Why Fernando Alonso is Still the Best Driver on the F1 Grid

It is fair to say that Fernando Alonso is currently experiencing his worst run in Formula 1 since re-joining McLaren in 2015. When I say worst run, I am talking purely in results form not his own personal performance. At the Spanish GP, Alonso pulled out the best qualifying performance seen by anybody in a long time, getting his McLaren-Honda into Q3. Even more amazingly, he ended up starting in 7^th. Although the race pace was still not there for Alonso, his performance in qualifying showed just how good the double World Champion still is.

It has not just been this race weekend that has showed his unquestioned talent, he has shown this dating back to the end of his Ferrari career, when that car was not as good as it should have been. Even during his second stint at Renault between 2008 and 2009, where the car was not on the same level as McLaren and Ferrari, he still managed to score two victories. 

When Alonso debuted with Minardi in 2001, everyone could see how special a driver he was. Though not scoring any points that year, he was constantly quicker than team mates Tarso Marques, and then Alex Yoong, recording a best finish of 10^th at the German GP. Getting more out of his car than people would have expected saw the Renault team sign him up for 2002 as a test driver, before promoting him to a race seat for 2003. Though the team were on the up, they were no match for the power of McLaren, Ferrari and Williams. This did not stop Alonso becoming the youngest driver to score a pole position at the Malaysian GP. He then became the youngest driver to win a race the following year at the Hungarian GP, again in a car that was improving along with its star driver. This progression was complete with his two World Championships in 2005 and 2006. A third title should have followed at McLaren, unfortunately, inter-team politics and a bad attitude cost Alonso and the team that year.

That was the last year that Alonso had a genuine front running car. Two backwards years at Renault saw him more to Ferrari in 2010, which should have been a match made in heaven, with multiple titles for the Spaniard. 2010 should have been the first had it not been for Red Bull’s Vettel storming through at the end of the season. After that, the Alonso that we see now was born, the man that could get more out of a car than anybody else. The 2012 Ferrari was not a title fighter by any stretch of the imagination, yet Alonso not only won races in that car, but kept the title fight going to the final race of the year. As at McLaren previously, the relationship between team and driver went sour, and Alonso re-joined McLaren, who had teamed up with once again with Honda.

This current spell that Alonso is going through with McLaren-Honda however, is the one that is showing that he is the best on the current grid. Yes, you have Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel who are battling at the front and providing some fantastic racing for the fans. Their talent is undeniable, but neither driver has performed in Formula 1 quite like Alonso. In a poor car, he still manages to score points and put himself in positions that other drivers would not be able too. What proves he is the best however is that, this season, despite having the second slowest car, he is still averaging 12^th on the grid, an achievement that nobody else on that grid would be able to achieve in that car. The upcoming Indy 500 race that he will contest, will provide further proof if needed that Fernando Alonso is not only the best in F1, but one of the best in the world right now.    

Monaco GP 2016

Hamilton Wins as Red Bull Bin It

Lewis Hamilton took his first victory of 2016, his first since the U.S GP last year, to cut team mate Nico Rosberg's advantage to 24 points. It could have been so different had Red Bull not botched Daniel Ricciardo's pit stop, leaving the Australian to finish in 2nd. A popular 3rd place went to Sergio Perez in the Force India after a brilliant tyre call by the team. Sebastian Vettel was 4th, the only Ferrari to finish after Kimi Raikkonen put his car into the barriers and Romain Grosjean. Fernando Alonso came home 5th of the 50th anniversary of McLaren's debut at the Monaco GP in 1966. Force India's Nico Hulkenberg beat fellow German Rosberg for 6th place right at the end of the race, with Carlos Sainz, Jenson Button and Felipe Massa rounding off the point scoring positions. The tricky conditions in the principality saw Jolyon Palmer, Max Verstappen, along with Raikkonen put the car in the barriers and retire, whilst the Sauber pairing of Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericson took each other out. The major talking point however was the pit stop that caused Ricciardo to lose the race to Hamilton.  

The 78 laps of Monaco started behind the safety car as heavy rain made conditions unsafe for a full blown start. After the racing conditions started, Ricciardo pulled out a commanding lead over Rosberg who simply did not have any pace throughout the race. With Ricciardo pulling out a healthy lead, Mercedes switched around Hamilton and Rosberg so the Brit could have a charge at the Aussie who was looking comfortable. The track was beginning to dry out and drivers further down the field were switching from extreme wets to the intermediates and started going quicker. Ricciardo was the first to blink out of him and Hamilton, and came in for the inters as Hamilton continued on wets. Inevitably, Ricciardo caught right up with Hamilton who was starting to struggle with grip but wanted a straight swap to the ultra-soft tyre, bypassing the intermediates. Hamilton eventually pitted and Ricciardo carried on for a further lap before the race deciding incident occurred.

