Formula-1 2002 R07 Monaco Grand Prix Part 01

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Transcript

00:00:00Respect throughout the balconies of Monaco and indeed on the Grierpeter and not a bathrobe in sight.

00:00:06They've all got dressed in honor of that wonderful and rather long National Anthem.

00:00:11Sport itself there in the Royal Box ready to watch and see who becomes the winner of the 2002 Monaco Grand Prix.

00:00:19Yes, and along in the box with his sister Princess Caroline of course,

00:00:23His Serene Highness Prince Rainier of Monaco, the ruling monarch in this principality.

00:00:29Funny story about Prince Albert, when he was studying in America, doing some business studies,

00:00:33he wasn't known as Prince Albert, he was known as Al Grimaldi.

00:00:37And it's sort of hard to believe that somebody as serene and dignified as a member of this royal family

00:00:43would be comfortable known as Al Grimaldi, but many of his friends still call him that.

00:00:48It's just how they know him.

00:00:51Well, the Grimaldi royal family, very much the monarchs of this principality.

00:00:57And Prince Rainier, of course, has been in hospital quite a lot recently,

00:01:01having to deal with recurring bouts of bronchitis.

00:01:04But he's out of hospital now, which is great news.

00:01:07And no doubt be able to enjoy the action, the atmosphere here this weekend.

00:01:13The safety car making its way around the track in preparation for the start of the formation lap,

00:01:18coming up in some three and a half minutes time.

00:01:21A quick reminder of the layout of this unique circuit.

00:01:25The speed track coming out after the tunnel, where we'll see speeds of about 180 miles an hour.

00:01:30It's just the area you're looking at now as they get on the brakes after the tunnel into the chicane.

00:01:35Again, one of the tight corners, many first gear corners around this two-mile track.

00:01:40And Tom Sweet here, while it's useful, it's not the biggest criteria.

00:01:44And just looking down at the record from last year, it was Ralf Schumacher, in fact,

00:01:47was the fastest car out of the tunnel just before you hit the brakes to go into the chicane.

00:01:52182.7 miles an hour.

00:01:55And David Coulthard was about a mile an hour behind him.

00:01:58And speaker David Coulthard, there's the current squeeze.

00:02:02David enjoys living down in Monte Carlo and all that goes with it.

00:02:05So let's just take another quick reminding look at the grid.

00:02:08Juan Pablo Montoya, David Coulthard on the front row.

00:02:11Michael Schumacher with brother Ralf in fourth place,

00:02:14his best qualifying performance here in six starts of the Monaco Grand Prix.

00:02:18Now, Ricciardo has three times finished second,

00:02:21including last year and in 1997 when he was driving the Stuart.

00:02:25Now, Raikkonen lines up in sixth place.

00:02:27Then it's Jarno Trulli, disappointed a little bit for the Renaults,

00:02:30with seventh and eighth places on the grid for them,

00:02:32but enjoying his best start so far.

00:02:34Then Salo and McNish on the grid.

00:02:37Behind him, Fisichella and Frentzen.

00:02:39And then further on, we've got Massa, Villeneuve, Enrique Bernaldi

00:02:42in the arrows ahead of Takuma Sato.

00:02:44Then Nick Heidfeld, Olivier Panis,

00:02:46Mark Webber in the Minardi,

00:02:47de la Rosa, the Spaniard in the Jaguar ahead of Eddie Irvine,

00:02:50and Alex Young, who will be starting at the back of the grid

00:02:53and no doubt will have been told by Paul Stoddart and the crew at Minardi.

00:02:57On the first lap, just drop back a little bit

00:02:59and let everybody else have the accident.

00:03:01Just look at that shot of the heat haze coming off the tarmac.

00:03:04We've got a track temperature currently around about 35.

00:03:07Well, it's actually just dropped a couple of degrees,

00:03:09but it fluctuates as the odd little wisp of cloud comes across.

00:03:12So track temperature is absolutely perfect.

00:03:14Certainly ideal for Michelin and no doubt ideal for Bridgestone as well.

00:03:19It will be when they go around in this final parade lap

00:03:22that nerves will be jangling as they come onto the grid.

00:03:25And of course, on pole position, you get there first

00:03:28depending how quickly the rest of the field filters around behind you.

00:03:32Ideally, from Montoya, when I would get to the swimming pool,

00:03:34I would bring the pace of the field down to a level

00:03:37to allow those behind me to catch up.

00:03:39The problem is that if you go too slow,

00:03:41then you get too much heat build-up under the engine covers.

00:03:46So it's a balance and, you know,

00:03:48first time on the front row here in Monte Carlo is very special.

00:03:51Fortunately, Ben, they've taken away the pedestrian crossings

00:03:55and Montoya will be starting on pure black top

00:03:59and no white lines to straddle.

00:04:02That's good news, John, yes.

00:04:04Let's hope that he gets cleanly away from that starting pole position.

00:04:08He's on scrubbed tyres, as you can see, for the start of this race.

00:04:12Will the Michelins hold out or is it purely a qualified performance?

00:04:16Look at David's tyres, they look a little less well scrubbed.

00:04:20I think they are scrubbed tyres,

00:04:21so difficult to see from the other side there, glinting in the sunshine.

00:04:25But it looks as though Montoya's have done a few more laps,

00:04:27probably, than Coulthard's.

00:04:29Michael Schumacher is the first of the Ferraris.

00:04:32Watch where he is, just in behind Montoya.

00:04:35And then, of course, Ralf Schumacher,

00:04:37also on the second row of the grid.

00:04:40So, we're almost set for the beginning of the formation lap.

00:04:49Watch for the rubber being laid,

00:04:50because all the launch control systems are going to be switched off.

00:04:54When they do that, to put down as much fresh rubber as possible

00:04:56and hope that when they line up,

00:04:57they will get it precisely on those strips of rubber.

00:05:00And, of course, then with the benefit of launch control.

00:05:03So, the 22 cars making their way around the 2-mile track

00:05:06on this formation lap in preparation for the 7th round

00:05:10of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

00:05:13Juan Pablo Montoya, Indy 500 winner a couple of years ago,

00:05:17now looking to add the Monaco Grand Prix to his list of successes.

00:05:22But, he's got David Coulthard and Michael Schumacher right behind,

00:05:25both former winners around this track.

00:05:28The mechanics and support crews now make their way back to the pit lane

00:05:32to squeeze into their respective areas.

00:05:35And, the fans getting a good view of all 22 cars making their way around.

00:05:39It looks as though everyone's got off the line safely.

00:05:41We do not have the dramas of last year,

00:05:43where David Coulthard was left stranded on his pole position.

00:05:47Everybody is away cleanly.

00:05:49And, let's just hope they make it around this formation lap in one piece.

00:05:53And, we'll get ready for the race start.

00:05:57Blasting out into the sunshine on the exit of the tunnel.

00:06:01Montoya must be careful to punch everybody up,

00:06:04and slow everybody down now,

00:06:06because they get very, very spread out around this track.

00:06:09And, he does not want to be sitting on the grid too long in pole position.

00:06:13So, he's got to control the pace now a little bit on the latter part of the lap.

00:06:16Make sure everybody gets bunched up close behind him.

00:06:19And, then they can fan out into position on the grid itself.

00:06:22There you can see he's beginning to slow everybody down.

00:06:25A little blast along the back there, just to keep the tyre temperature up.

00:06:29Now, going slowly. Don't let the engine stall.

00:06:32They all have anti-stall devices now, which is probably a good thing,

00:06:35when they're all cruising around very slowly,

00:06:38to bring the cars onto the grid.

00:06:40We've seen problems in the past,

00:06:42when people have had to go very slowly,

00:06:45through Rascasse and around onto the main start finish area.

00:06:48Micasalo, starting his 100th Grand Prix here today,

00:06:52driving for Toyota.

00:06:54He's driven for a number of the top teams in Formula 1 over the years.

00:06:57Can Williams take their first win in 19 years?

00:07:02Looking all the way back to 1983,

00:07:04since they last had a victory at Monaco.

00:07:07They've had a win this season,

00:07:09but not a win at Monaco in a long, long time.

00:07:12On board there with David Coulthard.

00:07:14Starts in second place, up on the outside,

00:07:18with Montoya on the inside.

00:07:20That crucial inside line into the first corner, Saint-Devaud,

00:07:23where we've seen so many incidents in the past.

00:07:27The last few cars now moving into position.

00:07:3278 laps of the Monaco Grand Prix are set to run.

00:07:37The red light sequence begins.

00:07:39All five lights will come on.

00:07:41When they go out, the race will get underway.

00:07:44It's a quick getaway.

00:07:45And Coulthard, Coulthard makes a brilliant start.

00:07:48On board with the race leader.

00:07:50He's got ahead of Montoya.

00:07:51Stunning start from Coulthard.

00:07:53Montoya down into second place.

00:07:55The Ferrari of Schumacher is in third place,

00:07:57chased by Ralf Schumacher.

00:07:59And we have a problem for Jacques Villeneuve.

00:08:01Villeneuve is left stranded,

00:08:02as everybody makes it safely through the first corner.

00:08:05Great start from David Coulthard.

00:08:07Juan Pablo Montoya just couldn't get the car off the line.

00:08:10Maybe again that tension we talked about.

00:08:12But Coulthard for sure.

00:08:14Blinding start from the Scotsman.

00:08:16And I suspect also aided by the fact that he's got a car

00:08:19a little bit lighter than Juan Pablo Montoya's.

00:08:21And all aided David to make that brilliant blinding start at the Sound Depot.

00:08:25Now, the midfield trying to struggle their way

00:08:27through the hairpins on this first lap.

00:08:29Sometimes you can get a bit of bumping and barging going on.

00:08:32And you can get a traffic jam developed.

00:08:34But it looks as though that midfield section

00:08:36has got through this grand hotel hairpin.

00:08:39There is Jacques Villeneuve's car being pushed away.

00:08:41And that is great disappointment for the Canadian.

00:08:44His race is already run.

00:08:45He started down in 14th,

00:08:47but some sort of mechanical problem has put him out.

00:08:49And a very good start from Jarno Trulli.

00:08:51He's contained his fifth position.

00:08:53Two Jordans running.

00:08:54Now, Ustatel, Fisichella and Sato.

00:08:56Good job from Sato.

00:08:57Leaping all the way up from 16th place up to 12th.

00:09:00So, on the first lap, it is David Coulthard.

00:09:03A breathtaking getaway in the McLaren Mercedes.

00:09:06Putting behind him what happened to him here last year

00:09:09when his car wouldn't get off the line on the formation lap.

00:09:12It's Coulthard who leads, Montoya in second.

00:09:14Michael Schumacher is in third.

00:09:17Then Trulli in a good fifth.

00:09:18Raikkonen is in sixth.

00:09:20And Rubens Barrichello, he's been a loser.

00:09:22Started fifth, down to seventh.

00:09:24So, Casalo also leaping up to eighth place,

00:09:26starting ninth from the grid.

