F1 2008 - Monaco Grand Prix Preview

On to Monaco! It’s an insane place to hold an F1 race or any race for that manner, but they do and love it.

This is a max down force and grip track, a very green track for the initial practice session, and very twisty with somewhere in the neighborhood of 4000 gear changes for the race. Passing is at a premium in Monaco so qualifying is as important as the race. It is a good bet that the only way to gain position during the race is through attrition.

Aerodynamics
Down force and grip are the words that dominate aerodynamics talk. With so many low speed corners down force has its importance in braking and acceleration. Mechanical grip is the key through these corners much more than down force.

Tires
Monaco is known for a good, easy on tires surface. This along with the low speed cornering makes a tire issue a non issue. The tires from Bridgestone this weekend will be soft and super soft compounds.

Engine
Monaco itself isn’t hard on engines with very little spent at full throttle, but although the track surface is usually smooth, the nature of the roads makes them bumpy, an issue drivers face is over revving of the engine if the wheels leave the ground too much. Taking care of your engine requires a smooth drive with good traction at the very low revs.

Suspension
With the ride height of the car higher than normal due to the bumpy track, teams can play more with suspension which is very important in Monaco. Softer suspension is used to help the car and driver deal with these bumps. Using the anti-roll bars, the suspension can bee loosened to allow more movement of the wheels over the bumps. if teams get this right, their car should be a fairly drivable car.

Steering Angle
Not normally talked about, the steering angle at Monaco becomes important. Front suspension used here is specifically designed for Monaco. This is because of the famous turns like the hairpin at the Grand Hotel and the sharp turn at Rascasse. Using normal steering lock, the car would not be able to negotiate these turns successfully so the angle is 2 times greater than what would be used in Barcelona.

Gearbox
Along with the aerodynamic and suspension requirements for slow speed turning, the gearbox is also greatly altered. Smaller closely spaced gear ratios are necessary for the best acceleration out of these corners. Listening to the car exit a turn you can hear very rapid gear changes; much more rapid than at any other track. With over 4000 gear changes during the race, the gearbox with be punished.

Full throttle: 60%
Brake wear: Medium – Hard
Down force level: High – 10/10
Tire compounds: Soft / Super Soft
Tire usage: MediumAverage speed: 160kph (100mph)