- 7/4/2025
Qualifying for Round 7 of the 2001 F1 season at Monaco.
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00:00:00On a tiny sliver of land overlooking the Mediterranean lies a little hunk of paradise
00:00:26that since 1929 has hosted one of the world's most important motoring events.
00:00:31Monaco Grand Prix takes place this Memorial Day weekend, but before you can race, you must qualify.
00:00:38Hello again, everyone. I'm Bob Varsha joined by Steve Matchett and David Hobbs as Sam Posey is off this weekend.
00:00:44There is a look at Jacques Villeneuve contemplating what lies before him on one of the most difficult circuits in all of motorsports.
00:00:52But nevertheless, it is a beautiful day for qualifying, David.
00:00:55It certainly is. 84 degrees. Track temperature is 114, which should help our Michelin-shod cars.
00:01:02There's no doubt about it. But it is an amazing little track. It's very difficult, very twisty.
00:01:07And Steve, you're the latest member of our team to visit this track. Tell us a bit about it.
00:01:12Well, it's certainly one of the most unique tracks in motor racing. The outline is well-known throughout the world.
00:01:18It's got that unique tunnel section there down at the bottom right-hand corner.
00:01:21It is very twisty. It is very windy. It's all about downforce and putting the softest ties on this car.
00:01:27It isn't really a motor racing circuit in the true sense of the word.
00:01:30It just weaves and winds its way around the Monaco Principality, around the hotels and the casino there at the top right-hand corner.
00:01:37It's all about getting downforce on the car.
00:01:39We've seen a lot of the teams have been practicing down in Valencia in Spain, which has got similar conditions, trying to get the downforce configuration set right.
00:01:47Very, very difficult when we know that Jordan has had problems with an aerodynamic device and it's been banned, as have Arrows as well.
00:01:55It's also all about not hitting the wall.
00:01:58Absolutely.
00:01:59That is the key thing here, is not to hit something.
00:02:02There's Jasper Stoppen, first car on track as the 60-minute clock is running.
00:02:07The Arrows team was at the center of that sort of mini-controversy that Steve Matchett just described,
00:02:12involving adding extra aerodynamic devices to try to find a little more downforce.
00:02:17The other team was the Jordan squad.
00:02:19Here is Jarno Trulli on Thursday.
00:02:22You see that wing perched just ahead of the driver's nose, on top of the monocoque.
00:02:27For their part, the Arrows team came up with this device, looking perhaps more like a bottle opener than a front wing for Jasper Stoppen.
00:02:35Both were ruled ineligible for the weekend, although the Arrows team did appeal that decision, which I found interesting.
00:02:42I think they were ruled inelegant as well as inelegable.
00:02:44Well, they certainly are that.
00:02:45That front wing on the Arrows was very reminiscent of like the Brabham with the wing-mounted, the suspension-mounted wings back in the early 70s there,
00:02:53which certainly gave more downforce.
00:02:56And Verstappen said, yes, I don't care how ugly it is, if there could be more downforce, I'll take it.
00:03:00Here's a look at this morning's practice times.
00:03:02Mika Hakkinen leading the way.
00:03:04Juan Montoya had a heavy crash on Thursday.
00:03:06Not as heavy as his teammate, Rolf Schumacher, however.
00:03:10He's currently in the number seven spot.
00:03:11Giancarlo Fisichella going well in the Benetton Renault.
00:03:15Of course, anything would be good for that team, stricken by incredible lack of reliability this year with their new Renault engines.
00:03:23Nick Heidfeld once won a Formula 3000 race here on the streets of the Principality.
00:03:28He finds himself back in 19th with the Sauber.
00:03:31But in 15th spot, ahead of him is Kimi Raikkonen, the amazing finn who has never, ever seen.
00:03:39The only driver here we think this weekend has never actually seen this track before.
00:03:43This is the Poitier corner, the doorway.
00:03:46Verstappen makes his way into the world-famous tunnel.
00:03:53No sound like that anywhere else in motorsports.
00:03:56Of course, the scary thing about that tunnel is that as they exit it, they're doing just about 180 miles an hour.
00:04:01Now, that is the fastest part on this track.
00:04:04As you curve through that tunnel, you have absolutely no forward visibility at all.
00:04:08And you burst from the darkness into the bright sunlight.
00:04:12Key that you have good flag marching here.
00:04:15Approaching Raskas.
00:04:20That's the gas house corner.
00:04:22You hear the tires squealing.
00:04:23Wait, wait, wait.
00:04:26Through the Anthony Doe corner.
00:04:28And on to the start finish straightaway.
00:04:30First blood drawn by Jasper Stappen at 1 minute 23.537 seconds.
00:04:38Compare that with Mika Hakkinen's quick lap this morning at 1.18.282.
00:04:431.2 seconds under last year's cold.
00:04:46We'll be back.
00:04:46SpeedVision's coverage of Formula One is sponsored by Mercedes-Benz.
00:04:55Located on the web at mvusa.com.
00:04:58And by Tag Heuer, the official timekeeper of the Formula One Grand Prix.
00:05:11Welcome back to Monte Carlo.
00:05:12And Arrows is on track.
00:05:13This is Jasper Stappen's teammate, Enrique Bernoldi, coming around to start a hot lap.
00:05:19Verstappen came out and set the current top time at 1 minute 23.537 seconds.
00:05:25Bernoldi will soon mount his first effort in anger.
00:05:29Glad you're opening your Memorial Day weekend here in the United States with us.
00:05:33Of course, it's a big weekend for motorsports.
00:05:35Not only the Grand Prix of Monaco, but the Indianapolis 500.
00:05:39And thanks to all of you who emailed in yesterday to correct me when I misspoke myself
00:05:45about the number of drivers who have won both Monaco and Indy.
00:05:49I mentioned Graham Hill, Jimmy Clark, Emerson Fittipaldi, and Jackie Stewart.
00:05:53Of course, those are world champions who won the Indianapolis 500.
00:05:56Just one driver has won both the Grand Prix of Monaco and the 500, and that is Graham Hill,
00:06:03who added the third for the triumvirate of the world's great motorsports events,
00:06:08the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which you'll be seeing live flag to flag here on SpeedFit.
00:06:12In fact, that year, we were both driving for Matra, and he won with Henri Fescarolo,
00:06:19and Margaret and I flew home with Graham Hill in his aeroplane.
00:06:27Launching down from the Grand Hotel, hairpin through Poitiers and into the tunnel.
00:06:34That must be a champion game.
00:06:38It's not a straight.
00:06:39It's a long right-hander.
00:06:42This is the new chicane with Paul Bentleyman.
00:06:45That savage accident.
00:06:48Back in the mid-90s.
00:06:50The old tobacco corner there, that left-hander.
00:06:52It used to be flat out from there back to Rascas,
00:06:54but now you go around the swimming pool here.
00:06:57The PC.
00:06:58Well, Bernoldi really couldn't ask for better conditions here with no traffic around him.
00:07:02I mean, the biggest problem with trying to get a timeout of a car going around Monaco circuit
00:07:06is, of course, traffic you cannot overtake.
00:07:08Perfect conditions as far as the Ares team are concerned there.
00:07:11Enrique Bernoldi came 15th here in the 1999 round of the F3000.
00:07:20He was down lap.
00:07:21123.623 moves him into second spot behind his teammate.
00:07:27Jack Villeneuve is also on track.
00:07:29Here he is about to begin his lap.
00:07:33But, Steve, one of the interesting things about this racetrack,
00:07:35it is so difficult for teams to hide anything from one another.
00:07:39The pits are so cramped.
00:07:40The panic is so tight.
00:07:42And several teams have some tricks here this weekend that I'm sure the others would love to have a closer look at.
00:07:46Exactly.
00:07:47There are no real garage facilities at Monaco.
00:07:50Here's a shot that we picked up on the World Trade earlier on of the elusive Ferrari brake.