00:09:28Well, Mikasalo and Alan McNish still running in tandem as they qualified.

00:09:32Running eighth and ninth, Heinz-Harald Frentzen

00:09:34is in tenth place ahead of Fisichella

00:09:36and ahead of Sato as well.

00:09:38You're watching Michael Schumacher,

00:09:40and it's the battle that we've enjoyed several times this season

00:09:43between Michael Schumacher and Montoya.

00:09:45Watch the start. Montoya moves,

00:09:47but I believe David Coulthard's got a much lighter fuel load on.

00:09:49He gets the traction, and then just shoots alongside Montoya,

00:09:52takes the lead.

00:09:54Big problem for Button there.

00:09:55Button did not get off the line at all,

00:09:57and he's down in 17th position.

00:09:59He bogged down, but David Coulthard got the job done

00:10:01into Saint-Denis.

00:10:02Took the lead.

00:10:03Michael Schumacher couldn't do anything with Van Pavel and Montoya.

00:10:06Good to see everybody.

00:10:07The 21 car field, remember, Jacques Villeneuve.

00:10:09There's the momentary roll.

00:10:11Montoya comes across.

00:10:12David just drives his McLaren alongside,

00:10:14then shuts the door.

00:10:16Well, it was a perfect start for David Coulthard.

00:10:19There is Norbert Haupt, Mika Hakkinen,

00:10:21and you could see the relish with which they saw those pictures.

00:10:24Now, Villeneuve apparently has got going again.

00:10:27They've got the car started in the pit lane,

00:10:29so they have got Villeneuve into the race.

00:10:31He's not an early retirement.

00:10:33All the cars are still running,

00:10:35but Villeneuve, of course, right at the very back of the field.

00:10:38Coulthard leads.

00:10:39Two laps completed here at Monaco.

00:10:41Montoya second.

00:10:42Then it's Michael Schumacher hounding the Williams.

00:10:45Now that Montoya's got a couple of laps under his belt,

00:10:48he's settled down at the fastest race lap and lap two.

00:10:51Now he can focus on David Coulthard ahead of him

00:10:53and not be so concerned about that red Ferrari

00:10:56of Michael Schumacher directly in his mirrors.

00:10:58A little bit of a twitch from Montoya's car down into Mirabeau.

00:11:01Trulli goes through.

00:11:02Then it's Raikkonen, Barrichello,

00:11:04and then Mika Salo running in eighth place.

00:11:06Alan McNish.

00:11:07The two Toyotas, you'll see them just come into view

00:11:10at the back of this group.

00:11:11Behind them, Frentzen, Fisichella, Sato.

00:11:14Felipe Massa is 13th.

00:11:15That's where he started.

00:11:16Then it's Bernaldi, Heidfeld, 15th.

00:11:18Panis is 16th.

00:11:19Jenson Button, who had a disastrous getaway,

00:11:22down in 17th place ahead of Mark Webber.

00:11:25And Webber has kept his advantage over the two Jags.

00:11:27De La Rosa, Irvine at the back.

00:11:29There we see Jacques Villeneuve getting back into the...

00:11:32He's now one lap down on the field.

00:11:37So he's only about 20 seconds.

00:11:39There's already going to be interest

00:11:41in the next five or so laps.

00:11:42Jacques Villeneuve, 20 seconds ahead of this leading group

00:11:45of four cars.

00:11:46Montoya, once again, fastest car on track,

00:11:49but Michael Schumacher, corner for corner,

00:11:51going with him.

00:11:52So on board with the four-times world champion,

00:11:56Michael Schumacher, chasing after Juan Pablo Montoya.

00:11:59Uses a different line there on the run down

00:12:02towards Saint-Devote.

00:12:03Well, of course, different tires, different feel.

00:12:05Michael Schumacher clearly knows what he's got to do

00:12:08in the race.

00:12:09We saw Ross Braun.

00:12:10We saw Michael Schumacher sitting in the pit wall

00:12:12before this race started.

00:12:13They've got some tricks up their sleeve.

00:12:15And watch this race.

00:12:16They will unfold very soon, no doubt.

00:12:18Further back, you're looking at the battle

00:12:20between Pannis Button and Mark Webber.

00:12:22Take another look and look for Jenson Button.

00:12:24On the right-hand side, Jenson Button moved

00:12:26and then stopped.

00:12:27It looked as though he almost jumped the start

00:12:29or something went wrong.

00:12:30He pulls over and everybody manages to avoid him.

00:12:32Villeneuve was completely stranded.

00:12:34Yes, Villeneuve got stranded, I suspect, for Jenson Button.

00:12:36One of those systems went down.

00:12:37They've got duplicate systems on board

00:12:39and he may have been able to activate that.

00:12:41But what a start for Jenson Button.

00:12:43He was alongside his Renault teammate

00:12:44on the fourth row of the grid.

00:12:45Now all the way down in 17th place

00:12:48and a very hard work in Prospect this afternoon.

00:12:51Michael Schumacher, the sun glinting off the Ferrari

00:12:55and holding third position in these very early laps

00:12:58here at Monaco.

00:12:59Time to settle down into a little bit of a rhythm

00:13:02and that's what is so crucial at this track.

00:13:05Getting into the rhythm.

00:13:06Just being able to balance the car

00:13:08between the AMCO barriers

00:13:10and keeping it away from the edge of the track

00:13:13that's still driving on the limit.

00:13:15We've got the top nine cars equidistant apart.

00:13:18A bite a second between the top nine cars

00:13:20and a 10th place fence

00:13:21and a further three and a half seconds

00:13:23behind Alan McNish

00:13:24who is the last of that chain of nine cars.

00:13:27Coulthard heads up the hill.

00:13:28His advantage, 1.2 seconds over Montoya

00:13:31and then Schumacher

00:13:33with Ralf holding on in fourth position

00:13:35in the second of the Williams BMWs.

00:13:37But Ralf Schumacher, best lap, lap four.

00:13:40So the second of the two Williams BMWs

00:13:42pushing now.

00:13:43Ralf keen to sandwich even tighter

00:13:45from his brother Michael

00:13:47with Montoya leading that little group of three cars.

00:13:50Patrick Head, the technical director at Williams

00:13:53watching this.

00:13:54Disappointed no doubt to have seen

00:13:56that Coulthard managed to get ahead of their man

00:13:58into that first corner.

00:14:00It was a clean move

00:14:01and Coulthard just rocketed off the line.

00:14:04The suspicion perhaps

00:14:05that the Williams is with more fuel on board

00:14:07at the start of this race.

00:14:08In fact, they've closed up a bit there to Coulthard

00:14:11as they come under braking.

00:14:12But perhaps Montoya's car running with more fuel

00:14:15and if he can stay with Coulthard

00:14:17throughout this first segment of the race

00:14:20it might come back to him later on.

00:14:22And these first four cars

00:14:23now pulling away from Jarno Trulli

00:14:25in the red one in fifth

00:14:26but also the battle of the two Toyotas.

00:14:28Ricassolo is getting a lot of attention

00:14:30from Alan McNish's teammate

00:14:31and it'll be interesting to see

00:14:32whether Toyota decides to let that situation remain

00:14:35or say McNish your quicker.

00:14:36Salo, let him go past.

00:14:38Let him use that speed

00:14:39to try to catch up to Rubens Barrichello

00:14:41who is pulling away from Ricassolo.

00:14:44They flash across the line once again

00:14:46beneath the gaze of the spectators

00:14:48packed together

00:14:49in the balconies of the buildings here

00:14:51at Monaco.

00:14:52And again the top three

00:14:53flash by in an instant.

00:14:55All three cars just covered

00:14:56by 1.4 seconds

00:14:58and it's only another fraction

00:14:59back to Ralf Schumacher.

00:15:01Then Jarno Trulli

00:15:02is running in fourth, fifth place

00:15:04a little further down the order.

00:15:05Look at Michael.

00:15:06Very, very close there

00:15:08to the back of Juan Pablo Montoya's Williams.

00:15:10But also David Coulthard on that last lap

00:15:12was about 0.4 of a second down

00:15:14on Montoya and Michael Schumacher.

00:15:17Suddenly pressure coming from Michael Schumacher

00:15:19who's passing it on to David Coulthard

00:15:21probably because of this man Ralf Schumacher

00:15:23who's driving those three cars ahead of him

00:15:25harder and harder.

00:15:26Yes, the man who has the fastest lap

00:15:28in this race so far.

00:15:29Montoya even forced to defend

00:15:31a little bit down into the chicane.

00:15:33You can see Montoya beginning to defend.

00:15:35This is where the difference in the tyres

00:15:36is maybe going to start showing its face

00:15:38with some seven laps down.

00:15:41So Juan Pablo Montoya

00:15:42under pressure from Michael Schumacher.

00:15:44Michael with the Bridgestone tyres

00:15:46able to push and make room

00:15:48at Montoya

00:15:50react.

00:15:51Button confirmation that he jumped the start.

00:15:53Take another look at it.

00:15:54There you can see this.

00:15:55Watch the car beginning to go

00:15:56before the others.

00:15:57And then he stopped.

00:15:58It seems a bit unfair in a way

00:15:59that he has a drive-through penalty

00:16:01when he dropped a huge number of places.

00:16:03But that is the law of the Formula One rules

00:16:06and he has to put up with the fact

00:16:08that he will have to come into the pits

00:16:10and back out again.

00:16:11And on top of that he dropped away

00:16:13at the start.

00:16:14So really a disappointing Grand Prix

00:16:16for Jenson Button and for Renault.

00:16:18Starting again alongside his teammate

00:16:19on that fourth wall.

00:16:20The grid could have been in line

00:16:22for more points for himself

00:16:24and for the team.

00:16:26So it's becoming a four-way battle

00:16:28as Jenson Button comes through

00:16:29for his drive-through penalty.

00:16:30It's a slower pit lane speed limit

00:16:32here at Monaco than anywhere else.

00:16:34Sixty kilometres per hour.

00:16:35Forty-five miles an hour

00:16:36through the pit lane.

00:16:37And if he exceeds that

00:16:38on this drive-through penalty

00:16:39then he'll have to come in

00:16:40and do it all over again.

00:16:41But look at this.

00:16:42The battle at the front.

00:16:43Three cars now covered by a second.

00:16:44There was a second between them

00:16:45a couple of laps ago.

00:16:46Now in Montoya.

00:16:47Watch what Michael Schumacher...

00:16:49He was going to try and force Montoya

00:16:50to brake late

00:16:51as they come into the chicane.

00:16:52He's looking, looking.

00:16:53He can't pass him

00:16:54but he wants Montoya

00:16:55to make the error

00:16:56so that he can make the pass

00:16:57through that.

00:16:58Well, there's been some great needle

00:16:59between these two this year.

00:17:01Some good challenges.

00:17:02Gerhard Berger,

00:17:03former Grand Prix driver himself.

00:17:04Now the boss of BMW Motorsport

00:17:06watching this battle

00:17:07very closely indeed.

