Kubica quickest as Alonso crashes in FP3
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
- FIA admits “lack of clarity” and vows to change rules after Monaco controversy
- From the stands: David Entrican watches the Monaco Grand Prix at Monte-Carlo
- Schumacher’s Monaco penalty will stand after Mercedes withdraw appeal
- 2010 Monaco Grand Prix – the complete F1 Fanatic race weekend review
- Should slower cars let the front runners pass when racing for position? (Poll)
- This time Vettel denies Webber a perfect result (Monaco GP stats and facts)
- Alonso’s mammoth stint and McLaren’s smart move
- Monaco Grand Prix fastest laps
- The FIA’s badly-written rules leave Formula 1 looking stupid once again
- Monaco Grand Prix in pictures
Image (C) Renault/LAT
Advert | Go Ad-free
Rits said on 15th May 2010, 11:41
So Pole for Pole looks actually possible..?
Zahir said on 15th May 2010, 11:42
I thought Sutil went off at the casino? I don’t know if thats your mistake or mine but I, annoyingly, missed the Alonso crash and they didnt show any replays while I was watching.
I predicted him for pole so does anyone who saw it think they will be able to get the car ready for Q1?
Rits said on 15th May 2010, 11:54
They will get it ready for Q1, but Alonso’s missed most of the FP running which might cost him in Quali. He’d be hoping to not hug the barriers again more than getting P1 though.. ;)
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 15th May 2010, 11:56
According to James Allen, Alonso will have to use a new chassis, won’t participate in qualifying and will start the race from the pit lane.
Rits said on 15th May 2010, 11:59
Really, it didn’t look anything as bad! Why would he need a new chassis? If it really is what JA says, it’ll be such a shame after the promise he’d shown on Thursday!
Pradeek said on 15th May 2010, 12:00
Ouch. Thats gotta hurt.
Damon said on 15th May 2010, 12:01
Ooooh, oh no!
This most probably means no chance for points for Fernando. Unless there are many DNF’s tommorrow, but I don’t really see it happening in dry conditions.
That’s a huge blow for most of us in the prediction game as well :(
matt88 said on 15th May 2010, 12:04
this should have been his race, it’s incredible how he trashed off his chances hitting the walls in a free practice.
BasCB said on 15th May 2010, 12:30
He must be praying for rain now!
Johnny86 said on 15th May 2010, 12:02
Alonso to start from pitlane during race
BasCB said on 15th May 2010, 12:28
It really shows, that Monaco is a driver track. Kovalainen and Trulli are pretty close to the other backmarkers, only 1 second behind De la Rosa. If Glock had some running, i expect the Virgins to be there as well.
Good job for the HRT cars getting Brunos car running and looks like it helped, both are doing the same times now and are within 5 seconds of Kubica.
If i could change my prediction, i would put Kubica on Pole, but i expect Vettel, Webber and Massa to do good as well. Who knows, maybe Hamilton gets a good lap in to be close as well, but i do not expect him to get pole. Lets see if Button tries a run on Mediums for a differing strategy.
BasCB said on 15th May 2010, 12:33
Mark Webber told the BBC, that they will fuel up the car and get running in Q1 until they get a time their satisfied with.
So i expect quite a lot of cars on track doing just that, even though there is now 1 car less to worry about. It should just be all new teams out in Q1.