00:07:54You can see the lighter colored area at the back of it is either detain or aluminum to dissipate the heat away.
00:08:01And then you can see the carbon dug behind that.
00:08:02The idea is to get the air out of the inside of the wheel rim to stop the turbulence there.
00:08:07And as you just see now, as the camera pans back towards the roller hoop of the car,
00:08:11you can see a little green flag attached, fuel in.
00:08:14That's obviously to tell the mechanics working on the car that the fuel guy has loaded the car with fuel for the qualifying run.
00:08:19Because of the difficulties in the way the teams can communicate in Monaco,
00:08:23everybody is so spread out and the noise is so horrendous when you're working down there because of the buildings.
00:08:28Can't dissipate the noise away.
00:08:29It's very easy to forget that you send the car out without fuel, half a lap run and it stops.
00:08:34That's not quite what you have in mind.
00:08:36Boy, oh boy, I'll tell you what, old Villeneuve really trying here.
00:08:39Very close to the fence coming into the PC corners there and a bit of a tire screw around there.
00:08:47It's unbelievable, isn't it?
00:08:48That, of course, those threaded tires, the slicks would never do that.
00:08:52To the line comes Jacques Villeneuve.
00:08:551.21.286 taking 2.2 seconds off of Jas Verstappen's provisional full time.
00:09:04So, Jacques Villeneuve stands atop the podium as far as qualifying goes to this point.
00:09:11Welcome back to live qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix.
00:09:24Bob Barsha, David Hobbs, and Steve Matchett with you.
00:09:27Luciano Berti, who got his first taste of this track in a Porsche Super Cup car last year,
00:09:33has just completed his first hot lap and slots into fourth on the provisional order.
00:09:38Here is Heinz Harald Frensen in the Jordan.
00:09:42Tonight on Speed Vision, if you like old Formula One racing movies,
00:09:45you don't want to miss our Lost Drive-In special presentation of Grand Prix.
00:09:50Showtime is 8 p.m. Eastern with a re-air at 9.30 Pacific time.
00:09:55And then next weekend, Le Mans premieres on Lost Drive-In.
00:09:59The first showing will be Saturday, June 2nd at 9.30 p.m. Eastern time
00:10:02with repeat airings that night at 9.30 Pacific
00:10:06and Sunday, June 3rd at 12.30 p.m. Eastern.
00:10:13Oh, I don't understand that.
00:10:14It took the TV camera, Iris, a bit of time to get adjusted to that.
00:10:33Just imagine what it's like for them.
00:10:38It's a back.
00:10:39Ralph Schumacher had his big crash yesterday.
00:10:53This is Rescass.
00:10:54Heinz Harald Frensen goes to provisional pole at 120.939.
00:11:14Now, the lap record in race trim set by Michael Schumacher at 121.076.
00:11:20The quickest time thus far this weekend, 118.282.
00:11:24Pole last year for Schumacher was a 119.475.
00:11:29And the all-time lap record of 118.216 was set by Heinz Harald Frensen back in 1987.
00:11:38We'll see Keller on the track at the moment.
00:11:40He was 13th this morning.
00:11:42Jensen butch was just behind him in 14th.
00:11:44But significantly better than they've been showing at any other race so far this year.
00:11:48Which is pretty remarkable considering in Thursday morning's one-hour session,
00:11:54they got virtually no laps.
00:11:56Wow.
00:11:56Came back in with electrical problems, had virtually no laps at all.
00:12:00And Fischkela moves to provisional pole at 120.545.
00:12:05Which is just a tad quicker than he went this morning.
00:12:08And I do mean a tad.
00:12:13He went at 120.528 this morning.
00:12:16Six cars under last year's pole time this morning.
00:12:20Because it is a lot warmer now.
00:12:22That will make the track more slippery.
00:12:24This is one of the Jaguars in their new trim.
00:12:28They brought a completely redesigned rear end for the Jaguars.
00:12:31Did not use it on Thursday.
00:12:34Because they don't have enough spare parts.
00:12:36But they're using it now.
00:12:37And they are desperately hoping it will make them more competitive.
00:12:40Now the reason they didn't want to use it on Thursday, of course,
00:12:43is they had two sets.
00:12:44But if they were to shunt the cars in Thursday practice session,
00:12:47they wouldn't have had enough components to have rebuilt the car
00:12:50to put them on in qualifying, where it really matters.
00:12:52This is a completely different aerodynamic package too, right?
00:12:55Under the whole shooting.
00:12:56They've come out with a new diffuser, new rear wing,
00:12:58all sorts of things on the car to try and get,
00:13:00as we talked about at the top of the show,
00:13:02more downforce on this car to try and get the things to stick down.
00:13:05And certainly this morning, it looked like he's working.
00:13:07Eddie Irvine was fifth this morning on a 1.1908.
00:13:10And right now, he is ahead of Giancarlo Fisichella's provisional pole lap
00:13:15through the first intermediate.
00:13:18Also on track right now, Juan Montoya and Mika Hakkinen
00:13:21coming up to speed to begin hot laps.
00:13:29It's kind of a remarkable technology.
00:13:31These onboard cameras are RF technology.
00:13:34It's a line-of-sight thing.
00:13:35So normally when they went into the tunnel,
00:13:37we would lose the picture entirely.
00:13:39But they came up with the technology to get that signal out of the tunnel
00:13:42so we can get those great onboard shots
00:13:45as the cars go flying through there.
00:13:47And quicker again on that second time sector.
00:13:50Well, there's a good chance that Eddie Irvine
00:13:51will certainly at least temporarily be on the pole here.
00:13:57Michelin's on this car, of course, squealing.
00:14:01The car ratcheting on traction control.
00:14:03Yeah, two great bits of audio there.
00:14:05A of the car's squealing coming around the Rascas.
00:14:07And as the traction control kicks in
00:14:09to try and get that traction back down again.
00:14:11Eddie Irvine to pole position provisionally.
00:14:13That'll bring a smile to Bobby Rahal's face.
00:14:17First man in the one-minute, 20-second zone.
00:14:20Here's Mika Hakkinen.
00:14:20Boy, didn't they sound dreadful.
00:14:28Hakkinen, one of ten of the current 22 drivers who live in Monaco.
00:14:32Flashing out of the tunnel, down to the chicane.
00:14:44Boy, that car rotates well, doesn't it?
00:14:46I mean, just whipped round that right-hand sector,
00:14:48that chicane, like it was tied to the ground.
00:14:50Oh, cool, what a...
00:14:54Wow.
00:14:56This is going to be about a 17-something.
00:14:58Oh, this is going to be an amazing lap.
00:15:00Keep in mind, the all-time lap record, 118.216.
00:15:06Climbing the hill slightly.
00:15:071.18.552, so he lost some time.
00:15:20Or at least did not keep up the momentum he had
00:15:22through the first two intermediates.
00:15:25Around Massenet.
00:15:26Meanwhile, down at Poitier.
00:15:28Look at that Montoya, up to 4-2.
00:15:30I believe this is Olivier Panis,
00:15:38the 96th winner of the Grand Prix of Monaco.
00:15:46As of you unfamiliar with the area,
00:15:48the principality is tiny.
00:15:50You can walk completely around it in about an hour.
00:15:53Monte Carlo is its capital, if you will.
00:15:55Home of the famous casino.
00:15:58Top of the rock in old Monaco, as it's called.
00:16:02It's Prince-Renier's palace,
00:16:04and beyond that, a few small villages.
00:16:07A lot packed into a very small area
00:16:09in this tiny principality.
00:16:13Panis moves to third at 20.345.
00:16:18That's a pretty good run for Olivier Panis.
00:16:22That's quicker than he went this morning.
00:16:24Major Harkin had yet to go as quick as he did this morning.
00:16:26He puts Panis ahead of his teammate, Villeneuve, once again.
00:16:33Harkin, we expect he'll head to the pit lane, and he does.