00:17:09He wants to see

00:17:10that Williams BMW up front

00:17:12and certainly not passed

00:17:14by the Ferrari.

00:17:15Remember, Michael Schumacher

00:17:16leads the World Drivers' Championship

00:17:18by almost twice the number of points

00:17:20of Montoya

00:17:21who's ahead of him in this race.

00:17:22But Michael Schumacher

00:17:23is potentially the fastest

00:17:24of all these four cars.

00:17:26And I think what we're saying

00:17:27is that the Bridgestone tyres

00:17:28come to the circuit.

00:17:29It may be fuel-related as well

00:17:31but you're watching

00:17:32Montoya and David Coulthard

00:17:34are having to wait.

00:17:35They can't get the power on

00:17:36in the corners

00:17:37as early as they would like.

00:17:38You can hear going through

00:17:39the swimming pool

00:17:40particularly on the exit

00:17:41of the swimming pool.

00:17:42Listen here.

00:17:46Oh, they're getting punched up there.

00:17:47It's going to look at this.

00:17:48Coulthard, I don't know

00:17:49if he made a mistake

00:17:50but Montoya really

00:17:51goes right up to the back

00:17:52of Coulthard there

00:17:53and it almost sounded as though

00:17:54he had to lift

00:17:55in the middle of the corner.

00:17:56Well, he had to

00:17:57because Coulthard was so slow

00:17:58coming into the Casino Square

00:17:59that Montoya had to get

00:18:00out of the throttle altogether.

00:18:01Now Coulthard

00:18:02under extreme pressure

00:18:03from Pablo Montoya.

00:18:04Montoya may try to get a drive

00:18:06here out of the portier

00:18:07into the tunnel.

00:18:08Very difficult place to do it.

00:18:09He's got to keep himself clean

00:18:10because Michael Schumacher

00:18:11will be all over him

00:18:12if any opportunity arises.

00:18:14This is fantastic racing.

00:18:16Formula 1 at its best.

00:18:17Four cars battling for the lead

00:18:19around the streets of Monaco.

00:18:21And again,

00:18:22Montoya very quick

00:18:23into the chicane

00:18:24and we look back

00:18:25from Montoya's car.

00:18:26Second place.

00:18:27Looking back at the third place

00:18:28Ferrari of Michael Schumacher.

00:18:30And look behind them

00:18:31because it's younger brother

00:18:32Ralf Schumacher

00:18:33closing up in the second Williams

00:18:35and all four cars

00:18:37covered by a second and a half

00:18:39last time around.

00:18:40I think it's going to be

00:18:41even less than that

00:18:42when they come over the line

00:18:43this time.

00:18:44Look at them.

00:18:45Well, there's nothing

00:18:46that anybody really can do.

00:18:47David Coulthard's controlling the pace

00:18:48whether it's because

00:18:49he's got a little bit of a problem

00:18:50with the handling of the car

00:18:51or whether he's decided

00:18:52I don't need to run hard

00:18:53I can run at the pace I dictate.

00:18:55None of these cars behind me

00:18:56have got the opportunity

00:18:58unless an unforced error occurs

00:19:00to take away my lead.

00:19:02So avoiding errors

00:19:03is what it's all about.

00:19:04Not making any mistakes

00:19:06as they wind their way through

00:19:07up to about 140 miles now.

00:19:09Now down to 80 miles an hour

00:19:10through the left-hander.

00:19:12This is the view

00:19:13from onboard Montoya

00:19:14looking at race leader

00:19:15David Coulthard.

00:19:16And let's look at this

00:19:17down into Mirabeau.

00:19:18Close in behind.

00:19:20And now into the tightest corner

00:19:22on the track.

00:19:23First gear full lock

00:19:24tight and tight

00:19:25to get it round there.

00:19:27In the past we've seen people

00:19:28try and go through.

00:19:29Sometimes it's happened

00:19:30but often it's only caused

00:19:32a traffic jam.

00:19:36So now through the tunnel

00:19:37David Coulthard

00:19:38our race leader.

00:19:40Still with a huge amount

00:19:41of pressure on

00:19:42from Juan Pablo Montoya.

00:19:45Right behind him

00:19:46is Michael Schumacher.

00:19:47Once again,

00:19:48let's just ride on

00:19:49for a second with Montoya.

00:19:52Now we jump back

00:19:53looking at the battle.

00:19:54There is Schumacher

00:19:55and Ralf Schumacher

00:19:56right behind him.

00:19:57Look at the super slow-mo

00:19:58and look at the car

00:19:59working at high speeds

00:20:01over these curves.

00:20:09And really you can see

00:20:10the way the different cars

00:20:12the two lead cars

00:20:13moving around

00:20:14I think more than the Ferrari is.

00:20:16And that I put down

00:20:17to the difference

00:20:18between the two.

00:20:19And now a little bit

00:20:20of breathing space

00:20:21between the first three.

00:20:22They were bunched up together

00:20:23the last couple of laps.

00:20:24You can't drive a Grand Prix

00:20:25so close to your competitor.

00:20:26You've got to give yourself

00:20:27a bit of breathing space.

00:20:28You've got to give the car

00:20:29a chance because

00:20:30engine temperatures

00:20:31run marginal at best

00:20:32on these cars.

00:20:33And if there's not enough

00:20:34air going through

00:20:35the air intakes

00:20:36into the engine

00:20:37and into the radiators

00:20:38you'll have a temperature problem.

00:20:39It'll go up.

00:20:40Once again,

00:20:41riding with Montoya

00:20:42down into Mirabeau.

00:20:44You can see the front wheel

00:20:45hopping into the air

00:20:46of the Ferrari.

00:20:47And that is the Ferrari

00:20:48on the limit

00:20:49running in third place.

00:20:50But look at Ralf Schumacher

00:20:51in fourth now.

00:20:52And Schumacher

00:20:53teased Montoya.

00:20:54He just stuck the Ferrari

00:20:55out to the left

00:20:56to put it into the mirror

00:20:57of the Williams

00:20:58for Montoya just to catch it

00:20:59in his eye.

00:21:00No intention of passing

00:21:01but just to try and distract

00:21:02the Colombian driver.

00:21:03So the top six.

00:21:04It's Coulthard, Montoya,

00:21:05Michael Schumacher,

00:21:06Ralf Schumacher.

00:21:07And look at this.

00:21:08The battle continues

00:21:09behind these four cars.

00:21:11Still in fifth place

00:21:12is Jarno Trulli.

00:21:13And in sixth place

00:21:14is Kimi Räikkönen.

00:21:18Through to back corner

00:21:19now into the fast

00:21:20left-right

00:21:21at the swimming pool

00:21:22section of track.

00:21:23Once again,

00:21:24Coulthard

00:21:25has that advantage

00:21:26being up front,

00:21:27controlling the pace.

00:21:29Montoya has to keep

00:21:30an eye on his mirrors

00:21:31but also

00:21:32looks for any opportunity

00:21:33in a chink

00:21:34in David Coulthard's armour

00:21:35to sneak through

00:21:36into the lead himself.

00:21:37The real frustration

00:21:38for Montoya

00:21:39is that he knows

00:21:40David Coulthard is slow

00:21:41on some parts of the track.

00:21:42He's getting a little bit

00:21:43of advantage

00:21:44coming out onto the straight.

00:21:45He picks up the speed

00:21:46but once we get up

00:21:47to the top of the circuit,

00:21:48the top,

00:21:49as you climb all the way up now

00:21:50through Beau Rivage

00:21:51and then into the casino square,

00:21:53that's where everybody

00:21:54then catches up

00:21:55to the McLaren Mercedes-Benz

00:21:56and all of a sudden

00:21:57then the pace slows down,

00:21:58particularly in those hairpin bends

00:22:00that we're going to start coming to

00:22:02as we get down

00:22:03to the bottom of the hill

00:22:04as we come into the Mirabeau corner.

00:22:05Now let's ride with Michael Schumacher

00:22:07for a moment.

00:22:09Can he find any space here?

00:22:17Almost having to coast it round

00:22:19a couple of the corners there.

00:22:20It's slow speed

00:22:21off the throttle

00:22:22and now the engine

00:22:23gets a chance to work

00:22:24up to nearly

00:22:2518,000 revs per minute

00:22:27as you can see

00:22:28from the rev counter.

00:22:29Diving down

00:22:30into the chicane once again

00:22:31and then back on the throttle.

00:22:33That V10 engine,

00:22:343-litre engine

00:22:35producing around

00:22:36850 horsepower

00:22:38and all those horsepower

00:22:39being used in the chase

00:22:41of Montoya

00:22:42and up front

00:22:43David Coulthard.

00:22:44And this paddle

00:22:45that's going on for the lead

00:22:46of course

00:22:47while Schumacher

00:22:48directly behind

00:22:49brother Michael

00:22:50is all about

00:22:51not making mistakes

00:22:52but at the same time

00:22:53trying to just

00:22:54distract the car

00:22:55in front of you.

00:22:56Just put your car

00:22:57move it around a little bit

00:22:58and there are some parts

00:22:59of the track

00:23:00where Michael Schumacher

00:23:01has already been doing that.

00:23:02David Coulthard

00:23:03I think has just taped

00:23:04his mirrors up.

00:23:05He's not concerned

00:23:06about what's going on

00:23:07behind him.

00:23:08He's driving forward

00:23:09not looking back.

00:23:10Schumacher again

00:23:11taking that unusual entry

00:23:12into Saint-Denis corner

00:23:13directing his line

00:23:14so as Ralf Schumacher

00:23:15doesn't get the opportunity

00:23:16or thinks an opportunity

00:23:17could arise.

00:23:18So now

00:23:19things beginning to settle down

00:23:20between these top four.

00:23:21The rhythm

00:23:22beginning to be established.

00:23:23Coulthard has

00:23:24withstood

00:23:25one or two

00:23:26very close moments

00:23:27if you like

00:23:28when Montoya

00:23:29goes right onto his gearbox

00:23:30but nobody prepared

00:23:31to do anything outrageous.

00:23:32It really is a huge risk

00:23:34to try and launch yourself

00:23:35down the inside

00:23:36of another car

00:23:37unless that car

00:23:38has given you

00:23:39massive amount of room.

00:23:40The streets of Monaco

00:23:41are so narrow

00:23:42barely able

00:23:43to get two cars

00:23:44alongside one another

00:23:45and at some of those corners

00:23:46like the Hairpin

00:23:47they cannot get around

00:23:48side by side.

00:23:49Ross Brawn

00:23:50at Ferrari

00:23:51and the Williams technicians

00:23:52also keeping a very close eye

00:23:54on the situation.

00:23:56This one

00:23:57is going to take

00:23:58some sorting out.

00:24:00Just looking at those times

00:24:01Ben.

00:24:02The drop down to a middle

00:24:031 minute 24.

00:24:04Now Coulthard's picked up

00:24:05the pace again

00:24:06to a 1 minute 22.

