated from start to finish. Despite a hard-fought challenge, Hamilton had to settle for second and still looked decidedly unhappy with his German team-mate after yesterday's controversial qualifying result. Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo made it back to back podium finishes after crossing the line in third. Sebastien Vettel only lasted five laps before retiring from the race whilst Ferrari's Fernando Alonso finished in fourth. The race result means that Nico Rosberg replaces Lewis Hamilton at the top of the driver's standings and has taken a 4 point lead over his team-mate. 



My Opinion:

Mercedes - Rosberg (Winner), Hamilton (2nd). Mercedes have dominated five out of the first six races this season but it was Rosberg who held on to win the race today. Their was some bad blood between the two drivers after yesterdays controversial result and it spilled over today. Hamilton gave it a real go to pass Rosberg but it just wasn't meant to be. The German now takes a minor lead over Hamilton in the standings and it could start the beginning of a very frosty team atmosphere. 
Red Bull - Ricciardo (3rd), Vettel (dnf - 5 laps). Mixed emotions at Red Bull as Ricciardo finished on the podium for the second time in two races but Vettel only lasted five laps of the race before retiring. It could have been a much better weekend for the team had Vettel finished in the top four as well but Monaco belonged to Ricciardo who continues his great season so far. 
Ferrari - Alonso (4th), Raikkonen (12th). Alonso improved his position by one place after finishing in fourth but it was a really disappointing race for Raikkonen whose car suffered technical faults early on in the race. He couldn't recover the situation and failed to bring home any points. Ferrari are still a work in progress but they surely can't keep settling for sub-par results throughout the season.
Force India - Hulkenberg (5th), Perez (dnf - 0 laps). A mixed result for Force India who will be delighted that Hulkenberg climbed six places up the grid to equal his best finish of the season in 5th. However, Perez's day was over before the first lap ended after a crash with Maldonado. Things are looking optimistic for the team and they should continue to enjoy a good season. 
McLaren - Button (6th), Magnussen (10th). Decent result in the end for McLaren as both cars finished inside the top ten. Button impressively moved up six places to finish in sixth but Magnussen lost two places and fell down to 10th. Still, it was a decent result considering their car but McLaren want to achieve podiums. 
Williams - Massa (7th), Bottas (dnf - 55 laps). After a torrid day of qualifying yesterday, it was at least a little more positive after the race. Massa managed to move into the top ten and restore some of the teams pride but Bottas failed to finish a race for the first time this season. Despite lasting 55 laps, the car let Bottas down and forced him into retirement from the race. I'm sure we will see a much better result in Canada. 
Toro Rosso - Vergne (dnf - 50 laps), Kvyat (dnf - 10 laps). It was a really strong qualifying result for the team but it was a horror show in the race. Kvyat only managed 10 laps whilst Vergne was out there until the 50th before both cars retired from the race. A massively disappointing result in the end after what could have been a very strong result for the team. 
Lotus - Grosjean (8th), Maldonado (dnf - 0 laps). Lotus equalled their highest race finish of the season as Grosjean made up six places to finish in 8th. However, Maldonado was involved in a crash on the first lap which ended his race early on. 
Marussia - Bianchi (9th), Chilton (14th). Jubilation for Marussia who scored their first ever points in Formula 1. It was a real fight between Bianchi, Magnussen and Ericsson for those last couple of points but the Frenchman held on in what was a historical day for Marussia. Chilton was the last car to cross the line in 14th.
Sauber - Gutierrez (dnf - 59 laps), Sutil (dnf - 23 laps). A poor qualifying result turned into a terrible race weekend as both cars failed to finish the race. Sutil was out after 23 laps whilst Gutierrez retired after 59 laps in what was a truly torrid Grand Prix for Sauber. 
Caterham - Ericsson (11th), Kobayashi (13th). Caterham came so close to scoring their first ever points in Formula 1 but just missed out as Ericsson was beaten to 10th by Magnussen. Still it was an impressive performance from the team whilst Kobayashi claimed his best result of the season so far after crossing the line in 13th. 

Race Result:
Winner: Rosberg (Mercedes) 25pts
2. Hamilton (Mercedes) 18pts
3. Ricciardo (Red Bull) 15pts
4. Alonso (Ferrari) 12pts
5. Hulkenberg (Force India) 10pts
6. Button (McLaren) 8pts
7. Massa (Williams) 6pts
8. Grosjean (Lotus) 4pts
9. Bianchi (Marussia) 2pts
10. Magnussen (McLaren) 1pt

11. Ericsson (Caterham)
12. Raikkonen (Ferrari)
13. Kobayashi (Caterham)
14. Chilton (Marussia)

15. Gutierrez (Sauber) DNF 59 laps
16. Bottas (Williams) DNF 55 laps
17. Vergne (Toro Rosso) DNF 50 laps
18. Sutil (Sauber) DNF 23 laps
19. Kvyat (Toro Rosso) DNF 10 laps
20. Vettel (Red Bull) DNF 5 laps
21. Perez (Force India) DNF 0 laps
22. Maldonado (Lotus) DNF 0 laps

Fastest Lap of the Race: Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) 1.18.479

Driver of the Day: Jules Bianchi moved up ten places to take Marussia's first ever points in F1. 