Ricciardo was called into the pits by his team, only to arrive to no fresh tyres, costing him about 13 seconds and most importantly, the lead. Ricciardo came out just behind Hamilton and hustled him until the end. Hamilton's ultra-soft tyres went much further into the race than they should have, something that seemed to play into Ricciardo's hands as he was able to stay within a second of Hamilton throughout. It was always going to be difficult for the Red Bull driver due to the nature of the track, and the fact that Hamilton's car position throughout was nothing short of superb. In the end though it was Hamilton who took the chequered flag, and Ricciardo could not hide is anger. When the team came over the radio to apologies to Ricciardo, he replied with "save it". He went on further to say he felt "screwed" and "ran over by an 18 wheeler for the second time in two races". I can understand his disappointment but he needs to look at the bigger picture if he is to move on from this. He blew Mercedes away this weekend and has an upgraded engine now from Renault. That car for me is aerodynamically better than the Mercedes, only its lack of power keeps them back. Now that problem is being addressed, he can surely look forward to a couple of wins this season. 

Tensions Eased at Mercedes

The contrasting fortunes of the Mercedes drivers at the Monaco GP may have been the best thing that could have happened for the team. Nico Rosberg's poor race in Monaco was looking like it was going to ruin Hamilton's. Hamilton had fallen 13 seconds behind leader Ricciardo and was stuck behind Rosberg, who was struggling with fuel pressure problems, tyre temperatures and brake issues. Rosberg admitted afterwards that he had lost confidence in his car and allowed Hamilton to overtake to aid the teams push in the constructors championship. Hamilton alluded to this and even called Rosberg a "gentleman". More significantly though for Hamilton, he now only trails Rosberg by 24 points in the standing heading to Canada, a track that Hamilton loves. The very fact that Rosberg admitted he was happy enough to let Hamilton through and Hamilton putting a arm round Rosberg after the race may have eased some of the tension within the team. The pair seemed very genuine in their comments, which will only make the Mercedes team stronger going forward.  It could have easily went the other way however, especially the way things have been between the pair since Hamilton won his 3rd World Championship. Rosberg could have made life for Hamilton very difficult and completely ruin Hamilton's race. Moreover, the events that occurred in Spain lead many think would be the total breaking point for the two drivers. It has not transpired this way and fences certainly have been mended.

Does Palmer Have What it Takes?

When Renault announced it would be taking over the Lotus team and return as a works team, many people including the team itself admitted 2016 would be a teething year for the team. Although it has not been as bad as many feared, it has not been fantastic. Struggling for overall pace and getting out of Q1, the performances of Jolyon Palmer have not lived up to his potential, or his team mate Kevin Magnusson. Magnusson I believe has proven why he was given a second chance in F1. His performance at the Russian GP for example where he finished 7th, scoring the teams only points this season after starting 17th. Palmer has not been as impressive for me however. His highest finish is 11th and his highest qualifying position has been 13th. His performance during the Monaco weekend, a track where he has won at in the past, was not eye catching at all. He had one too many contacts with the barrier during practise, taking valuable running time away from the team, and then in the race he did not make it to turn 1 when the safety car went in as he put his Renault in the barriers on the start finish straight. Renault have made no secret of their desire to have a Frenchman driving for the team, with Esteban Ocon in the third driver role in the team waiting in the wings should Renault decide to replace Palmer. I hope though that Palmer can find the talent that he possesses in order to prove me and many others wrong, and keep his place at Renault for the rest of the season.

Italian GP 2015

Italian GP 2015

Hamilton's Title to Loose

Lewis Hamilton took another step towards his third World Championship this weekend with an utterly dominant victory in the Italian GP. His steps towards the title were helped massively when his closest challenger, and team mate, Nico Rosberg's engine blew up with just two laps remaining. Sebastian Vettel took second place in his first race in Italy for Ferrari, with Felipe Massa rounding off the top 3. Despite winning by a huge 24 seconds and extending his championship lead by 53 points, Hamilton was made to wait 3 hours for the victory to be confirmed as a debate over the legality of his tyre pressures was raised. 