00:16:38David Coulthard is out on track in the other McLaren.
00:16:41There's a good look at how crammed these pits are.
00:16:43On the right is the sidewalk,
00:16:46and there is, that is basically a garage.
00:16:48It's about eight feet deep.
00:16:49Room for a couple of toolboxes and computer racks,
00:16:52and that is it.
00:16:53David Coulthard, last year's winner.
00:16:59Very much on his game now.
00:17:01Dennis had something interesting to say about David Coulthard.
00:17:03He said he is tougher now than he has ever been,
00:17:06and he is ready
00:17:07to push people aside to become world champion.
00:17:11Dennis basically admitted that he took the personalities of the drivers into account.
00:17:25Mika Harkin needed to be coddled, if you will,
00:17:28as Coulthard goes around the minority of Fernando Alonso,
00:17:31who has already crashed at least once this weekend.
00:17:35Whereas, wow, Harkin...
00:17:37In spite of that, he's still quicker than Mika Harkin.
00:17:39Well, he wasn't held up for long there.
00:17:40It was a fairly straight stretch of track.
00:17:42Alonso was very obliging as well to pull right out of the way.
00:17:45Yeah, yeah.
00:17:45He finished the point before he finishes the lap.
00:17:48Whereas, Harkin needed to be supported,
00:17:51Coulthard needed a kick in the butt.
00:17:53Ron applied it,
00:17:54and perhaps is taking a bit of credit for Coulthard's success now.
00:17:571.18.127 as Coulthard goes to the top of the charts.
00:18:02Quickest lap of the weekend so far.
00:18:04And that is a new all-time lap record,
00:18:07breaking the mark held by Heinz-Harald Frensen.
00:18:11Through the Massonet corner,
00:18:13former side of one of the great watering holes in all the world,
00:18:16Rosie's Bar,
00:18:17much lamented in its absence.
00:18:20This is Ralph Schumacher.
00:18:23To Massonet, blind left-hander,
00:18:25fourth gear, third perhaps for some of the cars.
00:18:32He didn't swerve to go around that big bump.
00:18:35He just went straight over it.
00:18:37That bump is just outside another great watering hole,
00:18:40the tip-top, but I digress.
00:18:55Blashing into the Sun's sunlight.
00:18:58In case you're wondering what Zepter is on that big sign in the tunnel,
00:19:01it's a maker of Pots and Pans.
00:19:05Formerly a sponsor of Arrows,
00:19:08at the last time.
00:19:10Around the Piscine.
00:19:11Who said Pots and Pans isn't a glamorous thing
00:19:13to be attached to when we go on?
00:19:14Pots and Pots and Pots and Pots and Pots and Pots and Pots and Pots and Pots and Pots and Pots.
00:19:20Not much tire squeal there.
00:19:23No.
00:19:27To the line comes Schumacher and moves into third at 118.6.
00:19:34Brother Michael Schumacher is on track,
00:19:38coming up to speed.
00:19:40Whoops!
00:19:42Straight on at the chicane.
00:19:44He came up on a slow-moving Arrows.
00:19:48Is that a time lap, or is that his...
00:19:51I don't believe so.
00:19:52Here's another look.
00:19:57Might have been Enrique Bernoldi's Arrows.
00:20:02Yes, it is, definitely.
00:20:04Unusual for Michael to get balked out there.
00:20:06He, like the late Ayrton Senna and Alain Cross,
00:20:09and virtually all of the great ones,
00:20:10usually has perfect timing when it comes to knowing when to start a lap.
00:20:14I suppose that was just at the exit of the tunnel as well,
00:20:17so I don't know whether or not, you know,
00:20:18he's miss-sighted or his eyes just hadn't quite adjusted,
00:20:20and just...
00:20:21It's so difficult, but look at these corners so blind, as you can see.
00:20:24And as the cars go around,
00:20:25you can arrive on something in a split second
00:20:27and not be aware at all what's in front of you.
00:20:30Rubens Barrichello.
00:20:31New contract.
00:20:35The team has picked up its option for next season with the young Brazilian.
00:20:39He also celebrated his 29th birthday on Thursday here in Monaco,
00:20:43and he moves into the number five spot on the provisional grid.
00:20:47Behind David Coulthard, Mika Hakkinen,
00:20:49Ralph Schumacher, Yarno, truly.
00:20:53Eddie Irvine, bump down to sixth.
00:20:55We'll be back.
00:21:00Speed Vision's coverage of Formula One is sponsored by Audi.
00:21:05And by Prudential.
00:21:07Your rock-solid choice for insurance, investments, real estate, and financial services.
00:21:12Welcome back.
00:21:16Live qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix continues here on Speed Vision.
00:21:20This is Jacques Villeneuve coming around to complete his second hot lap.
00:21:24And he puts himself into sixth spot at 119.795.
00:21:30Just behind Rubens Barrichello, bumping Eddie Irvine.
00:21:34Look into the eyes of Mika Hakkinen.
00:21:39The track temperature has now dropped about six degrees from what it was at the start of the session as well.
00:21:46It's weird, isn't it?
00:21:47Because the sun is still shining pretty brightly.
00:21:49You wouldn't expect it.
00:21:50You think it would continue to build.
00:21:52I wonder whether or not it's because it's so close to the coast.
00:21:55Obviously, you can see where the boats are,
00:21:56whether those sea breezes come in and just take that heat, carry that heat away.
00:21:59Mont de Beau-Rivage.
00:22:05Beau Massadier.
00:22:07Matilda Pariel on the right.
00:22:09Cassino in the background.
00:22:10Now plunging downhill to Mirabeau.
00:22:18Half-second off at the first intermediate as he makes the hairpin in first gear.
00:22:29Now a 130-mile-an-hour entry to the swimming pool.
00:22:50That's Errol Frensen, sixth place on the provisional charts.
00:23:17At 119.365.
00:23:22So eight cars now under one minute, 20 seconds.
00:23:27Science, Errol Frensen continues on his way.
00:23:29We'll take a quick crack, break, and return.
00:23:31Welcome back live, qualifying for the Grand Prix of Monaco.
00:23:39This is David Coulthard.
00:23:40Moments ago, Michael Schumacher, who was languishing in 22nd on the provisional grid
00:23:45after having his first lap balked,
00:23:49came around and put himself in second place in the Ferrari at 118.386 seconds.
00:23:55And he was ahead at the second intermediate.
00:23:58He lost the pole position somewhere in that run from the second intermediate split down to start finish.
00:24:05Very courteously pulled to the side there to let McLaren go over through.
00:24:12Boy, that was so unlike him to lose it on the last sector where he's always dynamite.
00:24:17He was ahead, right up.
00:24:19But going through Raskas in that Anton Nogue's corner,
00:24:21he somehow lost out and ends up behind David Coulthard,
00:24:26who's rocketing on here, going quicker than he did the first time.
00:24:29If he can maintain that through that last sector, he's going to be increasing the gap back to Michael.
00:24:35McLaren has been pretty good in the third segment.
00:24:37On Thursday, Mika Hakkinen made up 7 tenths to post quick time of the day.
00:24:43Oh, sliding it right out to the rail.
00:24:50118.029 as Coulthard continues to improve.
00:24:55Now, coming up later today here on Speed Vision,
00:25:00we'll have coverage of the Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series,
00:25:03Six Hours of the Glen, three-hour show.
00:25:06So far in three races on the Grand Am, there's been three different overall winners.
00:25:10See if we'll get a fourth at the Glen, premiering today at 1.30 p.m. Eastern Time.
00:25:15And by the harborside, this is Mika Hakkinen.
00:25:29Boy, that may be my favorite corner, that entrance to the swimming pool.
00:25:32130 miles an hour, thread the needle, and if you touch either side of it, you are toast.
00:25:40And good to this point.
00:25:41Remember, this is his best section of the racetrack.
