F1: 2011 - (caution - may contain result spoilers just after a race...)

[Foxbat]

Delighted to see Alonso sign for Ferrari until 2016. Vettel's Red Bull contract runs out at the end of 2014 so I wouldn't be surprised to see him move to the prancing horse when Alonso prepares to retire after his contract expiry.

Of course, as they used to say at the start of Stingray.....Anything can happen in the next half hour

[Foxbat]

Uh Oh! Another win for Vettel. Great start by Alonso. I can just imagine the roar of the crowd at that point. It's a pity that he didn't have the tyres to keep it going.

Hamilton put up a good battle and Button had a decent race. Alonso was philosophical with his fifth place but Webber must be the most disappointed - particularly that his team-mate won again.

Thought Schumi had a decent race- write him off at your peril - and Di Resta had another solid result beating his (albeit surely distracted) team-mate again. Massa.....oh dear, another nightmare. Can't see him lasting into 2012 at this rate.

I think teams like Ferrari need to think about sacrificing quali places to gain those new tyres. It's already been shown by both Heidfeld and Webber this season that it's possible to come through the pack. However, I just can't see anybody except Hamilton taking the fight to Vettel right now.

[thaddeus6th]

Alonso's start was not something I saw coming (to be fair, neither did the Red Bulls ).

Cunning strategy from Button, but I think Vettel really deserved the win. Hard to see anybody beating him for the title.

Saw a little bit of Rosberg being interviewed by Lee Mackenzie during the F1 Forum, and thought he sounded a bit whiney after finishing behind Schumacher.

[pyan]

(Monaco)

Well, this week I reckon Vettel was quite fortunate in the second safety-car and the red flag - without it, I think that Alonzo at least might very well have got past him, considering he was just on the edge of "the cliff" with his tyres.

Hamilton needs to calm down a bit - one contribution to an avoidable accident in a race is excusable, but two starts to look like temper. And is it just me, or is he getting more and more whiney? "He turned in on me - it was his (Massa's) fault..."

[The Judge]

The other half's verdict:

A wonderful race, which had everything, including overtaking, which at Monaco is almost unheard-of.

Vettel was fortunate, but luck tends to stick to those on a winning streak! A superb performance from Button, only spoiled by perhaps mistaken tactics with that second pit-stop. Hamilton is definitely starting to whinge -- undoubtedly a sign of the pressure he's under trying to beat Vettel. And unless someone can catch Vettel soon, the season might start to lose interest.

[Foxbat]

Enjoyed this race. Three excellent drivers battling it out at the front. Fortune favoured Vettel but it could have gone to any of the three and all would have been deserving of the win.

Hamilton needs to grow up big time. He apologised to the fans on the F1 forum when he really should be apologising to Felipe Massa. I presume that radio message was more aimed at the stewards in an attempt to mitigate any penalty he might receive.

Paul di Resta was in the wars a bit today - but at least he's got the excuse of it being his first Grand Prix in Monaco (maybe we should rename it Moanaco in honour of Hamilton).

Honourable mention to Kobiyashi and Sutil who both did well today.
Hopefully Petrov will be OK and ready for Canada.

[thaddeus6th]

Hamilton's whining was unattractive, and even though the comment about being black was in jest it was still rather ugly.

Vettel did get lucky, but if McLaren hadn't made a strategic error I think Button would have won. Damned shame we were denied the crescendo of a great race by the safety car.

[biodroid]

Originally Posted by thaddeus6th

Hamilton's whining was unattractive, and even though the comment about being black was in jest it was still rather ugly.

Vettel did get lucky, but if McLaren hadn't made a strategic error I think Button would have won. Damned shame we were denied the crescendo of a great race by the safety car.

Hamilton deserved what he got for slamming other drivers into the wall and making comments like that is unacceptable, they would not have given him a penalty if wasn't in the wrong. Di Resta got a penalty for doing the exact same thing. Vettel pure and simple out-drove Alonso and Button with no aids like KERS or DRS and bad tires.

It's sad what happened to Perez and Petrov, do you know if they are ok, I only heard that they were talking and complaining of pain but that's it.

[thaddeus6th]

Sometimes penalties are wrong (I think it was Spa 2008 where Hamilton was foully robbed of an excellent victory) but at Monaco I agree with you that he deserved all his penalties.

Di Resta has the excuse of being new to F1 and in his first race at Monaco.

Didn't Vettel have KERS?

I think Perez and Petrov are fine, bruises aside.

[Fake Vencar]

The commentators said that Vettel had to change his battery pack before the race; I think his KERS was working fine.

It was Button's race to lose after the first pit stops; it would have been interesting to know the strategy McLaren had in mind after his second, ill-fated stop. Vettel rode his luck a bit towards the end but his victory was deserved, although I shudder to think what may have happened had the leading three been a second further along the road prior to the crash.

[Foxbat]

Pirelli have asked the FIA to ban tyre changes at the red flag and I agree with them (unless, of course, for safety issues). I think we will never know who would have won on the tyres as they were before the red flag. Just before the accident, Brundle said that Red Bull had calculated Vettel hitting 'the cliff' in three laps time. This would have allowed both Alonso and Button to pounce.

I think it could have been like the three-way gunfight from The Good The Bad and The Ugly - with Vettel as Tuco finding his gun (tyres) empty. The question is, who was Angel Eyes and who was Goldie??????

Sadly, we were set up for a classic ending that never was.

[Foxbat]

who was Angel Eyes and who was Goldie??????

Correction to the above post....should be Blondie not Goldie. It appears I have had a senior moment

[biodroid]

Hamilton has apologised to Massa and Maldonado for his comments. I really don't care what Hamilton says, he is still a little boy with a fast car, all other drivers are professionals.

[Foxbat]

Personally I think Hamilton is a fantastic driver but I really went off him when he lied to the stewards in Australia in 2009. That nearly got a penalty for Trulli until the truth was uncovered. It shows a complete lack of respect for other drivers.

But, in his defence, at least he has finally apologised to both drivers (via twitter not face to face).

[biodroid]

Foxbat - I don't think he is a good driver at all, he can only race when he is in front other than that he has to push drivers into the barrier to get a position. His championship was won by fluke and not talent.