In response to the tyre failures in Belgium two weeks prior, Pirelli had raised the minimum recommended tyre pressures, with the rears needing to be at 19.5psi. However, immediately after the chequered flag fell, it was announced that before the race Hamilton's left rear pressure was .3psi below and that Rosberg's was 1.1psi below the recommended limit. Thankfully for Hamilton however, the FIA concluded that both tyres in question were at the correct limits when they were fitted to the car.

Behind Hamilton, the massive following of Ferrari fans were hoping race day would continue their strong weekend, with Kimi Raikkonen lining up behind Hamilton in 2nd place. Sadly for the fans and team, they couldn't turn Saturday’s qualifying pace into race pace, and couldn't get near the Mercedes of Hamilton. Raikkonen, almost stalling and being last to the first corner, certainly didn't help the cause either. He did however manage to battle back through the field, and finished in 5th behind fellow Finn Valtteri Bottas.

Raikkonen's battle through the field was possibley the only in-race action that would have kept viewers interested. Once again, the excitement, action and turning points that fans want to see on track has come off the track. If it isn't the bitter divorce spat between Red Bull and Renault, or Honda claims of progress, it's something else. This weekend's theme: tyre pressures. This season has produced some, quite frankly, rubbish grand prix's, with actions and spats overshadowing the spectacle that is the race.  

McLaren and Honda at Breaking Point

When McLaren announced that they were to be teaming up with Honda once again, I remember how much excitement went through my system in anticipation to see the great duo reunited. I wasn't alive during the McLaren-Honda dominance of the 1980's, but I have watched so much footage of it that my mouth watered at the prospect of seeing this again. So you can imagine how disappointed I am, and I'm sure McLaren and its fan base are too, at the utter shambles that has been the 2015 season.

At the Italian Grand Prix, the partnership reached breaking point, as rumours circulated that McLaren have asked Honda to remove Yasuhisa Arai from his position of chief motorsport officer at Honda. Arai is under huge pressure after a series of promises have went undelivered, and the team have shown very little sign of progress since the beginning of the season. Arai was present at a press conference at Monza and was given what was described as a brutal interrogation. He rejected suggestions that he should resign, and unbelievably reiterated his belief that Honda have a better engine than Renault.

It is claimed that McLaren are so disillusioned by Honda's lack of progress over the season that they wrote to the company's president asking for Arai to be removed. The whole situation has now became such a farce, that it is now getting embarrassing for both McLaren and Honda. The claim from Arai that the Honda engine has more horsepower than the Renault was the final straw for me. Arai said that for the Italian Grand Prix, the Honda engine would have more horsepower than the Renault, and be quicker in a straight line. How wrong can one man be? The Honda power unit is poor. There is no other way of putting it. Fernando Alonso has come out and said that they are losing 3 seconds a lap to the Mercedes due to the lack of power on the straights. If there were signs of progress in the races, there is a good chance that nobody would be talking about this issue. If you could see McLaren blistering down the start/finish straight challenging the likes of Red Bull and Williams, then it would ease the pain for the team. Even if they were doing this and the engine went up in smoke, at least its progress. Something has to be done and done quickly.

Monza Must Stay

Bernie Ecclestone has been very pessimistic about the future of the Italian GP continuing at Monza beyond its contract which runs out next year. The thought of not seeing Monza on the F1 calendar is a tragic one. Even the thought of Imola replacing Monza is still not an option as far as fans and drivers alike are concerned. Sebastian Vettel said to lose the Italian GP for money issues would be like ripping out our hearts. Monza has staged grand prix racing since 1922. It is up there with the likes of Monaco Spa and Silverstone for its rich history, and to lose it from the calendar would be a kick in the teeth for the sport’s history and heritage. It's combination of fast straights and chicanes means it presents a different challenge to more modern circuits such as Russia and Abu Dhabi. With these characteristics, it means drivers are massively in favour of keeping it on the calendar. Because of races such as Azerbaijan, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi bringing lots of money to the table, it puts races such as Italy under threat. In the end, it all comes down to money - the only thing Bernie Ecclestone seems to have an interest in. Teams such as Ferrari and McLaren get extra prize money given to them because of their history in the sport; so to protect circuits such as Monza, why doesn't Bernie give them a discount of sorts for holding the race because of their history? Just an idea. 