00:24:07So whatever

00:24:08David Coulthard's doing

00:24:09or whatever the difficulties

00:24:10he's experiencing

00:24:11maybe just

00:24:12as you go through

00:24:13this sort of

00:24:14cycle of tyre life

00:24:15how the tyre

00:24:16comes to you

00:24:17then how it

00:24:18maybe drops off

00:24:19and then it stabilises

00:24:20and then the time

00:24:21comes back.

00:24:22So I think we saw

00:24:23that roundabout

00:24:24laps 8, 9

00:24:25now on lap 10

00:24:26and 11

00:24:27on the 12th lap

00:24:28we just completed

00:24:29the 12th lap.

00:24:30Time is back

00:24:31to where they were

00:24:32much earlier

00:24:33in this Grand Prix.

00:24:34Ralf Schumacher

00:24:35who was very close

00:24:36to his brother

00:24:37a moment ago

00:24:38now has just dropped back

00:24:39a little bit.

00:24:40So Trulli

00:24:41in the Renault

00:24:42running in 5th position

00:24:43Kimi Räikkönen

00:24:44in the 2nd McLaren Mercedes

00:24:45is still 6th

00:24:46the Ferrari of

00:24:47Barrichello

00:24:48runs in 7th

00:24:49Mika Salo

00:24:50in the Toyota

00:24:51is 8th

00:24:52McNish 9th

00:24:53in the other Toyota

00:24:54and then Heinz-Harald Fretzen

00:24:55in the Arrows

00:24:56is next up

00:24:57and this is Jenson Button

00:24:58trying to find a way

00:24:59past Eddie Irvine.

00:25:00And I think

00:25:01Jenson Button's got

00:25:02two chances

00:25:03to find a way past

00:25:04Eddie Irvine

00:25:05around this circuit

00:25:06he's a master

00:25:07of the Monaco circuit

00:25:08and neither chance

00:25:09can be taken

00:25:10I can't see him

00:25:11making too many

00:25:12this afternoon

00:25:13a long work

00:25:14but Jenson Button

00:25:15all because of

00:25:16that jump start

00:25:17maybe that was a

00:25:18mechanical fault

00:25:19I don't necessarily

00:25:20believe that

00:25:21it was down to Jenson

00:25:22of course launch control

00:25:23and all those systems

00:25:24have been problematic

00:25:25in the past

00:25:26in Grand Prix cars

00:25:27given the benefit

00:25:28of the doubt

00:25:29it wasn't the

00:25:30driver's fault.