00:25:44Into the 17s goes the fin.
00:25:53Hey, that's great.
00:25:55Keep in mind, last year's pole was a 119.4.
00:26:02And the fastest any man had gone around this two-mile racetrack was 118.2.
00:26:08And now here we have Hakkinen in the 17s.
00:26:16Yarno Trulli in the Jordan.
00:26:18He qualified on the outside of the front row for this race last year.
00:26:23He loves driving around Monaco.
00:26:24Currently in the number five spot.
00:26:29See when the camera picks up the cars, it comes around.
00:26:31Have a look at the rear wing that Jordan have bonded onto just behind the roll hood, just behind the camera mount.
00:26:36The highest point of the car, you'll see a little wing left and right coming out of the center.
00:26:40Very reminiscent to what McLaren ran in a couple of years ago.
00:26:45And this is in answer to the fact that the FIA have banned their somewhat bizarre wing that they tried on Thursday.
00:26:50No improvement.
00:26:55Yarno Trulli remains in the five spot.
00:27:02This is Ralph Schumacher in the BMW Williams.
00:27:06The mechanics had the extra day on Friday.
00:27:09With a pair of crash damage, both of their drivers hit the fence.
00:27:13This man definitely harder.
00:27:17Schumacher touched the wall on the entrance to the swimming pool turns.
00:27:20And then just cannon to cross the track, crush the left side of the car.
00:27:25And was sent home by the team doctors complaining of neck and head pain.
00:27:28Here he is, trying again.
00:27:33Pretty well anyway here, if you hit one of these walls hard enough on his quick corner,
00:27:37he's going to send you straight across into the other one.
00:27:40It's almost inevitable.
00:27:42This one being one of them here, if you hit that wall on the left,
00:27:44you're going to hit where it says Monaco on the wall on the right.
00:27:48Or Monaco.
00:27:49Wow.
00:27:49As far as the teams are concerned, you know,
00:27:52we're talking about the cars hitting the barriers and the damage it does.
00:27:55The mechanics work really at Monaco is all about rebuilding the things
00:27:58and just getting them back onto the circuit.
00:28:00There's so little that the cars can do in engineering.
00:28:03You're just watching one of the Williams lock up under braking coming out of the tunnel.
00:28:06But it's all about maintenance work at Monaco
00:28:08as opposed to really engineering the cars to go any quicker.
00:28:11But what you do to get the cars to go quicker is it's all in the cockpit.
00:28:14This is all down to the drivers thread in an absolutely perfect line.
00:28:17We have one more break before the checkered flag.
00:28:22And that means probably 22 minutes of uninterrupted qualifying coverage
00:28:27as Rubens Barrichello brings the Ferrari around
00:28:30and moves to fifth, bumping Yarno Trulli.
00:28:34Barrichello from seventh to fifth.
00:28:36Meanwhile, Ralph Schumacher, as you saw, jumped up to third,
00:28:39bumping his brother Michael to fourth.
00:28:42Who says you can't slide one of these high downforce Grand Prix cars?
00:28:46We'll take a break and be back to take you to the checkered flag
00:28:49qualifying at Monaco.
00:28:51Welcome back live to qualifying for the Grand Prix of Monaco.
00:29:07Bob Barshello along with Steve Machen and David Hobbs.
00:29:09Glad to have you with us.
00:29:10Sam Posey is somewhere working on his tan.
00:29:14You watch Michael Schumacher on a hot lap.
00:29:17Currently fourth on the provisional grid.
00:29:19And he is really pushing this car.
00:29:21Now you can see the car's very, very twitchy
00:29:24and it's really put in a lot of effort to keep us under control.
00:29:26This is a quick one.
00:29:27And in spite of that, he's a little bit slower on that first time sector.
00:29:33But he is trying very hard.
00:29:39Can you imagine being in that tunnel all weekend as a marshal?
00:29:42Whoo!
00:29:42God!
00:29:43It's actually the entry and exit to the parking garage
00:29:46underneath the Grand Hotel.
00:29:49Four-time winner of this Grand Prix.
00:29:56Quicker on that second.
00:29:59Schumacher is on a great lap.
00:30:01See if he can hold it now around Riscasse.
00:30:06He is really on the throttle early.
00:30:10Whoo!
00:30:10Yes, by three-tenths.
00:30:17Three-tenths.
00:30:18Wow!
00:30:19An incredible lap for Michael Schumacher.
00:30:23One-seventeen.
00:30:25He's got David Coulthard looking at his bit of paper.
00:30:28Coulthard, excuse me.
00:30:30Read him and weep.
00:30:30Oh, look at that.
00:30:34Even including that.
00:30:35He's got David Coulthard.
00:30:36He's got David Coulthard.
00:30:37Wow.
00:30:39Rubens Botticello sits in the pits.
00:30:42New contract in hand.
00:30:43Michael Schumacher also has a new contract, but his goes through the 2004 season.
00:30:49Three years at $115 million, goes the rumor.
00:30:53But, of course, the reason he signed it was because John Tuck, Ross Drawn, and Rory Byrne
00:30:58also all decided to stay through that lengthy time, so that magic team of which Steve Matchett
00:31:04was once a proud member of, but now look at him sitting in here with us talking about
00:31:08it.
00:31:08What a terrible come down.
00:31:10No good deed goes unpunished.
00:31:12Another phone might ring us afternoon.
00:31:14You never know.
00:31:14You never know.
00:31:15Steve, come back.
00:31:17Jimmy Raikkonen in the number 14 spot.
00:31:19He got there during the break, moving up from 15th.
00:31:22His fourth place two weeks ago in Austria is still unofficial, having been protested
00:31:27by the VAR team.
00:31:29As one of their cards magically appears on the screen.
00:31:33This is Jacques Villeneuve.
00:31:35That appeal will be heard June 1st.
00:31:37Then, hopefully, the Austrian Grand Prix results will be made official one way or the other.
00:31:42If Raikkonen is bounced, it will help VAR.
00:31:46I don't suppose there's a connection there, is there?
00:31:50Gotta pick up one.
00:31:52That is pretty awesome sound going through that time, isn't it?
00:32:0418,000 RPM and 840 horsepower.
00:32:07Has a habit of making a lot of noise in the tunnel.
00:32:08Boy, you're right, Bob.
00:32:13That entry to that P-scene is just awesome.
00:32:16This is what caught out Ralph Schumacher yesterday.
00:32:19Remember that tremendous jump Johnny Herbert had there a couple of years ago.
00:32:22Let's do it.
00:32:23Jack Villeneuve, currently 13, losing time steadily through that third segment.
00:32:34Moves up to eight, but still 1.6 seconds off of pole.
00:32:38This is the kind of racetrack that really brings out differences between the drivers and their combinations.
00:32:45As you see in replay, Tarso Marquez porpoising down that backstretch.
00:32:50No wonder those guys have such a hard time with it.
00:32:52Look at that car.
00:32:54I have to set the suspension so soft because of this awful road surface they're on, really.
00:32:59I mean, you know, it's public roads around the small French town.
00:33:03Normally, that soft suspension will give you a better grip, mechanical grip.
00:33:08And, of course, here, there's a tremendous amount of mechanical grip you're counting on.
00:33:12This is Eddie Irvine for getting a hot lap.
00:33:15David Coulthard said he doesn't even notice the bumps around this track.
00:33:18He's so focused on getting his corner entry and his braking points and getting the apexes and everything.
00:33:24He said he really doesn't pay much attention to how the fillings are coming out of his teeth.
00:33:28And the track temperature also continues to drop 96.8, so it's dropped about 9 degrees from the start of the session,
00:33:35which might produce a little bit more power in the engines,
00:33:38but, of course, they're not really able to use the power in the engines around here,
00:33:40which is why we're seeing a levelling of the playing field, I suppose.
00:33:44And when you saw the performance out of the Ballaton earlier on, you know,
00:33:47I think they can't use as much power.