Belgian GP 2015

Hamilton Bounces Back In Style

After a shocking Hungarian GP before the summer break, Lewis Hamilton bounced back to dominate the Belgian GP. It had looked as though team mate Nico Rosberg was going to be the man to beat during the weekend, until Saturday morning practise where Hamilton found his groove. He showed his dominance by gaining a half second gap to team mate Rosberg in qualifying thanks to two utterly fantastic laps. From then, Hamilton never looked back and had the race under control from start to finish. Although Hamilton and Rosberg are in identical machinery, Hamilton's sheer dominance over Rosberg leaves a feeling that the final run in for the title may be a procession. Rosberg has been very open about his team mates superiority, which is slightly unnerving. We have seen over the course of the season that Rosberg can challenge Hamilton on the track, but something seemed to be different over the Spa weekend. Hamilton was in a different race to his team mate and, of course, the rest of the field. Rosberg's pursuit of Hamilton near the end of the race where he was closing in was only due to Hamilton easing off under the instructions of the team. Rosberg has to go away and have a think about how he can beat Hamilton, and actually believe he can beat, him or the title race will be over sooner rather than later.

Pirelli Forces to Defend Tyres

Two huge 190mph tyre blowouts for Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel over the weekend have forced Pirelli to come out and defend their tyres, not for the first time during their spell in F1. During practise, Rosberg's tyre blew spectacularly and he somehow managed to keep it out of the wall. Worryingly, onboard camera shots show Rosberg's tyre starting to tear away near the beginning of the lap, not blowing until near the end. Vettel's tyre blew right near the end of the race where a podium could have been on the cards for the Ferrari driver. This led Vettel to deliver a damning verdict on the tyre supplier. As usual however, Pirelli's attempt to come out and explain themselves hasn't done them any favours. Even if Pirelli are right in what they say, they simply won't win the argument. Pirelli's motorsport director, Paul Hembery, came out and said that they had issued a pre-race warning to the teams indicating that the anticipated life on the medium tyres would be 40 laps, almost the entire race distance. The problem for Pirelli here is that Vettel's medium tyre blew after just 28 laps. Pirelli then issued a press release on the Sunday night stating that in 2013, they had sought it impose a lap limit for their tyres that would have restricted a single stint to 50% of a full race distance. The fact that Pirelli are looking back to the last time nude blowouts were occurring for their excuse is sure to put more scrutiny on the Italian company, who insist they want to stay in F1. After this latest series of blowouts, surely the teams will have concerns heading into the Italian GP where the high speed straights and corners may have a huge effect on tyres once again.

Grosjean Lifts Debt Crippled Lotus

Over the weekend, rumours were circulating that the Lotus F1 cars were to be impounded as the Enstone team's financial problems hit critical point. Even with Pastor Maldonado's Venezuelan oil backing the team, things are really bad at the team. So, for Romain Grosjean to score his and the teams first podium since the American GP in 2013 was something special. The fact the place was secured after Vettel's tyre failure is irrelevant, as Grosjean was nailed on to claim third even after his five place grid penalty. Grosjean was fantastic all race and was constantly there, or thereabouts, all race. It was fitting his podium came at Spa, as this was the track in 2012 where the Frenchman earned himself a race ban after causing a first lap pile up, which also led to Mark Webber labelling him as a "first lap nutcase".

This certainly seemed to be the turning point in Grosjean's F1 career because he has slowly became one of F1's most underrated drivers, who deserves a lot more than he is getting at Lotus at the minute. He openly admits to working with a sporting psychologist since the incident, and it seems to be working an absolute treat for Grosjean. Lotus' trackside chief, Alan Permane revealed that Grosjean's grid penalty was a result of the team only being able to afford three gearbox units for the 2015 season, again showing the crippling financial problems for the team. The car itself is good, and it showed this at the weekend as both drivers qualified in the top 8 in Spa. At the moment, Renault look like Lotus' best and only hope of avoiding administration. I certainly hope that Renault buy out the team as it would be a huge shame to see the famous team vanish from its Enstone base where it has held the team under all of its previous guises.  

Red Bull and Renault Finally Set for Divorce?       

Rumours have been circulating that Red Bull are looking for a different engine supplier for 2016, and frankly, who could blame them? The partnership that delivered four consecutive World Championships has quickly went south, with both sides blaming the other for the poor season that Red Bull have had. Mercedes seemed to warm to the idea of supplying engines to Red Bull, with the stipulation that it wouldn't disrupt any agreement already in place, then Red Bull say they want an early exit from their contract. Coincidence?