00:25:31Well these two

00:25:32are fighting a long way

00:25:33down the field

00:25:34of course for

00:25:3519th position

00:25:36that's where Irvine is

00:25:37the other Jaguar

00:25:38Dullarosa

00:25:39currently running

00:25:40in 18th place

00:25:43so the two of them

00:25:44make it safely

00:25:45through Portier

00:25:46into the tunnel now

00:25:47and up front

00:25:48you can see

00:25:49Eddie Irvine's

00:25:50green Jaguar

00:25:51really controlling

00:25:52the battle here

00:25:53it's tough

00:25:54for Jenson Button

00:25:55and what a

00:25:56disappointment too

00:25:57because the Renault car

00:25:58has been

00:25:59very very quick

00:26:00here all weekend

00:26:01Jarno Trulli

00:26:02his teammate

00:26:03topping the time sheets

00:26:04on Thursday

00:26:05and indeed on

00:26:06Saturday morning

00:26:07for qualifying

00:26:08and for

00:26:09both Button

00:26:10and Trulli

00:26:11to find themselves

00:26:12on the fourth row

00:26:13of the grid

00:26:14all that's gone

00:26:15behind him now

00:26:16with the jump start

00:26:17penalty

00:26:18but further ahead

00:26:19of those two cars

00:26:20Irvine and Button

00:26:21there's a real

00:26:22battle royale

00:26:23still continuing

00:26:24between the two

00:26:25Toyotas of

00:26:26Micasalo

00:26:27and Alan McNish

00:26:28there's less

00:26:29than a second

00:26:30between those

00:26:31two teammates

00:26:32and still no

00:26:33indication from

00:26:34the Toyota pits

00:26:35that they might

00:26:36be able to

00:26:37do as well

00:26:38so that's all

00:26:39a very close

00:26:40confrontation

00:26:41that's going on

00:26:42we've got the battle

00:26:43up front with us

00:26:44once again here

00:26:45Coulthard

00:26:46with just a little

00:26:47bit of breathing

00:26:48space over

00:26:49Montoya

00:26:50and we look now

00:26:51from Montoya's

00:26:52car once again

00:26:53looking over the

00:26:54rear wing

00:26:55notice how those

00:26:56rear wheels

00:26:57work and move

00:26:58the suspension

00:26:59operating a

00:27:00little bit more

00:27:01fully here

00:27:02around the streets

00:27:03of Monaco

00:27:04but that Ferrari

00:27:05is a true

00:27:06Macca really

00:27:07the quickest of

00:27:08this bunch of

00:27:09four cars

00:27:10Ralph just

00:27:11dropped back

00:27:12momentarily

00:27:13then uses that

00:27:14opportunity to

00:27:15get a run back

00:27:16up to the rear

00:27:17of his Ferrari

00:27:18his brother's

00:27:19Ferrari

00:27:20and nothing much

00:27:21Ralph can do

00:27:22because Michael's

00:27:23fully focused

00:27:24on Juan Pablo

00:27:25Montoya

00:27:26so just all

00:27:27try to squeeze

00:27:28Michael

00:27:29force him

00:27:30into looking

00:27:31backwards

00:27:32to take some

00:27:33of the heat

00:27:34but that Ferrari

00:27:35of Michael Schumacher

00:27:36the only

00:27:37Bridgestone tyre

00:27:38user in the

00:27:39top 6

00:27:40currently with

00:27:41Barrichello

00:27:42down in 7th

00:27:43place and then

00:27:44the next Bridgestone

00:27:45user down in 10th

00:27:46place that's

00:27:47Heinz-Harald

00:27:48Frentzen

00:27:49in the arrows

00:27:50so the Michelin

00:27:51tyres worked in

00:27:52qualifying and

00:27:53because they worked

00:27:54in qualifying that

00:27:55means they've

00:27:56sustained good

00:27:57positions in the

00:27:58race with overtaking

00:27:59being so so

00:28:00difficult around

00:28:01this 2 mile track

00:28:02Michael Schumacher

00:28:03very very late

00:28:04very hard in the

00:28:05brakes in the

00:28:06chicane almost

00:28:07got close to

00:28:08overrunning into

00:28:09the rear of

00:28:10Juan Pablo

00:28:11Montoya

00:28:12so whether that's

00:28:13just frustration

00:28:14or just momentarily

00:28:15laps in Michael's

00:28:16concentration or

00:28:17maybe just deliberately

00:28:18just trying once

00:28:19again to keep

00:28:20Juan Pablo

00:28:21Montoya honest

00:28:22keep him honest

00:28:23too because

00:28:24getting past is

00:28:25difficult and if

00:28:26you can force

00:28:27your competitor

00:28:28into an error

00:28:29then that will

00:28:30make your job

00:28:31much much

00:28:32easier

00:28:33I think he managed

00:28:34to keep it off

00:28:35the wall but that

00:28:36was very close

00:28:37well that's the

00:28:38kind of error that

00:28:39can cause you to

00:28:40lose places just

00:28:41close you're just

00:28:42getting within an

00:28:43inch or two of the

00:28:44barrier like that

00:28:45next time round

00:28:46you might think

00:28:47I've got away with

00:28:48it I can go that

00:28:49much closer

00:28:50so you tag the

00:28:51barrier tag a

00:28:52wall and that

00:28:53could be certainly

00:28:54a pit stop at

00:28:55best and at worst

00:28:56it could be the

00:28:57end of your

00:28:58Grand Prix

00:28:59watching this

00:29:00view we can see

00:29:01McNeish

00:29:02oh what a shame

00:29:03for the Scotsman

00:29:04who's been driving

00:29:05superbly well here

00:29:06from ninth position

00:29:07he was following his

00:29:08teammate and

00:29:09well you said

00:29:10John it only takes

00:29:11the slightest mistake

00:29:12when we watch

00:29:13Montoya perhaps

00:29:14that's what's

00:29:15happened here for

00:29:16McNeish we'll have

00:29:17to take a look at

00:29:18the replay may

00:29:19well have been

00:29:20another car

00:29:21involved in that

00:29:22but for Alan

00:29:23McNeish I'm afraid

00:29:24his Monaco

00:29:25debut is over

00:29:26on lap number

00:29:2715 well that's

00:29:28very disappointing

00:29:29for the young

00:29:30Scotsman

00:29:31San Diego

00:29:32it's a pretty

00:29:33easy place to

00:29:34find yourself off

00:29:35track you just

00:29:36make a little

00:29:37error turning in

00:29:38catch the curb

00:29:39but more so the

00:29:40barrier on the

00:29:41inside let's look

00:29:42again and see

00:29:43that's his

00:29:44teammate

00:29:45Micasalo yes

00:29:46he did catch

00:29:47that curb

00:29:48and in fact I

00:29:49think it was

00:29:50almost the

00:29:51rear right rear

00:29:52and that

00:29:53almost turned

00:29:54him off

00:29:55diagonally into

00:29:56the left into

00:29:57the barrier

00:29:58at San

00:29:59Diego

00:30:00yes

00:30:01Frentzen will

00:30:02move up one

00:30:03pace up to

00:30:04nine yes

00:30:05Frentzen did a

00:30:06good job to

00:30:07adjust his

00:30:08line as he

00:30:09came through

00:30:10the corner

00:30:11missed the

00:30:12back of

00:30:13McNeish's car

00:30:14we've seen

00:30:15that quite

00:30:16often where

00:30:17somebody goes

00:30:18off and

00:30:19others behind

00:30:20have no

00:30:21option other

00:30:22to run into

00:30:23them so

00:30:24McNeish is

00:30:25out of this

00:30:26race he is

00:30:27our first

00:30:28and our

00:30:2921st

00:30:30position

00:30:31in the

00:30:32meantime things

00:30:33have settled

00:30:34down at the

00:30:35front

00:30:36Kulthard's tyres

00:30:37appear to be

00:30:38stable looks

00:30:39like Montoya

00:30:40and Ralf Schumacher

00:30:41have got a

00:30:42similar situation

00:30:43with their

00:30:44Michelin tyres

00:30:45Michael Schumacher

00:30:46never really

00:30:47given us an

00:30:48opportunity to

00:30:49see what the

00:30:50potential of

00:30:51Bridgestone and

00:30:52Ferrari are

00:30:53able to do

00:30:54at this point

00:30:55we're on lap

00:30:5617 of 78

00:30:57the

00:30:58only question

00:30:59I think

00:31:00John is

00:31:01when will

00:31:02they make

00:31:03their one

00:31:04stop will

00:31:05it be

00:31:06relatively

00:31:07halfway through

00:31:08the race or

00:31:09sometimes as

00:31:10much as

00:31:11two-thirds of

00:31:12the way through

00:31:13the race of

00:31:14course the

00:31:15later the

00:31:16stop the

00:31:17less fuel

00:31:18they'll have

00:31:19to put in

00:31:20when they

00:31:21make the

00:31:22stop and

00:31:23potential to

00:31:24get out a

00:31:25little quicker

00:31:26it's just

00:31:27maybe a little

00:31:28bit of

00:31:29excessive rear tyre

00:31:30wear

00:31:31you must keep

00:31:32an eye on

00:31:33that left

00:31:34rear of

00:31:35Montoya's

00:31:36Williams BMW

00:31:37now they've

00:31:38all closed

00:31:39up a little

00:31:40bit to the

00:31:41race leader

00:31:42David Coulthard

00:31:43he had a

00:31:44little more

00:31:45of an

00:31:46advantage last

00:31:47time around

00:31:48but it's

00:31:49down to

00:31:50eight-tenths

00:31:51of a second

00:31:52again as

00:31:53you can see

00:31:54Montoya

00:31:55out of the

00:31:56barrier

00:31:57oh yes I

00:31:58think he did

00:31:59but Ben in

00:32:00the process of

00:32:01doing that

00:32:02he actually

00:32:03had the

00:32:04highest speed

00:32:05in that

00:32:06braking zone

00:32:07so out of

00:32:08a mistake

00:32:09a driving error

00:32:10he actually

00:32:11records 202

00:32:12kilometers per

00:32:13hour which

00:32:14is about

00:32:15125 miles

00:32:16an hour

00:32:17before he

00:32:18got under

00:32:19the brakes

00:32:20but that

00:32:21was the

00:32:22consequence

00:32:23of braking

00:32:24so

00:32:25it's

00:32:26down to

00:32:27eight-tenths

00:32:28of a second

00:32:29again as

00:32:30you can see

00:32:31Montoya as

00:32:32we saw

00:32:33just a few

00:32:34laps ago

00:32:35they have

00:32:36they're sort

00:32:37of closing

00:32:38up then

00:32:39spreading out

00:32:40again just

00:32:41depending on

00:32:42the tyre

00:32:43performance

00:32:44as they go

00:32:45through this

00:32:46first sequence

00:32:47of laps

00:32:48P2 for

00:32:49Juan Pablo

00:32:50Montoya

00:32:51looking for

00:32:52only his

00:32:53first

00:32:54lap

00:32:55P3

00:32:56P4

00:32:57P5

00:32:58P6

00:32:59P7

00:33:00P8

00:33:01P9

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00:34:01P17

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00:34:10P26

00:34:11P27

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00:34:15P30

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00:34:17P32

00:34:18P33

00:34:19P34

00:34:20Looks like he got through, but Salo, did he have a problem there?

00:34:23Ooh, and Fisichella almost managed to...

00:34:25No, in fact, that was Sato.

00:34:27Sato who was there, not Fisichella.

00:34:29So there's an interesting little battle that was going on.

00:34:32Frensen now finds himself in 8th,

00:34:34Salo 9th, Sato in 10th, and Fisichella is in 11th.

00:34:40Well, that was a very, very good move by Heinz-Haro Frensen,

00:34:43and a very difficult part of the circuit to pass.

00:34:45You're coming out of that tunnel at a near enough 180 miles an hour,

00:34:48and you come around the curve, then suddenly the track drops away from you,

00:34:52and immediately ahead of you is that chicane.

00:34:54Going past Villeneuve, Villeneuve's backed right off and let the four leaders through.

00:34:58No problem at all.

00:35:00It has opened things up just a little bit,

00:35:02but Villeneuve moving out of the way,

00:35:04and Coulthard gets through safely.

00:35:06Now, here, look, the two Jordans.

00:35:07Sato, Tsukuma Sato in the first of the yellow Jordans.

00:35:10Behind him is his teammate Giancarlo Fisichella.

00:35:12Fisichella goes down the inside.

00:35:14Oh, but it's not worked, and the salvo's gone off.

00:35:16That's Felipe Massa.

00:35:17And Banoldi coming through the tunnel, had the car absolutely sideways,

00:35:20right at the apex of the fastest part of the corner in the tunnel.

00:35:23A real battle going on.

00:35:25That's down in 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th place.

00:35:29Well, Frensen's going very quickly now on his Bridgestone tyres and the Arrows.

00:35:33He's going much faster now that he's got past the Toyota of Mika Salo,

00:35:38and it looked like Toyota were getting ready for Salo to make a pit stop.

00:35:41The two Jordans on Bridgestones as well,

00:35:43and they are going very quickly for Frensen.

00:35:46Fastest lap of the race, you're right.

00:35:48Heinz, Harald, Frensen, and the Arrows suddenly got in clear of the Toyota.

00:35:51One minute 20.664, and that is, well, 0.5, 0.4 of a second quicker

00:35:57than the four lead cars we've been following pretty much this race.

00:36:02Watch behind as well, because Felipe Massa in 12th was under pressure there

00:36:05from Enrique Banoldi.

00:36:07There we are, Massa switching around a little bit.

00:36:09And look at Tsukuma Sato.

00:36:11Sato down the inside.

00:36:12Oh, he gets it back together.

00:36:14Great move from the Japanese driver.

00:36:17But good thinking from Mika Salo.

00:36:18He knew when to say, OK, I've been past.

00:36:21I'm not going to challenge you.

00:36:22He could have closed the door.

00:36:23That would have been two more cars out of this race.

00:36:26So now Giancarlo Fisichella, he's going to use all the advantages he's got with Honda Power

00:36:30and with those Bridgestone tyres to try and follow through.

00:36:32Otherwise, he will lose contact with Sato.

00:36:37Well, Salo must have a problem.

00:36:38Salo's got a problem, yes.

00:36:39He must have a problem.

00:36:40He's just moving out of the way here effectively and letting people through.

00:36:44Now, we're looking at a replay.

00:36:45This was Sato coming down the inside.

00:36:47Salo saw him coming, didn't turn in.

00:36:50And Tsukuma gathered it all together.

00:36:52Good car control and managed to sneak ahead.

00:36:54And now, look, Salo has Felipe Massa and Enrique Banoldi

00:36:58desperately trying to find a way past as well.

00:37:01Well, something's going wrong for Mika Salo very rapidly.

00:37:03He's just losing place after place.

00:37:05Felipe Massa now backing up.

00:37:07Banoldi behind him.

00:37:08Yes, Mika Salo's into the pits.

00:37:10And the Toyota team, what looked like a great opportunity.

00:37:13One car out in the barriers at Saint-Dubois.

00:37:15Mika Salo dives into the pit lane.

00:37:18And we don't know whether that's a mechanical problem

00:37:19or whether it's something they had anticipated.

00:37:22A very early stop, and I think not looking too good

00:37:24for 100th Grand Prix for Mika Salo.

00:37:27The Finn, very experienced.

00:37:29They're changing the tires, refueling the car.

00:37:31This is an early pit stop, though.

00:37:32Lap number 21, you wouldn't normally expect them

00:37:35to be coming in quite this early in the race.

00:37:37He may well have flipped something somewhere on the track.

00:37:40We haven't been watching this battle only in the last couple of laps.

00:37:42So maybe there was something which was done to the driver.

00:37:45Caused him to lose pace, but he's been resurfaced.

00:37:47New set of wheels and tires back on.

00:37:49And out he'll go.

00:37:50Now, he has to drive hard all the way

00:37:52for the remaining 57 laps of this Grand Prix.

00:37:55Because here in Monte Carlo, you never give up.

00:37:57You can always find yourself in a position

00:37:59to pick up maybe a 6th place or even a 5th place.

00:38:0322 laps completed now at Monaco.

00:38:06And it's still the McLaren Mercedes of David Coulthard

00:38:09that leads the race from the Williams BMW of Montoya.

00:38:12The Ferrari of Michael Schumacher.

00:38:14The Williams of Ralf Schumacher.

00:38:15The Renault of Jarno Trulli up there in the points.

00:38:17And Kimi Räikkönen in 6th place in the other McLaren.

00:38:20And Felipe Massa again getting his sidebar all sideways through the swing.

00:38:24But further down the field,

00:38:26other battles are going on.

00:38:27Mark Webber in the Minardi.

00:38:28Now, we don't know if it's thought Mark Webber

00:38:30and Olivier Panis in the BAR would battle.

00:38:32But they are having a mighty battle.

00:38:35Look at the replay here.

00:38:36This was Massa versus Bernoldi.

00:38:37Bernoldi had a little look to get in the inside

00:38:39going into the tunnel.

00:38:40But that's really not even a possible overtaking maneuver.

00:38:43The two Brazilians battling away.

00:38:45And Bernoldi now getting a little bit of the same medicine

00:38:48he dished out last year to David Coulthard.

00:38:50Unable to find a way past Felipe Massa in the sidebar.

00:38:54The Jordan crew taking their time.

00:38:56They've got both cars still running in this race.

00:38:59And they're both in the top 10 now.

00:39:01So that's encouraging.

00:39:02But Sato ahead of Fisichella is a bit of a surprise.

00:39:04You almost wonder, John,

00:39:06will Jordan get on the radio and say,

00:39:08Takuma, move out of the way.

00:39:09Your experienced teammate, a bit of a master of Monaco himself,

00:39:13might be able to go and do something a little more than this.

00:39:15I would imagine that they should be doing it.

00:39:17I don't know why they're not.

00:39:18Oh, Sato hit the wall.

00:39:20He's hit the wall in the tunnel right in front of his teammate.

00:39:23And Takuma Sato, a huge accident

00:39:25at the fastest part of the track.

00:39:28He slides down into the tyre barrier at the chicane.

00:39:31And one of the Jordans is out.

00:39:32It could so easily have been both.

00:39:34And let's hope that he's okay.

00:39:36He was in a huge accident last time out in Austria.

00:39:38That was like Heinz-Harald Fenson in the Jordan last year.

00:39:41Same part of the circuit.

00:39:42Lost it right in the apex of the corner.

00:39:44Slammed into the barrier on the outside of the tunnel.

00:39:47And then just slid all the way down the course.

00:39:49Left side of the car heavily damaged.

00:39:51And we may have a safety car.

00:39:53It is on standby.

00:39:54There we see the Mercedes-Benz safety car.

00:39:56It may be deployed.

00:39:58We've got a yellow dot, which indicates yellow flags.

00:40:00And that orange dot indicates there is this hit.

00:40:03Big hit Takuma Sato.

00:40:04And, I mean, this young man.

00:40:06Massive accident in Austria two weeks ago.

00:40:08An accident here last weekend in an historic festival.

00:40:11Now out of the race with an accident.

00:40:13Well, great disappointment for the Jordan fans and for Takuma Sato.

00:40:18Let's hope he's okay.

00:40:19It really was a big rattle against the barriers.

00:40:22Look at the...

00:40:23Oh, look at that.

00:40:24You see the shot.

00:40:25The sparks fly up.

00:40:26He just sideswiped the wall.