00:33:54Here's Rubens Baracchello.
00:33:55Going slowly around the swimming pool.
00:33:59Television complex to your screen right.
00:34:03Narrow strip of tarmac.
00:34:07Right along the harbour side.
00:34:10Irvine has gotten off of it.
00:34:18This little hot lap doesn't look very fast.
00:34:25Bit of a different engine note from that Cosworth.
00:34:30Well, good effort for Irvine.
00:34:32Moves up to fifth from seventh.
00:34:34Certainly the best of Jaguar has looked all year.
00:34:39And the circuit should be getting better, of course, now,
00:34:44because we're having more rubber put down and soft tyres as the session continues.
00:34:48And provided it doesn't rain off tonight for the tomorrow's race,
00:34:51it should be better still, of course.
00:34:52Exactly.
00:34:53This, of course, is one of those circuits where the track gets better and better and better
00:34:55as the weekend goes on,
00:34:56because it's not used any other time except...
00:34:58Two tenths quicker than Michael Schumacher at the first intermediate section.
00:35:05Through to back.
00:35:06Here comes the swimming pool.
00:35:09A little bit down there, but not much.
00:35:1152 hundreds.
00:35:15And again, he's got what he needs, which is a clear track.
00:35:18This could be good for a front row start, if not whole.
00:35:31No.
00:35:32Wow, what happened there?
00:35:33Lost some time in the third section.
00:35:36I thought he looked a little slow.
00:35:38Down to Rescaz.
00:35:38I think he came in a little too hot.
00:35:41He remains in the number three spot.
00:35:42Meanwhile, Eddie Irvine's time bumps Rubens Vallekello down to sixth.
00:35:46Well, now Rubens Vallekello answers with third, as you see.
00:35:53Accomplished by torturing the tires down at Sandovo.
00:35:56Here's a look at this.
00:35:57Look at...
00:35:57I mean, that was tremendous.
00:35:59Right.
00:36:00But he used it to his advantage around the right-hand section.
00:36:03Swung it back and...
00:36:04Still probably cost him some time.
00:36:06Must have done.
00:36:09So the order is currently Michael Schumacher,
00:36:12Mika Hakkinen, Rubens Vallekello, David Coulthard,
00:36:15Ralf Schumacher, and Eddie Irvine in the first three rooms.
00:36:19Here is Ralf Schumacher.
00:36:20I think we're going to see more from him yet.
00:36:31Proves his time, but remains fifth.
00:36:33He's got the crewman hanging those pit boards over the wall.
00:36:37You were mentioning in our practice show, Steve,
00:36:39how that's pretty dicey-duty, the way the car has hugged the rail.
00:36:44Well, certainly for Ferrari, it's all where the position is of the,
00:36:46you know, what we're laughingly call pit garages in the Monaco pit lane.
00:36:49But for Ferrari, the cars, as they exit round Raskas
00:36:52and go on to the start-finish straight again,
00:36:54are aiming straight for the guy hanging the pit board out.
00:36:56And if he doesn't lift it up, the car will hit it.
00:36:59They're that close.
00:37:00They're that close to the barriers.
00:37:01As Schumacher continues,
00:37:05Mika Hakkinen has taken to the racetrack for what?
00:37:10Well, he has actually two runs remaining.
00:37:13Barrichello has one.
00:37:14Kulthau has one.
00:37:15Ralf Schumacher won.
00:37:16Eddie Irvine won.
00:37:18Same for Jarno Trulli, Juan Montoya, Jacques Villeneuve,
00:37:21and Olivier Panis, who currently make up the top ten.
00:37:24You watch the amount of suspension steering lock that McLaren has to use.
00:37:37All the drivers have to use as we go around the Grand Hotel,
00:37:40the former Lowe's Hotel hairpin.
00:37:41Look at the outside wheel, how tight that is.
00:37:44Because of the amount of stop that they have to use, Rackstop,
00:37:46they have to actually machine different track rods
00:37:49and cut a little notch out so that they can physically get round.
00:37:52It's a unique feature.
00:37:54They have to build suspension just for this circuit, for that reason.
00:37:57Great lap for Hakkinen.
00:38:02Montoya is still the fastest car in a straight line.
00:38:11Lost a little time in the second intermediate,
00:38:12but still within striking distance
00:38:14because he is very good over the last third.
00:38:22Very clean.
00:38:23Did it look quickly there?
00:38:24Mm-hmm.
00:38:27That's traction control working.
00:38:29Yeah.
00:38:30Foot firmly down.
00:38:31Hakkinen across the line.
00:38:33No.
00:38:34Boy, I only just know.
00:38:35Still second.
00:38:36By a tenth.
00:38:39Now, he, Michael Schumacher, and Rubens Batackello are all in the one-minute, 17-second zone.
00:38:45As we watch John Lacy.
00:38:46Normally, we'd have a few laps right now,
00:38:49but John Lacy is very good here in Monaco,
00:38:52and he was good on Thursday.
00:38:54It was good this morning, night this morning,
00:38:56with a very uncompetitive car.
00:38:58He's been in the top ten consistently through the weekend this morning.
00:39:02John Lacy will be 37 in just a couple of weeks.
00:39:06Still a miracle.
00:39:09The guy I was talking to in the processing the other day said that Lacy just will not use traction control,
00:39:15will not use launch control.
00:39:17He's not having any of it, so let's just listen.
00:39:18I saw the rail of that Armco lean out just a little bit.
00:39:33I think he used it to help turn the car.
00:39:361.9 seconds off the pole.
00:39:39John Lacy remains in the number 12 spot,
00:39:44as we have just under 11 minutes to go in the session.
00:39:48John Lacy.
00:39:56Garen Button have definitely been doing better so far this weekend here at Monte Carlo,
00:40:01but now Button is down in 16 spots, so he needs to perk up a bit.
00:40:06Wow, 9th.
00:40:07Good one there from Garen.
00:40:07Very good.
00:40:09His 13th in the morning jumps up to 9th now,
00:40:13one and a half seconds off of pole.
00:40:15So that pushes Frensen and Lacy down one more spot.
00:40:19It's certainly a circuit which brings out the best in the drivers.
00:40:26You know, the skill of the driver tends to come to the fore when the mechanics are sort of leveled out of the thing, you know.
00:40:31Best thing you can do with the mechanics is level them out, level them right out.
00:40:36The mechanics of the machinery.
00:40:37Oh, I see, that one guy, you don't need to.
00:40:39All right, enough of that.
00:40:41This is Heinz-Herald Frensen on a warm-up lap, I believe.
00:40:44He's got one more shot, one more attempt at pole.
00:40:48Remember, the drivers are only allowed 12 laps in qualifying,
00:40:51and you spend many of those just warming up and cooling down.
00:40:55Well, let's listen to Lister.
00:40:58Hopefully we stay with him all the way around.
00:41:00It's not the ball.
00:41:16That's what I'm talking about.
00:41:36You know, you can't engineer a car to get around this circuit, can you?
00:41:39Look at this right front there, you're talking about an extra lock.
00:41:42That extra lock.
00:41:43How much is the space you want to need?
00:41:44The problem is that the track was fouled inside.
00:41:47Oh!
00:41:48Oh, he didn't need that.
00:41:51And that was his last shot.
00:41:55Uh-oh.
00:41:56He may as well park it there.
00:41:58He's trying to get reverse.
00:42:00Uh-oh.
00:42:01He has parked it.
00:42:02He switched off.
00:42:03There's no point in continuing.
00:42:04He won't have another lap that he could use.
00:42:06Now we'll see the steering lock when he tries to correct this.
00:42:09Uh-oh.
00:42:10Tried to go just that little bit wide out of Poitier.
00:42:13Had to put the left side wheels on some gray track.
00:42:17Oh.
00:42:18Yeah, and the problem is, as I was saying,
00:42:20that the track rods at the front of the suspension foul the inside of the wheel rims.