Team of the Day: Mercedes dominated the race and sealed the top two positions.

Driver Standings
1. Rosberg (Mercedes) 122pts
2. Hamilton (Mercedes) 118pts
3. Alonso (Ferrari) 61pts
4. Ricciardo (Red Bull) 54pts
5. Hulkenberg (Force India) 47pts

Constructor Standings
1. Mercedes 240pts
2. Red Bull 99pts
3. Ferrari 78pts
4. Force India 67pts
5. McLaren 52pts

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Monaco Grand Prix: Monte Carlo (Race 6, 2014) - Qualifying

Rosberg claims controversial pole position in Monaco

Nico Rosberg will start the Monaco Grand Prix at the front of the grid after controversially taking pole position ahead of Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton. Rosberg posted the fastest time on his penultimate lap but stopped his car towards the end of his last lap on track after misjudging a turn. This meant that a yellow flag was brought out and Hamilton's hopes of stealing pole was diminished. The Red Bulls will start right behind the two Mercedes on the second row whilst Daniel Ricciardo outshone Sebastien Vettel and will start in 3rd ahead of his German team-mate.



My Opinion: 

Mercedes - Rosberg (Pole), Hamilton (2nd). Mercedes have locked out the front grid for the second race in a row but Rosberg controversially claimed pole after stopping on track right at the end of the final qualifying session. Hamilton was faster in the first section and could possibly have snatched pole for himself. However, it was not to be and it will be a very interesting spectacle to see how the two drivers opt to play it during the race. I expect the two Mercedes to finish in the top two positions but I doubt Hamilton will find a way past Rosberg throughout the race. 

Red Bull - Ricciardo (3rd), Vettel (4th). It certainly is no shame to finish behind the Mercedes but I'm sure Red Bull will be disappointed they couldn't get a car on the front row. Ricciardo outshone Vettel once again and is proving himself to be the real deal. Getting past a Mercedes looks unlikely but a podium should be a certainty for one of the Red Bulls. 

Ferrari - Alonso (5th), Raikkonen (6th). Ferrari proved to have the third fastest package on track today and it was Alonso who was the quicker of the two drivers. However, Raikkonen took 6th to equal his best result of the season. Anything higher than 5th would be a bonus for the team but holding onto their positions will be their aim for tomorrow. 

Force India - Perez (10th), Hulkenberg (11th). More of the same for Force India who only managed to see one car through to Q3. A disappointing result on the whole but I would expect points from one car whilst points from both cars may prove more challenging.
Williams - Bottas (13th), Massa (16th). Disastrous day of qualifying for Williams who had an absolute nightmare. Both cars were knocked out in Q2 which must have come as a surprise to the team. Massa and Bottas endured their worst results in qualifying this season as it was a real struggle for the team to get the most out of their cars. I can't see Massa getting into the points from 16th but Bottas may be able to move upj into the top ten if the race goes in his favour.
McLaren - Magnussen (8th), Button (12th). It's still not quite right at McLaren who only saw one of their cars progress into Q3. This time it was Magnussen who qualified 8th but Button will be disappointed that he could only manage 12th. I would expect to see Magnussen take some points home but Button could find it extremely tough to move up into the top ten.
Toro Rosso - Vergne (7th), Kvyat (9th). It was Toro Rosso's best qualifying result since the opening event in Melbourne. Both cars will start inside the top ten Vergne impressively took 7th. Consequently, I would be surprised it Vergne didn't finish inside the top ten tomorrow but Kvyat may fall down the order if he's not careful.
Lotus - Grosjean (14th), Maldonado (15th). Lotus have struggled terribly thus far this season and it didn't get too much better today. Grosjean and Maldonado had to settle for 14th and 15th respectively and it will take a massive effort from both drivers if they are to score any points this weekend. I don't hold out too much hope for them this time around.
Sauber - Gutierrez (17th), Sutil (18th). Sauber have achieved better results this season and it may prove to be a tough weekend for them as they failed to impress in qualifying. Gutierrez was the quicker of the two drivers but they were both knocked out in Q1. Points look out of the question and it may just be a race where data is collected from which they can hope to improve their package.
Marussia - Bianchi (19th>21st), Chilton (20th>19th). The Marussia's were faster than the Caterham's in qualifying but a penalty sees Bianchi drop two places and will see him start the race on the back row. Chilton will be hoping to win the battle at the back.
Caterham - Kobayashi (21st>20th), Ericsson (22nd). Caterham were the slowest team on track in qualifying but Kobayashi will start ahead of Bianchi. Ericsson was the slowest and will start at the back of the grid. 

