Kubica quickest as Alonso crashes in FP3

May 15, 2010 at 11:16 am by Keith Collantine

Robert Kubica was quickest for Renault in practice at Monaco

Robert Kubica continued to show impressive pace around the streets of Monte-Carlo, setting the fastest time in the last practice session before qualifying.

But Fernando Alonso’s run of fastest times in practice came to an end when he crashed at Massenet on his sixth lap.

Alonso had set the fastest time of the session up to that point but lost control of his F10 at the top of the hill and hit the barriers hard, damaging the right-hand side of the car. His mechanics face a race against time to get his car ready for qualifying.

He was one of several drivers to hit trouble in qualifying including Timo Glock, who parked his Virgin at the Nouvelle Chicane without having completed a flying lap.

Felipe Massa had two near-misses during the session, narrowly avoiding contact with the barriers at the Grand Hotel hairpin and the swimming pool complex.

Both Michael Schumacher and Vitaly Petrov straight-lined the entry to Mirabeau and had to reverse their cars back onto the track.

And Adrian Sutil spun his Force India into the barriers at Sainte Devote, but escaped with only minor damage to the left-rear endplate on his car.

With Alonso unable to improve, Kubica found a decent gap in the traffic towards the end of the session and, despite catching two cars at the end of his lap, set a time four tenths of a second faster than anything that had gone so far.

Massa took the second fastest time four hundredths of a second slower than Kubica, but by slowing at the final corner before his lap left a train of cars in his wake.

The Red Bulls did not have the performance advantage they displayed at Barcelona, taking the third and fifth fastest times.

Lewis Hamilton was fourth but team mate Jenson Button could only manage tenth, and said on his car’s radio he wasn’t happy with his set-up.

Pos.	Car	Driver	Car	Best lap		Laps
1	11	Robert Kubica	Renault	1’14.806		26
2	7	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	1’14.852	0.046	22
3	6	Mark Webber	Red Bull-Renault	1’14.945	0.139	25
4	2	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	1’15.038	0.232	25
5	5	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull-Renault	1’15.046	0.24	26
6	3	Michael Schumacher	Mercedes	1’15.236	0.43	22
7	4	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes	1’15.252	0.446	20
8	16	Sebastien Buemi	Toro Rosso-Ferrari	1’15.537	0.731	22
9	14	Adrian Sutil	Force India-Mercedes	1’15.659	0.853	14
10	1	Jenson Button	McLaren-Mercedes	1’15.682	0.876	22
11	15	Vitantonio Liuzzi	Force India-Mercedes	1’15.691	0.885	19
12	17	Jaime Alguersuari	Toro Rosso-Ferrari	1’15.769	0.963	27
13	10	Nico Hülkenberg	Williams-Cosworth	1’16.164	1.358	24
14	9	Rubens Barrichello	Williams-Cosworth	1’16.232	1.426	21
15	12	Vitaly Petrov	Renault	1’16.240	1.434	27
16	8	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari	1’16.266	1.46	6
17	23	Kamui Kobayashi	Sauber-Ferrari	1’16.644	1.838	26
18	22	Pedro de la Rosa	Sauber-Ferrari	1’16.696	1.89	23
19	19	Heikki Kovalainen	Lotus-Cosworth	1’17.782	2.976	18
20	18	Jarno Trulli	Lotus-Cosworth	1’17.869	3.063	26
21	25	Lucas di Grassi	Virgin-Cosworth	1’18.063	3.257	25
22	21	Bruno Senna	HRT-Cosworth	1’19.720	4.914	25
23	20	Karun Chandhok	HRT-Cosworth	1’19.781	4.975	21
24	24	Timo Glock	Virgin-Cosworth			3

Overall practice times

Pos	Driver	Car	FP1	FP2	FP3	Total laps
1	Robert Kubica	Renault	1’16.016	1’15.192	1’14.806	93
2	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	1’16.517	1’15.120	1’14.852	97
3	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari	1’15.927	1’14.904	1’16.266	74
4	Mark Webber	Red Bull-Renault	1’16.382	1’15.620	1’14.945	78
5	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes	1’17.149	1’15.013	1’15.252	75
6	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	1’16.647	1’15.249	1’15.038	89
7	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull-Renault	1’16.000	1’15.099	1’15.046	101
8	Michael Schumacher	Mercedes	1’16.589	1’15.143	1’15.236	81
9	Adrian Sutil	Force India-Mercedes	1’16.805	1’15.460	1’15.659	79
10	Sebastien Buemi	Toro Rosso-Ferrari	1’16.857	1’16.276	1’15.537	99
11	Jenson Button	McLaren-Mercedes	1’16.692	1’15.619	1’15.682	90
12	Vitantonio Liuzzi	Force India-Mercedes	1’17.704	1’16.528	1’15.691	88
13	Vitaly Petrov	Renault	1’17.718	1’15.746	1’16.240	110
14	Jaime Alguersuari	Toro Rosso-Ferrari	1’17.991	1’17.023	1’15.769	92
15	Nico Hülkenberg	Williams-Cosworth	1’18.397	1’16.348	1’16.164	111
16	Rubens Barrichello	Williams-Cosworth	1’17.331	1’16.522	1’16.232	87
17	Pedro de la Rosa	Sauber-Ferrari	1’18.434	1’16.599	1’16.696	97
18	Kamui Kobayashi	Sauber-Ferrari	1’18.547	1’16.818	1’16.644	104
19	Heikki Kovalainen	Lotus-Cosworth	1’19.606	1’18.184	1’17.782	98
20	Jarno Trulli	Lotus-Cosworth	1’19.902	1’18.667	1’17.869	70
21	Lucas di Grassi	Virgin-Cosworth	1’20.566	1’18.478	1’18.063	81
22	Timo Glock	Virgin-Cosworth	1’19.527	1’18.721		69
23	Bruno Senna	HRT-Cosworth	1’21.688	1’22.148	1’19.720	64
24	Karun Chandhok	HRT-Cosworth	1’21.853	1’20.313	1’19.781	63

2010 Monaco Grand Prix

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42 comments on Kubica quickest as Alonso crashes in FP3

Victor. said on 15th May 2010, 11:18

My pole and race win for Kubica could pay off! :)

- Victor. said on 15th May 2010, 11:18
  
  I mean prediction, obviously :).
  