00:42:24That's what the problem is.
00:42:25In most circuits, you'll see the mechanics putting in little shims to stop
00:42:28and control the amount of steering lock side to side.
00:42:31But here, if you do that at a circuit like, for example, Silverstone,
00:42:34you put the same setting on the car, you ain't gonna get round the track.
00:42:37Wow.
00:42:38Very disappointed for Heinz Harald Frensen,
00:42:40who's gonna end up, unless, and could end up even lower, around about 12.
00:42:45And, of course, so much depending on the Jordan and VAR teams this year from Honda, of course,
00:42:52who've come back with a fully-fledged, full-blown factory effort.
00:42:55Probably costing a couple hundred million a year.
00:42:58We're taking a bit of a break now.
00:43:00Plenty of time remaining in the session.
00:43:03About seven and a half minutes.
00:43:05Pedro De La Rosso has had a rough time of it thus far this weekend.
00:43:09Now, let's go back to Heinz Harald Frensen's spin and listen to him
00:43:13as he comes down the hill to the Poitiers third.
00:43:17That kept it off the wall, that, too.
00:43:30It did.
00:43:31Spinning the rear tires.
00:43:32It just kept the back of the end of the car off the wall.
00:43:38Pedro De La Rosso, that's where he crashed yesterday.
00:43:40Of course, the wing could have been fixed for a couple of grand,
00:43:42blew the engine up, which is 44.
00:43:44But it did keep it off the wall.
00:43:4944 grand, what am I talking about?
00:43:52De La Rosso could use a good performance here.
00:43:58Crashed in the morning on Thursday.
00:43:59Got no laps at all in the afternoon.
00:44:05Luciano Berti watching closely, no doubt,
00:44:08as Pedro De La Rosso does absolutely no better than he did in that, don't you?
00:44:12The only 14th spot.
00:44:15His teammate, Eddie Irvine, is up in sixth.
00:44:23Nope, a 120.
00:44:25A few drivers actually in the 120s.
00:44:28Oh, boy.
00:44:30Puts him down in the 14th, 15th spot.
00:44:35Mika Hakkinen.
00:44:36One more run, still to give.
00:44:38Everyone within the 107% rule.
00:44:40The Irvine's final attempt on pole.
00:44:42This could be a pretty good lap.
00:44:44Currently in sixth spot, he flashes across the finish line and remains there, but within a second of pole.
00:44:57Boy, that is a huge improvement for this car and team over the previous races this year.
00:45:12So the new aerodynamic package and Eddie Irvine around this track certainly seem to be paying off.
00:45:19Three tenths of a second improvement over his previous best lap.
00:45:22So Eddie Irvine will be an interesting interview after qualifying is over.
00:45:27He said this change to the Jaguar was the most significant in-season change he had ever heard of on a Grand Prix car.
00:45:34We'll get more details as the weekend goes on.
00:45:37This is Olivier Pennis, currently in 11th.
00:45:41Just one spot behind his teammate and almost identical times.
00:45:44119.2 for both of them.
00:45:48Villeneuve, 0.283.
00:45:49Pennis, 0.294.
00:45:52Pennis, the previous winner of this race.
00:45:57Montoya, currently in the eighth spot.
00:46:02I'm sure he'll be paying attention to the goings-on at Indianapolis during the weekend.
00:46:06And I'm sure everyone in India is looking on to see how last year's champion is doing in Formula One.
00:46:14He's going to improve on a 118.924.
00:46:35Wow.
00:46:39I'm not feeling anyone at the call, but that might be...
00:46:41Montoya has had a slight improvement on what he did before, but it's not going to help him a lot.
00:46:53Montoya comes to the line.
00:46:57Seventh, he improves one spot and remains 1.1 seconds off pole.
00:47:02Ferraris, about three minutes to go in the session now.
00:47:15Michael Schumacher, the provisional pole-sitter right now, but tightening down the belts, taking a deep breath, getting ready for his last qualifying run.
00:47:24I bet he's trying to take a deep breath.
00:47:30He's got to hold it for a minute and 17 seconds.
00:47:34Will he be conservative, or will he risk it all in this final roll of the qualifying dice in Monaco?
00:47:38Uh-oh.
00:47:48Rubble ahead.
00:47:50Not a problem.
00:47:53It's probably Jarno truly still has a lap to give.
00:48:00Oh, that cost him a bit, a little bit there.
00:48:02Just a little bit there.
00:48:03Just a little bit there.
00:48:08Just a little bit there.
00:48:14Finding your breaking points around this place must be a complete nightmare.
00:48:21Schumacher's trying hard.
00:48:23He sure is.
00:48:24Does he ever not?
00:48:25Here's your favorite corner.
00:48:3076 thousandths of a second.
00:48:33For his own best.
00:48:35He has a chance.
00:48:44This could be good.
00:48:4518 thousandths of a second off of his own provisional pole time.
00:49:00And here is David Coulthard.
00:49:05Quicker.
00:49:07To Michael Schumacher on the first set.
00:49:10David Coulthard.
00:49:11David Coulthard.
00:49:32Mika Hakkinen is on the track now as well.
00:49:34Final effort for everyone who still has a lap in hand.
00:49:37Giancarlo Fisichella among them.
00:49:40Michael Schumacher could end up third.
00:49:45Checkered flag is coming out.
00:49:46So if you're not beginning your hot lap now,
00:49:48or if you're not on your hot lap,
00:49:49you won't have that opportunity.
00:49:51David Coulthard can make this.
00:49:52He looked very clean through Raskas there.
00:49:55Can David Coulthard rest away pole position in the final moments of the session?
00:50:00Looks like it.
00:50:01Yes.
00:50:02Yes.
00:50:03By two tenths.
00:50:06Mika Hakkinen is still on track.
00:50:07But two tenths.
00:50:10Oh.
00:50:12Mika Hakkinen to the second intermediate.
00:50:14Oh, he's two tenths off and sliding the car.
00:50:16He tried something a little different there in Raskas when it came to the line.
00:50:31Didn't look as quick as Coulthard today, did he?
00:50:33No.
00:50:35He will come to the line and not improve.
00:50:38He remains in third spot behind his teammate David Coulthard and Michael Schumacher.
00:50:45McLaren mechanics crowd around the timing screen.
00:50:48Hustling the car back around.
00:50:59Now, this far this weekend, because the pit lane has so crowded,
00:51:03officials have been allowing the drivers to try one practice start on the racetrack.
00:51:08Michael Schumacher will not get that opportunity.
00:51:10He is parked over by the chicane.
00:51:16It's going to mean a long walk for him to get back to the interview room for the press conference.
00:51:23I wonder if he's out of gas.
00:51:25Could be.
00:51:26Yeah, it could well be.
00:51:28No drama there.
00:51:29It just went straight off.
00:51:30Left front tire looks a bit...
00:51:33I see the...
00:51:34Is that left rear tire got paint on it?
00:51:38Yeah, looks like it does.
00:51:39I wonder whether or not it's the amount of brake dust that the fronts are throwing out,
00:51:41which is discolour in the rim 200 degree.
00:51:47That's the FIA...
00:51:49Unlikely that he would have kissed something on the slow down lap, because he could do.
00:51:53Well, good.
00:51:54Just a momentary lapse in concentration.
00:51:56There's David Coulthard, who will stop for technical inspection.
00:52:04The Scotsman definitely on his game.
00:52:07Coming in off of victory in Austria,
00:52:09in which he came under tremendous pressure from the Ferrari teammates,
00:52:13both Barrichello and Schumacher,
00:52:15but held on for his 11th career victory.
00:52:19Here's how they look.
00:52:20Coulthard and Schumacher on row one.
00:52:22Hakkinen and Barrichello on row two.
00:52:24Then Ralph Schumacher and A.D. Irvine on row three.
00:52:27Montoya and Jarno Trulli on four.