Qualifying Grid and Starting Grid:

Q3

Pole: Rosberg (Mercedes)

2. Hamilton (Mercedes)

3. Ricciardo (Red Bull)

4. Vettel (Red Bull)

5. Alonso (Ferrari)

6. Raikkonen (Ferrari)

7. Vergne (Toro Rosso)

8. Magnussen (McLaren)

9. Kvyat (Toro Rosso)

10. Perez (Force India)

Q2

11. Hulkenberg (Force India)

12. Button (McLaren)

13. Bottas (Williams)

14. Grosjean (Lotus)

15. Maldonado (Lotus)

16. Massa (Williams)

Q1

17. Gutierrez (Sauber)

18. Sutil (Sauber)

19. Bianchi (Marussia) - Will start in 21st

20. Chilton (Marussia) - Will start in 19th

21. Kobayashi (Caterham) - Will start in 20th

22. Ericsson (Caterham)

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2013 Monaco Grand Prix: Race

Rosberg holds nerve to win the Monaco Grand Prix

After an incident packed race, Nico Rosberg was able to fend off Sebastien Vettel and Mark Webber to claim his first victory at the Monaco Prix.



Here's what happened with a lap guide to all the major incidents throughout the race:

Start, lap 1: Clean getaway for both Mercedes to hold off a charging Vettel into the first corner and no changes at the front of the grid. Maldonado and Van der Garde both lose their front wings after contact.
Lap 4: Perez looks to pass Button but fails to get past.
Lap 9: Piq has an engine failure which forces him to pull over whilst the engine catches fire.
Lap 24: Maldonado collides again but this time into a Marussia.
Lap 26: First overtake of the race as Di Resta passes Massa on the first corner.
Lap 27: Raikkonen loses a place to Webber after first round of pit stops.
Lap 28: Di Resta makes another overtake stick after passing Gutierrez.
Lap 30: Massa locks up on braking which leads to a hefty crash into the wall.
Lap 31: Safety car deployed as stewards clear the wreckage from Massa's car.
Lap 32: Rosberg maintains the lead after his first pit stop but Vettel and Webber both move ahead of Hamilton who drops to fourth after poorly planned pit stop.
Lap 38: Safety car goes in and Rosberg makes a clean getaway as no changes in position occur.
Lap 40: Hamilton nearly pulls off an incredible pass on Webber who expertly keeps his car in front.
Lap 42: Button makes contact with Alonso on the Hairpin which allows Perez to pass Button at the chicane.
Lap 46: Maldonado crashes into the wall and Bianchi loses his front wing. Road blocked so red flag halts the race as stewards clear the track. No changes in position after race restarts behind the safety car but Alonso ordered to give place to Perez after cutting the chicane.
Lap 52: Sutil overtakes Button on the hairpin.
Lap 57: Sutil then overtakes Alonso on the hairpin.
Lap 60: Bianchi, similarly to Massa, locks up and crashes into the wall at the same part of the track.
Lap 62: Grosjean runs into the back of Ricciardo and loses his front wing.
Lap 71: Button passes Alonso after Perez collided with Raikkonen at the chicane.
Lap 74: Perez unable to finish the race after damage from collision too much to continue.
Finish Lap 78: Rosberg wins the Monaco Grand Prix!

Results:

1. Rosberg
2. Vettel
3. Webber
4. Hamilton
5. Sutil
6. Button
7. Alonso
8. Vergne
9. Di Resta
10. Raikkonen

Fastest Lap: Vettel 1.16.577

Standings:

1. Vettel 107
2. Raikkonen 86
3. Alonso 78

Constructors:

1. Red Bull 164
2. Ferrari 123
3. Lotus 112

Drive of the Day: Paul Di Resta for finishing 9th after starting in 17th on the grid.

2013 Monaco Grand Prix: Qualifying

Nico Rosberg takes pole position for Monaco Grand Prix

Nico Rosberg set the fastest time in the final qualifying session, with a time of 1.13.876, to take pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix.

It was a wet start to Q1 as everybody was out on track early to post a time. However, Felipe Massa was unable to take part in qualifying due to his team not being able to repair the Ferrari in time after a crash in free practice 3. It wasn't long until the first casualty as Bianchi (Marussia) was left in the wall due to a technical failure. Pastor Maldonado (Williams) set the quickest time in Q1 with a time of 1.23.452. The first major shock came in the first qualifying session as Paul Di Resta (Force India) was knocked out as poor tyre choices left the Scot in 17th place on the grid. Others that failed to make it through to Q2 were Chilton (Marussia), Gutierrez (Sauber) and Piq (Caterham).

Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) then showed some form as the German was fastest in Q2, setting a time of 1.15.988. Surprisingly, after a strong first session, Maldonado was knocked out in the second along with Van Der Garde (Caterham), Botas (Williams), Grosjean (Lotus), Ricciardo (Toro Rosso) and Hulkenberg (Sauber). 

It was a brilliant battle for pole but Rosberg (Mercedes) trumped team-mate Hamilton (Mercedes) to give Mercedes the front row ahead of a Red Bull second row.

Grid:

1. Rosberg (Mercedes) 2. Hamilton (Mercedes)

3Vettel (Red Bull) 4. Webber (Red Bull)

5. Raikkonen (Lotus) 6. Alonso (Ferrari)

7. Perez (Mclaren) 8. Sutil (Force India)

9. Button (Mclaren) 10. Vergne (Toro Rosso)

Weekend Preview May 25th 2013

It may be tough coming to the realisation that the Football season has ended in England until it begins in August but worry not as there is plenty of high quality sporting events to divulge in this weekend.

Thursday: Wentworth Golf championship (4 days)
Friday: Second Test Match of England v New Zealand (5 days)
Saturday: Champions League Final and Monaco Grand Prix Qualifying
Sunday: French Open (14 days) and Monaco Grand Prix

BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP, Wentworth Club

This tournament is always a good watch as it is one of the most iconic golf courses on the European Tour and made even more spectacular through the participation of the whole winning European Ryder Cup team of 2012. 

My Tip to win: Luke Donald
Donald has experience of winning this tournament. Plus, it strongly matches the way Luke likes to play as it is not the longest course on the tour so straight drives, good iron play and deadly pitching will put you in contention to win on Sunday.

England v New Zealand, Second Test Match: Headingley

After a 170 run victory at Lord's, England will be looking to put in a strong performance to win the series   in preparation for the hugely anticipated Ashes series this summer. With a fantastic bowling display from Broad and Anderson in the First Test, the England batsmen will look to score heavily and spend some time at the crease to cement their Ashes place in the squad.

My Tip to win: England
The England bowling attack are in high spirits and will look to keep the New Zealand to a minimum whilst the batsmen will be keen to score heavily with in-form Joe Root. Apart from the lively bowlers of Trent Boult and Tim Southee, it seems New Zealand will not have enough to stop a strong England side.

Champions League Final: Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund (Wembley)

Ironically, 70 years later Germany will invade London although this time for footballing reasons but don't mention the war! In all seriousness though, this should be a cracking game of football with both teams deservedly in the Final. Bayern thumped Barcelona for seven in their semi-final whilst Dortmund held on in Madrid to win 4-3 on aggregate. 

My Tip to win: Bayern Munich
Two strong teams but it could the German champions who prevail with their experience and attacking power to lift the 2013 Champions League trophy. 

Monaco Grand Prix: Qualifying

The most spectacular race on the Formula 1 calender is this weekend and begins with Qualifying. It is every driver's dream to win on the streets of Monaco and with Mercedes on top in previous Qualifying race weekends this season, I would be surprised if a Mercedes failed to get on the front row. 

My Tip to be on Pole: Lewis Hamilton
Expect tough competition from Alonso and Vettel but with Mercedes dominance in Qualifying I expect Lewis Hamilton to pip team-mate Rosberg to pole position. 

Monaco Grand Prix: Race

As it is one of the toughest races to overtake someone, pole position will be vital. Therefore, whoever is on the front row at the beginning of the race will strongly fancy their chances to win. Concentration is key on these streets but one blip will likely end in a crash. Thus, the Monaco Grand Prix is a showcase for what Formula 1 is all about - Wealth and Fame.

My Tip to win: Nico Rosberg

If Rosberg can get on the front row for the start of the race his steely determination and ability to drive consistently on tough tracks should see him take a valuable Monaco Grand Prix victory.

2013 French Open - Roland Garros

The clay court season comes to a close at the second grand slam tournament of the year. There are always high profile shocks here as top players struggle to adapt to playing and sliding on the clay. Expect classic matches and top quality tennis as the tournament begins on Sunday.

My Tip to win: Mens - Rafael Nadal, Womans - Serena Williams

With the withdrawal of Andy Murray, there will be a chance for someone outside of the top 3 players to make it to the semi's. Expect to see the usual suspects of Nadal, Federer and Djokovic advance to the semi-finals but with Nadal's sheer supremacy at this slam and current form on clay then I expect him to win it yet again.
On the woman's side, this is a tournament that is famously wide open for any woman tennis player to win as top seeds struggle to adapt to clay court conditions. There are always massive shocks throughout but if Serena Williams can maintain her composure then her recent dominance of the woman's game should continue.