00:40:28And Fissi Keller right behind him had to get onto the brakes

00:40:30and try and avoid him.

00:40:33And then just watching it, I mean, he was certainly very wide

00:40:36at the point where he should have been much closer to the left of our screen.

00:40:39Because now the car just slides down the track.

00:40:41No way of bringing it to a halt.

00:40:43Fissi Keller went one way, the other way to get out of the way.

00:40:45And still Takuma Sato's Jordan just slides down harmlessly.

00:40:49Comes to a stop.

00:40:50And, well, another big shake-up for the young Japanese driver

00:40:54after having a massive accident.

00:40:55That one in Austria, of course, was nothing to do with him.

00:40:58He was just simply a passenger.

00:41:00And the Caledonians car just slammed, dunk-slammed

00:41:05for Takuma Sato out of the race.

00:41:07Technical boss of the Jordan team, Gary Anderson,

00:41:10obviously looking concerned.

00:41:11And bits of carbon fibre all over the place there.

00:41:14They're offline on the exit of the tunnel.

00:41:17And it looks as though the safety car's been stood down now.

00:41:20Because, yes, indeed, there we are.

00:41:21Confirmation.

00:41:22But there's still, of course, yellow flags in that area of the track.

00:41:25So no overtaking at that part of the track.

00:41:27But the rest of the track is green.

00:41:29There you can see that shot in the tunnel.

00:41:31How Sato got to there.

00:41:32Now, clearly he was aware of what Isekela was doing behind.

00:41:36Whether the team had said, give him room to go by.

00:41:38Whether he was trying to do that, we don't know.

00:41:40Hopefully we'll get to find out that news a little bit later in this Grand Prix.

00:41:43But a scary moment.

00:41:44And also for the other teams out there.

00:41:46Because there will be shards of carbon fibre all the way down.

00:41:49Even though it's on the offline.

00:41:51Some of those bits can be flicked and put onto the racing line.

00:41:54And they are so sharp.

00:41:56Tyre damage is something that now people must be keeping an eye out for.

00:42:00Well, it looks as though Takuma able to get himself out of the car this time.

00:42:04And that's great news.

00:42:05After being somewhat sore still from the shunt in Austria.

00:42:09And their relief for Gary Anderson and the rest of the crew.

00:42:12That their man is out of the car.

00:42:14But there's again another battle.

00:42:15This is Felipe Nasr and Bernoldo, the two Brazilians, still battling away.

00:42:19But for Jordan, they only came here with three cars.

00:42:22Because Sato's car was too heavily damaged to have it repaired in time.

00:42:25Now the Jordan team are under more pressure.

00:42:27Because they've got to get these cars back to their base at Silverstone in England.

00:42:31Get them rebuilt.

00:42:32Get a third spare car built up to go out to Canada.

00:42:36And those cars will be being sent from the UK or around Europe by next Sunday.

00:42:40So less than a week for the team to get the car back rebuilt.

00:42:44Big, big work schedule for Jordan.

00:42:46So we're watching the battle here.

00:42:48Between Felipe Nasr and Enrique Bernoldi.

00:42:5125 laps have been completed here at Monaco.

00:42:54So far, it's David Coulthard that's dominated from the start.

00:42:57A brilliant getaway.

00:42:59And he stayed in front of Montoya, Michael Schumacher and Raul Schumacher.

00:43:03Jarno Trulli in 5th and Kimi Räikkönen in 6th.

00:43:06But it's still early days in this race.

00:43:12Well, just completing one third distance.

00:43:1426 laps of 78.

00:43:16So pits looking ready.

00:43:18As the Manatee team have got engineers.

00:43:22Is this for Mark Webber or for Alex Young?

00:43:24Young running in 19th.

00:43:25Mark Webber doing a great job in 14th place.

00:43:27Still hiding Olivier Panas all the way.

00:43:32Well, there you could see Montoya again pretty close.

00:43:34Look at Bernoldi.

00:43:35We're on board with Enrique again.

00:43:38He's trying to challenge Felipe Nasr.

00:43:39But Nasr just holds the middle line into the chicane.

00:43:42And that denies Bernoldi the chance to find a way through.

00:43:45And Bernoldi very wisely backed off.

00:43:47Because the position that Nasr's car had on the racetrack

00:43:50did not provide sufficient room or margin for error.

00:43:54But you can see the Sauber leaping all over the place.

00:43:56A hard drive this afternoon for Felipe Nasr.

00:43:59And all that pressure behind Enrique Bernoldi.

00:44:02Great to watch though, isn't it?

00:44:03Watch that Sauber. It's sliding around there.

00:44:05Again, look, the back end steps out. He corrects it.

00:44:07And you watch on board with Bernoldi.

00:44:09Everything looks very controlled and easy.

00:44:11He just drives through the corner

00:44:13without the same sort of grip problems.

00:44:15Here he goes. Can he get alongside? Can he get along?

00:44:17No. So late. Nasr is very late in the brakes.

00:44:20Bernoldi very wisely lets him go.

00:44:22Again, you can see now he gets a good run.

00:44:23Now there's a block.

00:44:25Now if he does that more than once, Nasr will be brought in.

00:44:28That is...

00:44:30Well, as we mentioned earlier,

00:44:31David Coulthard was in this situation last year behind Bernoldi.

00:44:35But we didn't see that blatant block that Felipe Nasr did this time

00:44:38up the hill to Enrique Bernoldi.

00:44:40There are so many curves on that hill though.

00:44:42It's a very difficult one to distinguish

00:44:44which one is a move to block and which is to take the line.

00:44:47And the stewards, I don't think,

00:44:48will be able to really give him too hard a time.

00:44:51But look at the way the car is sliding around.

00:44:53It really is all over the place.

00:44:55Nasr doing well just to hang on to it.

00:44:57Well, he's just got massive oversteer.

00:44:58Again, coming through the tunnel, Nasr is slow.

00:45:00Bernoldi wants to try and run him.

00:45:02He's just got to judge how he picks up speed through the tunnel.

00:45:05He gets, in my view, too close too soon

00:45:08to the rear of Felipe Nasr's car in the tunnel.

00:45:10But of course, then he's still left with the job of trying to get alongside.

00:45:14And Nasr is being very, very aggressive in defending his position.

00:45:17And look how it's allowing everyone else to close back up.

00:45:20Heidfeld is behind Bernoldi in the other Sauber.

00:45:23Then it's Olivier Panis, the Frenchman.

00:45:25Behind him is Mark Webber, the Australian in the Minardi.

00:45:28A car that's not a particularly fancied runner,

00:45:30but he's doing well at the moment.

00:45:32Webber running in 14th position.

00:45:34And as I say, now on the tail of this battle.

00:45:36Look at this. Here comes Bernoldi.

00:45:38He's got alongside.

00:45:39And surely this is the opportunity to get past.

00:45:42He does it. Felipe Nasr.

00:45:43Oh, and he's going to run into him.

00:45:44He's slow. He's pushed him down the escape road.

00:45:47He's running to the back of Bernoldi.

00:45:48Pushed him down the escape road.

00:45:50And Bernoldi will be fuming with that.

00:45:52What a shame. The move was made.

00:45:54And Nasr braked too late.

00:45:56Yes, well, Felipe Nasr just could not give up.

00:45:59His rear tyres, the inside shoulder of the rear tyres on that Sauber

00:46:02are very, very heavily worn.

00:46:04That may be the problem that we've seen from the Brazilian driver

00:46:07not being able to get grip, traction in any of the corners.

00:46:10But that was just fundamentally just being too greedy.

00:46:13He was beaten into the corner.

00:46:14He refused to give up.

00:46:16And what is important in a good driver is to know when not to give up,

00:46:18but more importantly, when to give up.

00:46:20There we see it.

00:46:21Just pushes the back of the arrows into the corner.

00:46:24For Bernoldi, he had no choice. He just went straight on.

00:46:26And, well, Felipe Nasr is making himself not particularly popular here this weekend.

00:46:30A lot of complaints during qualifying from many drivers

00:46:33that he was not using his mirrors, not being considerate.

00:46:36This time, well beaten, but just, well,

00:46:39somebody needs to talk to the young Brazilian Felipe Nasr and say,

00:46:42cool it.

00:46:46So, a great shame for Enrique Bernoldi,

00:46:48who'd been battling for that position.

00:46:50What it does mean now is that Giancarlo Fisichella

00:46:54has moved up into 9th position.

00:46:56And it will bring Heidfeldt now up into 10th position.

00:47:00So, Heidfeldt will have gained from his teammate's mistake there.

00:47:04Nick Heidfeldt in the second Sauber.

00:47:05Heidfeldt now 10th. Panis is now 11th.

00:47:08David Coulthard gets through cleanly.

00:47:10Felipe Nasr well aware of what's happening now.

00:47:12He's got to let Pablo Montoya and Michael Schumacher through

00:47:17with the same generosity.

00:47:18But just one wonders, Ben,

00:47:19was there any damage to the rear of Bernoldi's arrows?

00:47:22He was pushed some way.

00:47:24And rear suspensions or suspensions on a Grand Prix car

00:47:26are designed to work in certain areas, certain planes.

00:47:29They're not designed to be pushed from the rear by another Grand Prix car.

00:47:32Montoya, just locking...

00:47:33Sorry, John, but Montoya just locking up.

00:47:35I wondered if he was going to do the same.

00:47:37But he got through the corner.

00:47:38Felipe Nasr does come in.

00:47:40And you can see a lot of tyre wear on the front,

00:47:42but I noticed it on the rear in particular.

00:47:44Even those tyres he's putting on, quite heavily worn.

00:47:47So Felipe Nasr goes back out,

00:47:49having caused an incident with Enrique Bernoldi.

00:47:51Bernoldi's dropped down to 17th place.

00:47:53Felipe Nasr down to 18th place.

00:47:55So, a disappointment for both the Brazilians.

00:47:59So now it looks as though...

00:48:00Well, that's interesting.

00:48:01The incident involving car number 8, Felipe Nasr,

00:48:04is under investigation by the stewards.

00:48:07And I suspect he will be made to drive through penalty at work.

00:48:10He could get a stop-go penalty as well.

00:48:13And that was clearly just a poor piece of driving on the part of Felipe Nasr.

00:48:17Michael Schumacher again, so close to the rear.

00:48:19Juan Pablo Montoya in this battle for second place.

00:48:22Yes, and Montoya's dropped away from Coulthard.

00:48:24Coulthard's got a slightly bigger lead than we've seen

00:48:27for a number of laps.

00:48:28So Coulthard has that chance,

00:48:30but a breathing space, currently.

00:48:33There again, you look at the top three.

00:48:34Look at Coulthard's advantage.

00:48:35He's definitely stretched out more of a lead.

00:48:38Montoya and Schumacher still very close.

00:48:39And Ralf Schumacher also not far behind in fourth.

00:48:43Well, the last two laps, they've been pretty evenly matched.

00:48:45But, of course, the driver may choose just to again drop back.