00:52:29And Jacques Villeneuve and Giancarlo Fisichella.
00:52:31Great run for the Italian in the Benetton Renault outside row five.
00:52:37Talk about his best qualifying of the year.
00:52:39That is a staggering run.
00:52:4117th, 16th, 18th, 19th, 19th, 19th, 19th, and 11th.
00:52:46Four Michelin-tired cars in the top ten, which I don't think we've seen before this year either.
00:52:51Oh, Monaco does tend to scramble things.
00:52:55Boy, oh boy, look at Hans-Harl Frensen down there in 13th spot.
00:52:58Kimi Raikkonen in 15th is still out qualifying his much more experienced teammate, Heidfeld.
00:53:03Yeah, Heidfeld has won a Formula 3000 race around these streets.
00:53:06Raikkonen continues his great work.
00:53:08He said this reminds him of a karting track.
00:53:11Thanks a lot.
00:53:12It's like going to Indianapolis and saying,
00:53:14Yeah, it reminds me of the old bull ring that used to be right down the street from where I live.
00:53:18We'll take a break and return to hear from our top three.
00:53:21Stay with us.
00:53:25Speed Vision's coverage of Formula One is sponsored by Cadillac, the fusion of design and technology.
00:53:36Oh, there we go.
00:53:37Welcome back live.
00:53:38There's a look at Michael Schumacher.
00:53:40Moments ago, he parked down in the new chicane,
00:53:43and David Hobbs wondered whether or not he had whitewalled the left rear tire.
00:53:47It appears that that's exactly what he did, David.
00:53:49He hit that curb, didn't it?
00:53:50Just where it sticks out from under the bottom of the guardrail at Portier.
00:53:53Looks up a little bit deranged, in fact.
00:53:55It does.
00:53:56I think he bent the front suspension.
00:53:57Yeah.
00:53:58That was on his, either on his walk, slowing down lap,
00:54:01or he might have been going for a second consecutive quick lap.
00:54:04Well, obviously, it's going to be a while before Michael Schumacher joins us for the press conference,
00:54:09because he's still sitting there signing autographs for the track marshals.
00:54:12One would hope the officials will get a course car out there to bring him around,
00:54:17so that he can join that man, David Coulthard, our pole sitter,
00:54:20and his teammate, Mika Hakkinen, for the top three interview.
00:54:25Four men broke into the one-minute, 17-second zone that has never before been broached here at Monaco.
00:54:32Coulthard, Michael Schumacher, Mika Hakkinen, and Rubens Barrichello.
00:54:36The two McLarens and the two Ferraris.
00:54:39Then Ralph Schumacher, also under the all-time lap record, as is.
00:54:46Well, no, Eddie Irvine came up just short.
00:54:54David Coulthard has prime position for the start of this race, and it's all important,
00:55:00not only because this is such a difficult place to pass Steve Manchin,
00:55:03but also because Sendevot can be absolutely diabolical on lap one.
00:55:08There's normally a couple of bottlenecks around this corner on the first,
00:55:12on this circuit on the first lap, and it is Sendevot,
00:55:15and then going down into that, the now-called Grand Hotel hairpin.
00:55:20Very, very difficult.
00:55:21And, of course, it only takes one car to start a sort of chain reaction.
00:55:24You've got 10 or 15 guys are all sort of milling into the back of each other,
00:55:28and we saw that last year again when the guys were running back to try and get in the spare car.
00:55:32Very, very difficult.
00:55:33And you see that some of the teams we always used to at Benetton bring steel track rods
00:55:37and take the carbon ones off the car,
00:55:39because you only need a slight ding going down to that Sendevot from another tyre
00:55:43running into the back of a rear tyre or whatever, even at slow speed.
00:55:46It's enough just to knock the suspension out, and, of course, your race is effectively over.
00:55:50We'd also used to have track rods set up into the pit lane as well,
00:55:53preset to the dimensions that the cars were running,
00:55:56so we could effectively have the opportunity to change them
00:55:59if there was a first-lap incident and we could get the car back.
00:56:01But, boy, oh, boy, it's very, very difficult.
00:56:04You only have to be a fraction off line going around here,
00:56:06and, of course, you know, with the corners being so blind,
00:56:08everybody all of a sudden is running into the back of each other.
00:56:10And, of course, there's no sand traps. There's no nothing to help the driver out.
00:56:13I mean, if you make a mistake, if you go...
00:56:15Ooh, look at the way that...
00:56:16Oh, my goodness me, the front wheel's right off the deck there.
00:56:19They need a bit of...
00:56:20They need a little bit of help on their front suspension here
00:56:22from the shock, from the damping point of view.
00:56:25McLaren, generally speaking, qualified as well this year,
00:56:28anything like as they have done for the last couple of years,
00:56:30although this is David Coulthard's second pole of the year.
00:56:32He was on the pole at San Marino.
00:56:34But last week in Austria, or two weeks ago in Austria,
00:56:38it was not one of their defining moments,
00:56:40seventh and eighth on the grid.
00:56:41Talk about getting off line and paying for it.
00:56:43That's exactly what Heinz Harald Frensen did right here.
00:56:46Our picture's coming to us from Tele Monte Carlo.
00:56:49David Coulthard.
00:56:51David Coulthard.
00:56:54As you said, Bob, right on top of his game at the moment.
00:56:57There's no doubt about it after that great win in Austria,
00:56:59which really pumped him up enormously
00:57:01and has brought his confidence level right up.
00:57:04Harkenden quickest this morning, Harkenden quickest on Thursday.
00:57:07David Coulthard languishing a bit both this morning and on Thursday,
00:57:11but this afternoon when the chips are down,
00:57:13right there in pole position.
00:57:16Michael Schumacher remains out on course.
00:57:18Here's another look at Michael Schumacher
00:57:20and he too, like Frensen, got the rear end stepping out.
00:57:24Oh yeah, the front wheel, boom, right to the curb just there.
00:57:27You get it with the back two?
00:57:29Back of that left front suspension, I would say.
00:57:31Oh boy, what do you think?
00:57:32Yeah, it would have damaged that, certainly.
00:57:34And again, as we've mentioned before in several races,
00:57:37because they want to use carbon suspension, there is no yield.
00:57:40The things don't just bottle, they just shatter on impact.
00:57:43Well, now this is really an insult.
00:57:45The poor guy has worked all morning, got in the car,
00:57:48stuck out on course,
00:57:49and now they're going to make him drive it back around
00:57:51on the back of the truck?
00:57:56Just kidding, folks.
00:57:58Would you please sign this, Mr. Frensen,
00:58:01before you go back around to your team debrief?
00:58:04I don't want to go any farther before we pay a bit of tribute to
00:58:08a member of the Formula One family who passed away last week.
00:58:11Gabriele Rumi died of stomach cancer at age 61.
00:58:14He started as Piercarlo Ginzani's personal sponsor
00:58:18with his fond metal company that makes wheels used by several of the teams in Formula One.
00:58:23That was back in 1983.
00:58:25He bought the Minardi team in 1990 and renamed it fond metal in 91.
00:58:31Then quit the sport entirely in 1992 to rebuild his business.
00:58:35Came back in 96 with the Minardi team.
00:58:37Became the majority owner in 97 before selling out to new team owner Paul Stoddard during the off season.
00:58:45Gabriele Rumi passed away last week.
00:58:47And it's welcome to the first and third qualifying drivers at UCS Monaco Grand Prix.
00:58:51Michael Schumacher is currently stuck out on the circuit.
00:58:53Hopefully he'll join us later, but we'll see as time goes on.
00:58:56So it's David Coulthard who's in pole and Mika Hakenen who's in third for tomorrow's race.
00:59:01David, many, many congratulations.
00:59:02It's a superb last run, but it's the first time all weekend you've been at the top of the timesheet.
00:59:07Have you been sandbagging?
00:59:09No, not at all.