  - TommyB said on 15th May 2010, 11:24
    
    He is driving brilliantly this year. He is so good to watch around Monaco too, very scary onboard though!
    
Sheraad said on 15th May 2010, 11:19

I hope the Ferrari will be recovered before the qualifying session.
How much is the chance?
Anyone an idea?

- matt88 said on 15th May 2010, 11:35
  
  no idea, however he could use his t-car, but this would mean a 10-position penalty.
  
  - m0tion said on 15th May 2010, 11:37
    
    No T cars this year. They have to build it up
    
    - matt88 said on 15th May 2010, 11:43
      
      really? so Italian online newspapers are totally wrong… :(
      
  - danhnguyen said on 15th May 2010, 11:57
    
    No, if Alonso use t-car, he must start from Pitlane
    
Nirupam said on 15th May 2010, 11:19

Hope Alonso did not damage his gearbox. I dont want a 5 pace grid penalty for him!

Alexi said on 15th May 2010, 11:21

Good for Kubica. The race will be between him and Alonso, it seems.

Nimish said on 15th May 2010, 11:21

alonso is going to secure d pole nd also win d race!!!!!!!……….:D

- Sheraad said on 15th May 2010, 11:22
  
  if the car is prepared to qualify
  
  - Tom said on 15th May 2010, 12:02
    
    It’s not, BBC just said he’s not going to be in qualifying
    
    - BasCB said on 15th May 2010, 12:19
      
      I just picked this up as well. James Cooper wrote about it here:
      http://adamcooperf1.com/2010/05/15/alonso-set-to-miss-qualifying-and-start-from-pitlane/
      
      Fernando Alonso will miss qualifying and start the Monaco GP from the pitlane after a huge shunt in practice, team boss Stefano Domenicali has confirmed to this blog.
      It is impossible to repair on site and the rules say a change of chassis means no qualifying and a pit lane start.
      
Scribe said on 15th May 2010, 11:22

I think with the possible caveat of those around the top will probably be top, mostly because of the names of the cars there driving, the amount of traffic makes these practice times rather unrepresentative.

Then again, that’s what’ll happen in Q1, hopefull Q3 allows us a proper quali shoot out.

Wonder what Redbull are hiding an how comprimised do you think Fernando will be, if he makes it at all.

- Bigbadderboom said on 15th May 2010, 11:29
  
  I was wondering the same thing about Red Bull. But I think they are genuinly lacking their advantage this week. I still favour Alonso for the win.
  
  - m0tion said on 15th May 2010, 11:36
    
    Now thats a big call! they’ll be lucky to have it straight on the jig before qualifying
    
Adis said on 15th May 2010, 11:24

Good job Kubica! hope will be pole today and podium tomorrow.

- f1yankee said on 15th May 2010, 11:26
  
  if he can keep it up, he’s a “must” for driver of the year
  
f1yankee said on 15th May 2010, 11:24

all of the top teams are great when it comes to patching up cars in a hurry, but ferrari have their work cut out for them now. suspension components are quickly changed and calibrated, but if the gearbox is borked, oh boy.

m0tion said on 15th May 2010, 11:25

First thing you notice from the times is how evenly many of the teams drivers are matched
RBR
Mercedes
Force India
Williams
Sauber
HRT
all so close and all should be congratulated incl management for how they run their teams

Pradeek said on 15th May 2010, 11:26

Button was the slowest of the frontrunners. Not very good benchmark by the world champ

- Scribe said on 15th May 2010, 11:29
  
  An Button is now deprived of his teamates usefull setup, doubt Hamiltons setup will do him any good.
  
  Must be slightly missing Barrichello at this stage.
  
  - m0tion said on 15th May 2010, 11:34
    
    very good call that one
    
- Todfod said on 15th May 2010, 12:50
  
  Well looks like there are only a certain number of flukes you are allowed per lifetime. Jenson has used all of them up over the last season and the first four races. Now he back to his original form… worst of the best.
  
m0tion said on 15th May 2010, 11:27

Oops I forgot Lotus

Dane said on 15th May 2010, 11:30

I hope Webber makes it 2 wins in a row

m0tion said on 15th May 2010, 11:32

The other thing I noticed is how Schumacher backed up to ruin Webbers lap when he was not going to be on it in the following lap. And how Smedley’s call wrecked so many laps behind Massa when he backed them up. Ah the old Ferrari spirit lives! Hopefully RBR learns to be in front rather than behind that pair.

Gurpz said on 15th May 2010, 11:40

Here’s hoping we don’t see Red Bull on pole…

Enigma said on 15th May 2010, 11:40

Alonso said yesterday that everyone’s so closely matched he needs a perfect saturday to get pole. Doesn’t seem perfect so far.