00:48:48There's no point running very, very close to the car ahead of you.

00:48:51It doesn't help your car.

00:48:52And it makes your job of driving that little bit more difficult.

00:48:56Through Sainte-Denis safely.

00:48:57We've just seen Mark Webber into the pit.

00:48:59So the Minardi driver has made his pit stop.

00:49:01He was running in 13th position.

00:49:04Now, of course, drops back down the order.

00:49:06They will have put a full tank of fuel on board.

00:49:09And he'll have some work to do in the latter part of the race.

00:49:11Taking a look at the replay.

00:49:12Coulthard, this was Montoya.

00:49:13Oh, a wisp of smoke, Ben, a wisp.

00:49:15Now, was that bodywork contacting to the tyre?

00:49:18Or was that a mechanical problem

00:49:19that David Coulthard is just beginning to experience?

00:49:22That little wisp.

00:49:23Sometimes, I don't know, tyre smoke and engine smoke.

00:49:26Yeah, there again, John.

00:49:27You just saw it.

00:49:27Smoke coming as he went into the tunnel that time.

00:49:29Definitely saw some blue smoke.

00:49:31Take another look there.

00:49:32Yes.

00:49:33So David Coulthard beginning to experience some kind of problem.

00:49:37We don't know whether it's engine related.

00:49:39There again on the exit, coming out of that chicane.

00:49:41Watch it here, turning into tabac.

00:49:43Look at it.

00:49:43When he comes off the throttle, there's a little wisp coming out.

00:49:47Well, that is not promising at all for David Coulthard.

00:49:50McLaren do not have a good reliability record this year.

00:49:54Not at all.

00:49:54Not up to their usual standards.

00:49:56Kimi Raikkonen, in particular,

00:49:58has not finished a race since the opening Grand Prix of the season.

00:50:01And it's been all sorts of mechanical failures

00:50:04that have let him down.

00:50:05Coulthard has had a slightly better run than that.

00:50:07But the McLaren crew watching the pictures very carefully.

00:50:11Still lapping fast, however.

00:50:13So it doesn't seem to be slowing him down at this point.

00:50:17Well, David Coulthard.

00:50:18Oh, again, you see.

00:50:19I don't know whether it's on a change of gear

00:50:20or whether it's maybe he just breathes,

00:50:22lifts off the throttle slightly to breathe the engine.

00:50:25But it is becoming more apparent by the corner.

00:50:28Not just simply once on a lap.

00:50:31So there the battle still.

00:50:33The top four.

00:50:34Coulthard maintaining the edge that he has.

00:50:36Some two seconds over Montoya.

00:50:3931 laps have been completed.

00:50:41And a very slow Alex Young in the tunnel.

00:50:44He's got a right rear.

00:50:45Is it a puncture or has he damaged the car?

00:50:47I guess the car appeared to be crabbing

00:50:48as he tried to hug the barrier all the way around the inside of the tunnel.

00:50:52Trying mainly to keep out of the way.

00:50:54And again, David Coulthard comes down.

00:50:56Young just drives across the chicane.

00:50:58Doing the right thing.

00:50:59He's going to be going into the pits there again.

00:51:01Left bank of that V10 Mercedes-Benz engine.

00:51:04That is not bodywork in my opinion.

00:51:05That is mechanical.

00:51:06There's a look at technical director Adrian Newey's face.

00:51:09He's seeing the same pictures we are.

00:51:11There's a problem for Coulthard.

00:51:13Well, let's hope that it's a minor problem.

00:51:16That it's just a view of some smoke that isn't going to affect performance.

00:51:20But it's not good news.

00:51:21We're not even at half distance on this track.

00:51:25And look, another view from the onboard camera.

00:51:27You can really see that smoke puffing away.

00:51:30And I don't think this car is going to be capable of going very much further.

00:51:33There's oil being burnt.

00:51:34It's getting through the system, up into the combustion chamber.

00:51:38More and more and more changing gear now.

00:51:40I mean, another couple of laps.

00:51:41I think David Coulthard is going to feel something wrong for him.

00:51:45I don't believe that he's capable of going an awful lot further in this race

00:51:49before something fairly serious occurs.

00:51:51And the lead that David Coulthard's enjoyed,

00:51:53the dominance of this afternoon's Grand Prix,

00:51:55was going to be spoiled by a mechanical problem.

00:52:00Down the hill, out of the Grand Hotel hairpin.

00:52:04And you can see behind him, still, Montoya and Schumacher,

00:52:07a little bit closer perhaps.

00:52:08No, I'm not sure.

00:52:09I think they might actually be just holding station

00:52:11because they can see this as well.

00:52:12Now, this car's going to blow up.

00:52:14They don't want to have a whole car, their visor covered in oil, water,

00:52:18whatever it may be, particularly at a critical part of the circuit.

00:52:22So they're letting David, I think, just gradually age away

00:52:25so they've got enough warning, enough time to adjust or adapt

00:52:28if there is a major problem.

00:52:30And there is Mario Illion, nearest the camera,

00:52:32boss of Ilmor, the man responsible for the engines

00:52:36in association with Mercedes,

00:52:38a man who's had so much success in both Formula 1 and in the United States.

00:52:43But looking at these pictures, he must be very, very worried indeed

00:52:48as the smoke seems to be worsening.

00:52:50With that very finite amount of oil on board a Formula 1 car

00:52:53at the start of a race,

00:52:55well, a lot of it seems to be burning away.

00:52:56There won't be much left at this rate.

00:52:59Juan Pablo Montoya was one and a half seconds behind David Coulthard

00:53:02as they came across the start-finish line there.

00:53:04You can see it's probably about 35-40 metres,

00:53:07so they've got to be careful.

00:53:08They don't want to overrun David Coulthard.

00:53:10Blue flag, of course, and that's a light on the dashboard of Micka Salos.

00:53:13So he pulls over to the right, lets the first three,

00:53:16now he'll go round the corner,

00:53:17and then Ralf Schumacher will also slip by without any difficulty.

00:53:20But Montoya must be careful not to get too close.

00:53:23He suspects, and I'm sure that the Williams team are telling him

00:53:26to be aware of a potential problem for Coulthard.

00:53:29And if that engine goes big time,

00:53:31there will be oil, water going straight onto the visor

00:53:34and on the wheels and tyres of Montoya and Michael Schumacher's cars.

00:53:40So, cause for concern for David Coulthard

00:53:43as the smoke puffs away.

00:53:44His teammate, Kimi Räikkönen, still in the race.

00:53:47Remember, Räikkönen running in sixth position.

00:53:49Let's quickly update you.

00:53:51It's Coulthard, Montoya, Schumacher,

00:53:53then Ralf Schumacher fourth, Trulli in fifth.

00:53:55Räikkönen is sixth, ahead of Barrichello, Frentzen,

00:53:58Fisichella now ninth, ahead of Nick Heidfeld in tenth.

00:54:00Then it's Panis, de la Rosa in twelfth,

00:54:02ahead of Irvine, Jenson Button, Enrique Bernaldi,

00:54:06Mika Salo, who's running down in 16th place.

00:54:09And then Mark Webber, who's made a pit stop, is 17th.

00:54:11Felipe Massa has also just been into the pits.

00:54:14It's the end of lap number 34,

00:54:17and we've still got some 44 laps to go.

00:54:21And the reason for Felipe Massa being in the pits for a second time this afternoon

00:54:26was he came in and had a stop-go penalty,

00:54:29and that was the result of that incident with Enrique Bernaldi

00:54:32when he ran into the back of him into Sandoval.

00:54:34In the meantime, it's Michael Schumacher once again

00:54:36who's picking up the pace and pushing Juan Pablo Montoya

00:54:39in less than three-tenths of a second.

00:54:41Almost impossible to time, only electronically,

00:54:44and you get the gap between the Williams and the Ferrari

00:54:46in this battle behind David Coulthard, race leader.

00:54:51The Mercedes men, Jürgen Hubbard and Norbert Thau

00:54:54looking very, very concerned, of course,

00:54:56but so far, David is still going.

00:55:00And there we can see his lead actually has opened up,

00:55:03if anything, over Montoya in second position.

00:55:07Well, it seems it's ebbing and flowing all around the track.

00:55:10That oil smoke appears to be disappearing, dissipating.

00:55:14Either that's because it's cured itself, which is unlikely,

00:55:17or oil is getting very low indeed,

00:55:19which is probably more likely.

00:55:21And what a huge disappointment.

00:55:22There's a V4, David Coulthard for the McLaren team.

00:55:25Here's the other battle.

00:55:26Barrichello and Kimi Raikkonen,

00:55:28they're battling away for sixth place.

00:55:30Last championship point, of course, is sixth place.

00:55:33Yes, and just ahead of them, there's Jarno Trulli,

00:55:35the Italian in the Renault, right there.

00:55:38The McLaren of Kimi Raikkonen,

00:55:40the new Finnish boy wonder, if you like, this year.

00:55:43Second season of Grand Prix racing,

00:55:45first season with McLaren Mercedes,

00:55:47has not finished a race since the first race of the year in Australia,

00:55:51but driving well here this afternoon,

00:55:53holding on to sixth, despite lots of pressure

00:55:56from the Ferrari of Rubens Barrichello.

00:55:58Kimi Raikkonen and Barrichello battling into Saint-Dubois.

00:56:01In the meantime, race leader David Coulthard

00:56:03is actually, with all the problems we think he has got,

00:56:06has set the fastest race lap,

00:56:07the first man to get into the 1 minute 19 second bracket,

00:56:11with a 1 minute 19.743,

00:56:13and the gap to Montoya is up to 2.4 seconds.

00:56:17So it doesn't seem to be slowing Coulthard down at all at the moment,

00:56:21and they're into some more backmarkers.

00:56:24Enrique Bernaldi is the car that's moved out of the way there

00:56:27of David Coulthard already.

00:56:30I'll try talking to Ron Dennis about this situation, I have no doubt,

00:56:34and hoping that they can sort it out.

00:56:37Bernaldi gets out of the way there,

00:56:38a second and third place runners,

00:56:40Montoya and Michael Schumacher.

00:56:42Ralph Schumacher will be the next one to squeeze past.

00:56:44Well, we're trying to think what David Coulthard's problems may be,

00:56:48and of course these guys carry supplementary oil tanks,

00:56:50and maybe there's been a small malfunction,

00:56:52and it's overfilling the tank,

00:56:54and that could be the reason why we saw those puffs of oil smoke

00:56:57coming from the back of Coulthard's McLaren.

00:56:59It seems to have stopped,

00:57:00the situation seems to have cured itself,

00:57:02and David Coulthard now 2.5 seconds ahead of Montoya in second place.

00:57:08Good to see Takuma Sato back at the Jordan pit,

00:57:12perfectly okay by the looks of things,

00:57:14and perhaps explaining to his team what caused the accident

00:57:17when he sideswiped the tunnel there.

00:57:19A big, big accident, the fastest section of the circuit.

00:57:23Thankfully, Takuma is okay,

00:57:25and lives to fight another day.