00:59:10No, I made a mistake on Friday, Thursday, by touching the barrier at Tabac and I lost a bit of time in that second session.
00:59:20And also it takes your confidence away a bit because you just can't afford to hit a barrier.
00:59:26And then just trying to play catch up thereafter, I went into qualifying.
00:59:32I said to my engineers that I hadn't actually completed the last sector quickly at any point during this weekend.
00:59:38So it was going to be interesting and qualifying and I overdid it on one lap, but all the rest were pretty tidy and the lap time came from there.
00:59:46You've actually beaten the all-time best lap round here, which was set in 1997 by eight tenths of a second.
00:59:51What's it like to drive these new cars with traction control and those sort of things?
00:59:55It's very difficult because where it helps you in some areas, it puts you, you know, arriving at the corners a lot faster.
01:00:03So, you know, the cars are still tricky to drive.
01:00:08And I think, to be honest though, in qualifying I'm not sure whether it actually gives you that much over the lap because of the fresh tyres.
01:00:15But I think it probably makes you more consistent and probably safer in race conditions.
01:00:19Mika, right up to the end it looked like you'd be getting pole, but it seemed to go wrong in that last round. What happened?
01:00:26Well, we made a small change to the car and I was not probably 100% sure at the moment was it the right thing to do, but you have to try because the times were so close anyway.
01:00:40And Michael was that time on quickest, so we need to try to do something extra.
01:00:45And let's say it worked quite well half the lap, but then when I end up in the last sector really, I just got quite a big understay in the second last corner.
01:00:54And couldn't get the front end grip and just lost a couple of tenths, so that's it.
01:01:00The same we didn't get the front row for the McLaren for this Grand Prix.
01:01:04However, you have had more time on the track than David, so do you feel you have a very good race setup?
01:01:09I'm confident indeed. I think both cars have a very good race setup at the moment and we can be very optimistic for tomorrow's Grand Prix.
01:01:19I believe we're going to be very consistent and very quick as long as we are patient.
01:01:27David, both with your own personal hatter and also with the GPDA side of yourself.
01:01:34I mean, will you be using launch control and will everyone else be using launch control after the problems we've seen in the last couple of races?
01:01:40Well obviously I don't know about the other systems on our cars, but I think we're satisfied that we've managed to get the bugs out of the system.
01:01:49And I think it was a very good move by Charlie Whiting and those running the weekend to allow us all to do practice starts, because it takes away that uncertainty.
01:01:59So I think it's great that Formula One's able to be adaptable to the situations and to go outside the timings to allow everyone to get very confidence in the systems.
01:02:10Dave, thank you. A short conference and finally aware from Mika in Finnish, please.
01:02:15I will break away while Mika Hakkinen speaks to his countrymen in their native Finnish.
01:02:20David Coulthard finished a point I tried to make earlier. Practice starts were allowed this weekend. We'll be back.
01:02:30Tomorrow here on Speed Vision we'll have live coverage of the Monaco Grand Prix.
01:02:34Our pre-race show begins at 7.30 a.m. Eastern Time live and will feature reports from Peter Windsor, who will talk about launch control and the controversial finish of the Austrian Grand Prix two weeks ago.
01:02:46That's the Monaco Grand Prix tomorrow here on Speed Vision at 7.30 a.m. Eastern Time.
01:02:53Welcome back. Here's a look at some of the highlights from Thursday.
01:03:04Rubens Botticello walking down pit lane in the aftermath of the controversial Austrian finish.
01:03:09Marcel Marquez, one of several cars to spin. This one at Rescass took off the rear wing and destroyed the rear end of the car.
01:03:16Michael Schumacher had the best time in the first of the two sessions on Thursday. Set at the very end with a one minute 21.5.
01:03:23Paired up with today's poll of 119.17.4.
01:03:28Exactly. Now in the second session we got a look at Jarno Trulli's new aerodynamic innovation, which was subsequently banned.
01:03:36As was the Arrows team's rather interesting looking device perched on the nose of Jasper Stappen's car.
01:03:44And as I mentioned earlier, they appealed the decision to ban those.
01:03:48He can half glimpse fastest lap about the midway through the session. This is the second session on Thursday.
01:03:54He pulled off the fastest lap at 119.8. First guy to get below the 20s.
01:03:59And Juan Pablo Montoya actually fouled the tire wall at Rescass.
01:04:06As did Tarza Marquez earlier, and I still think he suffered a left rear puncture.
01:04:10Michael Schumacher on three occasions in the second hour bettered his own personal best time, but could not crack Mika Hakkinen, who had set the quick time.
01:04:20This time 0.463 seconds short.
01:04:23The worst crash today was this one involving Ralph Schumacher, who went off at the swimming pool there and gave himself enough, banged his head around enough that the team sent him home.
01:04:32By far the biggest accident of the weekend thus far.
01:04:36Ralph Schumacher with a sore neck, but he will race on Sunday. We'll be back.
01:04:44Welcome back. The crowd filing out after an interesting qualifying session for the Monaco Grand Prix.
01:04:49Here's a look at the honor roll of previous winners. Of course, they've been racing here in the principality since 1929.
01:04:55It's been a part of the world championship since the beginning of 1950, although they missed a few years in the early 50s.
01:05:01Since from 1984 to 1995, only Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher have won here.
01:05:08Of course, Graham Hill won it six times. We'll be back here.
01:05:12Welcome back. And let me correct myself. The late Graham Hill won the Grand Prix of Monaco five times.
01:05:20Ayrton Senna was the man who won it six.
01:05:23Neither man, of course, will be racing this weekend, but this man will be.
01:05:26This is David Coulthard on what turned out to be his pole lap.
01:05:31It was just so well measured everywhere he went, and he was dead right on that last sector, as you'll see in a few moments.
01:05:38He really got the turning right, but look at him go through the chicane here, too.
01:05:41Just comes in, like, tremendous speed and tremendous control there, the way the car changes direction.
01:05:47Obviously, the traction control helping him there, down to the back.
01:05:50Whistled through your favorite pair of corners here, making sure he used all the road up.
01:05:57Watch how he takes rest cast.
01:05:59Yeah, this last sector, I mean, he is really visibly quicker through this right-hand hairpin than anybody else.
01:06:04Touched him tight, hardly any understeer, and really came off quick.
01:06:08Laren is the most successful team ever at Monaco with 11 victories.
01:06:12Will Coulthard or Hackenham give him another? We'll find out tomorrow. We'll be back.
01:06:16Speed Vision's coverage of Formula One is sponsored by Bridgestone, a grip on the future.
01:06:26And by Toyota. More choices, better selection. Experience Toyota today.
01:06:33Welcome back. Beautiful view of the chapel at San Devote as we turn to the qualifying results for the Monaco Grand Prix.
01:06:39David Coulthard on pole by two-tenths over Michael Schumacher.
01:06:43That's a lot around here.
01:06:44Mika Hakkinen and Rubens Batakella will make it.
01:06:47McLaren-Ferrari, row two.
01:06:49And then Montoya down in seventh there.
01:06:51Jano truly pushed himself down to eighth towards the end there.
01:06:54Kimi Raikkonen in 15, really doing a good job again for the track he's never seen before.
01:06:59Of course, it all comes down to San Devote on lap one.
01:07:03And that will wrap up our coverage of this all-important qualifying session for the Monaco Grand Prix.
01:07:07David Coulthard and McLaren have the pole.
01:07:10Now, don't forget, we'll be back tomorrow morning at 7.30 a.m. Eastern Time for live coverage of the Grand Prix
01:07:16with reports from Peter Windsor in the pre-race show.
01:07:19So be sure to join us for that.
01:07:21For more information and the latest from Formula One and all forms of motorsports, log on to SpeedVision.com.
01:07:26For Steve Matchett and David Hobbs, I'm Bob Barsha.
01:07:29We'll see you tomorrow in Monaco.
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