00:57:27He'll have to look forward to the next Grand Prix in Canada

00:57:30before he can challenge again.

00:57:31His teammate, meanwhile, Fisichella,

00:57:33running in ninth place as we ride on board with Michael Schumacher.

00:57:41So, they come through the chicane.

00:57:43Some more traffic to be dealing with,

00:57:44as you see David Coulthard coming through there.

00:57:47Coulthard's already found a way past Jenson Button,

00:57:50and now it'll be Eddie Irvine, the next one to be lapped.

00:57:53Irvine currently running in 13th position.

00:57:55And looking just at Pablo Montoya and Michael Schumacher,

00:57:59we're coming close to half distance,

00:58:02so for those that are planning to stop early,

00:58:04I mean, Michael Schumacher and Ferrari could take the option

00:58:07to go out of sync and get in and try

00:58:09and make a very quick pit stop.

00:58:11It all depends where he would blend back into the field,

00:58:14and with cars now spread equidistant around the racetrack,

00:58:17it's very difficult for the teams to determine the right time.

00:58:20Other than that, that they might have done prior to this race beginning,

00:58:23where to go in and make your one and only stop of the afternoon.

00:58:26Renault are preparing for a stop now.

00:58:28Is it for this man, Jarno Trulli,

00:58:29currently running in fifth position?

00:58:31No, he stays out there for the moment.

00:58:33It might be for Jenson Button,

00:58:34running all the way down in 14th place.

00:58:37Trulli has not finished in the points at all so far this season,

00:58:41and he's hoping to get that sorted out.

00:58:44He's still being chased by Kimi Räikkönen and Rubens Barrichello.

00:58:47There is Räikkönen, currently running in sixth.

00:58:49Barrichello is seventh.

00:58:51But Heinz-Harald Frentzen, running all in the zone in eighth place,

00:58:54is running quicker than the cars ahead of him,

00:58:56because Kimi Räikkönen basically is slowing down Barrichello.

00:58:59In the meantime, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, running on his own,

00:59:01running almost a second a lap faster

00:59:03than the Ferrari and the McLaren Mercedes-Benz.

00:59:06Schumacher really leaning on Montoya,

00:59:08that time down towards the chicane.

00:59:10Again, Montoya didn't give him space,

00:59:12but Schumacher hounding him,

00:59:13looking for a little slip-up from the Colombian,

00:59:16enough to allow him through.

00:59:18But Montoya, who made a mistake on the third lap of the Grand Prix last year,

00:59:22put it into the barrier, determined not to do the same again.

00:59:25And this is crucial psychological battle between these two,

00:59:28as they come up to lap Eddie Irvine.

00:59:30Eddie Irvine will pull over and get out of the way.

00:59:32There he does, goes to the left of track,

00:59:34leaves the racing line free for Montoya and Michael Schumacher.

00:59:37And Ralf Schumacher will probably slip in behind brother Michael.

00:59:40All three get through cleanly.

00:59:42Well, in fact, Eddie Irvine didn't let...

00:59:44Ralf wasn't quite clear.

00:59:47So, up the hill once again, into Casino Square.

00:59:51And it looks as though Gullfart's car,

00:59:53working brilliantly well at this stage.

00:59:55Into the pits, and back out again for Jenson Button.

00:59:58Button was running a long way down the order, remember.

01:00:01He made that drive-through penalty earlier for jumping the start.

01:00:04He's already at the back.

01:00:05Montoya makes a little mistake down there at the hairpin.

01:00:08And he does seem to be struggling for grip,

01:00:10more so now than he was in the early stages of this race.

01:00:13He cannot seem to run at the same pace now as Gullfart.

01:00:16He's four seconds behind.

01:00:18Yes, a massive leap of one and a half seconds,

01:00:20signs at large, but one and a half seconds in the last couple of laps.

01:00:23And Montoya now really beginning to struggle.

01:00:25David Gullfart sprinting way, way ahead.

01:00:28Montoya clearly holding up.

01:00:30Michael Schumacher.

01:00:31And news from the pit lane then is that McLaren,

01:00:33through the use of telemetry,

01:00:34we've now got pit lane to car telemetry.

01:00:37They think they've made some adjustments

01:00:38that may well have cured that problem

01:00:40that we all could see David Gullfart had.

01:00:42That was smoke coming out of the right-hand bank of that engine.

01:00:45Well, new rules for Formula 1 this year,

01:00:48allowing the teams to make changes

01:00:50using radio signals from pits to the car.

01:00:53And maybe those changes, maybe that new rule change,

01:00:56has allowed McLaren to breathe a sigh of relief here.

01:00:59We're still in the early stage.

01:01:00Well, we're at the half-distance mark now,

01:01:02in fact, in the Monaco Grand Prix.

01:01:05And so far, so good for McLaren Mercedes,

01:01:07the most successful team here at Monaco,

01:01:09having taken 11 victories.

01:01:11Gullfart is up front.

01:01:16Through Casino Square now then.

01:01:17And Montoya manages to get past Felipe Massa cleanly,

01:01:21without a problem.

01:01:22Michael Schumacher also nips through.

01:01:24And we wait for Ralf Schumacher.

01:01:26I'm sure he won't be slowed down too much.

01:01:28Schumacher, Michael, that is,

01:01:30and the Ferrari was pressurising a moment ago to Montoya,

01:01:32but the gap has just opened up a length or so.

01:01:35It was out of the tunnel last time that he got very, very close indeed.

01:01:38But Montoya back now, up to race speed in the 1 minute 20s.

01:01:42Not still as quick as David Gullfart,

01:01:44the gap 4.6 seconds,

01:01:45but away from those laps where he was running in the middle 1 minute 21s.

01:01:49And of course, frustration now setting in for Michael Schumacher,

01:01:52in the knowledge that David Gullfart, running in clear air,

01:01:55is able to run at his own pace

01:01:57and he's just pulling away from this battle for second place.

01:02:00Yeah, the super slow motion action,

01:02:02watching the tyres as they shimmy a little bit over the kerbs.

01:02:06You can see the little bits of rubber at the side as well,

01:02:09where the tyre...

01:02:10Oh, and we've got an accident!

01:02:11And that's Schumacher, isn't it?

01:02:12Or is Barrichello?

01:02:13It's Barrichello, I'm afraid, who's hit the back of

01:02:16Kimi Räikkönen.

01:02:17Räikkönen's in trouble as well.

01:02:18Räikkönen and Barrichello in the battle for 6th,

01:02:20and it looks as though contact has put them both out.

01:02:23Well, Reuben's come down very close behind the back

01:02:26of Kimi Räikkönen.

01:02:27Räikkönen, of course, defending into the chicane.

01:02:29Now noseless, wingless.

01:02:30Let's watch again.

01:02:31Räikkönen, oh, he's on the racing line.

01:02:33Barrichello just too late, no way to slow down.

01:02:35And, well, gets into the back of Räikkönen's Mercedes

01:02:38fairly heavily, gets the nose of his Ferrari up in the air.

01:02:41Let's look at the forward view of the situation.

01:02:43This one's down to Reuben.

01:02:44He made an error, a driving error.

01:02:46Räikkönen is the victim,

01:02:47so both drivers penalised for a great battle

01:02:49that was taking place for the 6th place.

01:02:52Well, that is disappointment for the Brazilian

01:02:55after giving way in Austria.

01:02:57Now a mistake, a driving mistake on his behalf,

01:03:00and he's out.

01:03:01And both cars are in the pits now.

01:03:02Can they get them both out again?

01:03:04Are they sufficiently OK?

01:03:05They're having a good look.

01:03:06Look at that rear wing, John.

01:03:07It's moving a lot.

01:03:08Yes, I think that wing,

01:03:09I think they've got to take the wing off and change it,

01:03:11put a new total assembly on.

01:03:13That'll take some considerable time.

01:03:14Barrichello gets out of the pit lane.

01:03:16And in the meantime, we heard from Takuma Sato,

01:03:18the young Japanese driver, who crashed in the tunnel.

01:03:20He said, basically, what I was trying to do

01:03:22was get out of the way of my teammate,

01:03:24but I just made an error too far to the left

01:03:26and hit the wall very heavily.

01:03:28And he apologises to the team and to his mechanics,

01:03:30to everybody.

01:03:31But there's disappointment.

01:03:32Now, will Barrichello be penalised for that driving error?

01:03:35We saw Felipe Massa being penalised

01:03:36for running into the back of Bernoldi

01:03:38here into San Diego.

01:03:39Now, will Rubens Barrichello also be penalised

01:03:41by having to come back in and take a 10-second stop-go penalty?

01:03:45It's the 6th non-finish in 7 Grand Prix

01:03:48if Kimi Raikkonen doesn't get back out,

01:03:50although I think he's got back in the car again.

01:03:52So they will get him back out.

01:03:53That's good news.

01:03:54They will send him back out.

01:03:55So let's not add to his non-finish statistics just yet.

01:03:58Let's hope they do get the car running.

01:04:00Ben, the gap between Coulthard and Montoya was 4 seconds.

01:04:04Now it's down to less than 3.

01:04:06It's 2.9 as they came across the line.

01:04:08So Montoya back up to speed.

01:04:10Coulthard got delayed.

01:04:11Now, that may have been simply just

01:04:12due to the traffic around the track.

01:04:14We have to keep an eye over the next couple of laps

01:04:16because as the second and third place competitors

01:04:19come out of the tunnel or through the tunnel,

01:04:22we can look forward and see how much traffic

01:04:24there is ahead of them.

01:04:25And it will be a battle with Pinas, Heidfeldt and de la Rosa.

01:04:28Yes, incidents involving car number 2 under investigation.

01:04:32So indeed, John, they are looking at the crash there

01:04:35from Rubens Barrichello.

01:04:36And he may indeed pick up another penalty.

01:04:40Another penalty adding to the fact

01:04:42that he's had to make a long pit stop

01:04:44for a nose cone change.

01:04:46But we'll watch that with interest

01:04:48as we look back from Montoya's car.

01:04:50Still working on the Kimi Raikkonen machine,

01:04:52taking the rear wing off

01:04:53and now hopefully replacing it with a new unit.

01:04:59Meanwhile, there are battles going on

01:05:01throughout the field here.

01:05:02That's the battle for second

01:05:03you're watching at the moment.

01:05:04But behind them, Ralf Schumacher runs fourth,

01:05:06truly his fifth.

01:05:07Frentzen now in sixth.

01:05:09Schumacher got very, very wide

01:05:11coming out of Sandovo.

01:05:12He really had to check the car,

01:05:14get out of the throttle.

01:05:15He just almost slipped all the way up the barrier

01:05:18on the exit.

01:05:19So just you've always, always

01:05:21got to keep your wits about you.

01:05:23So easy to make a mistake.

01:05:24They're coming up behind Nick Heidfeld now.

01:05:26Heidfeld is ninth

01:05:27and they're about to lap him.

01:05:29Frentzen is currently in sixth place.

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