The situation that Red Bull find themselves in deserves some sympathy. All season, Red Bull's goal has been to fire up Renault to get them to progress and commit for 2016. What Red Bull don't want is a 2016 season where they are bashing their heads against a wall again. Christian Horner has said he wants to hear what Renault’s plans entail for the future, and has said they will go from there. The spat has not been kept in house at either Red Bull or Renault which has, in my opinion, damaged both outfit’s reputations. Ultimately, Red Bull's frustration boils down to the fact that F1 is now very engine critical. The first victim of this realisation is Red Bull's previous firm stance that they could win in any given race and season through chassis design alone. Unfortunately for them, F1 is all about engine power now, not chassis design. 

Canadian GP 2015

Mercedes Power a Different Class

The Canadian GP is a race that usually produces action and excitement from lights out to chequered flag. This was extinguished at this year's event thanks to the dominance of Mercedes’ power. Lewis Hamilton claimed his 4th victory of the season and with it, put the disappointment of Monaco behind him to pull out a 17 point lead over team mate Nico Rosberg in the championship. Rosberg finished second with Valtteri Bottas coming home 3rd. The race was a dull affair with the only notable incidents being Sebastian Vettel charging through the field along with Felipe Massa, both of whom were out of position thanks to technical problems in qualifying. Both drivers put in some brilliant overtakes to battle through the field and came home 5th (Vettel) and 6th (Massa). Had both of them started in positions that reflected the machinery they were in, it could have made better viewing for the fans.

What the race did was highlight what is wrong with the current state of F1. When 9 of the 10 points places are filled with Mercedes powered cars, it is clear that something needs to change and quickly. On the one hand, you cannot help but admire the work that Mercedes have put into the V6 turbo engine to make it the dominant force that is. People can argue that the characteristics of the Montréal played into Mercedes hands with the longer straights that put an emphasis on the power unit. Renault, Ferrari and Honda were never going to get near any Mercedes power during the whole weekend, no matter what they did. This is the problem though; there isn't really anything that they can do with the restrictions on engine development. Mercedes’ advantage is so vast, the current token system that is in place doesn't help anyone. To try and level the playing field somewhat, teams should be able to develop their power units without restriction. This could in turn bring the pack a bit closer and give us some more exciting and closer racing. In Monaco, Red Bull were so much closer to the front, because it was a circuit that focuses more on the chassis, not the power unit. Montréal showed the gap in power between the Mercedes teams and the non-Mercedes teams, and it is worrying. Something has to be done, and done quickly before F1's dwindling audience dwindles even further.

Williams Bounce Back From Poor Monaco Showing

A notable point throughout the race weekend was Williams' return to the head of the grid to challenge Ferrari and put some pressure on Mercedes. In Monaco, the team were absolutely nowhere and didn't score a single point. Fast forward two weeks, and the team are back at the head of the grid. Valtteri Bottas showed what a talent he is and continued his impressive record in Canada with another podium finish - his and the teams first of the season. Felipe Massa showed the cars pace after coming through the field to finish an impressive 6th. The performance in Canada was in stark contrast to that of Monaco two weeks earlier, where the team looked very off colour. There is an argument that Williams’ poor performance in Monaco was down to the nature of the Monaco circuit, and showed the Williams chassis' flaws, something Rob Smedley has denied. The team has been accused of lacking in the development area, and this could have possibly been the reason for the performance issues in Monaco. The Canadian GP played into Williams hands with their Mercedes power, and it will be the same in Austria. Hopefully the team can push on from Canada and develop the car so they don't repeat their Monaco nightmare, and compete at the head of the grid.

McLaren Amateurs

The only thing that was surprising to me about Fernando Alonso's radio message in Canada, branding his team "amateurs", was how long it has taken the fiery Spaniard to vent his frustrations. McLaren have reignited their legendary partnership with Honda for 2015, but it has got off to a very slow start, with Jenson Button picking up the teams only points in Monaco. Canada brought McLaren back down to earth with a harsh bump, as the teams' lack of power was clear for everyone to see. The team were not challenging anybody in the race, and saw cars drive straight past them down the back straight. This has all been taken in Alonso's and Button’s strides, with both drivers constantly saying how happy they are with the progress of the team race by race. This cannot be taken away from the team, who have definitely improved race by race, but Canada really showed how far off they are from the points, let alone a podium challenge. So when Alonso was told to save fuel by his team, this seemed to push him too far. He vented his anger over the radio to the team saying that he just wants to race and wouldn't save fuel. You can see where he is coming from though, he is a natural born racer and not being able to do something that comes naturally to him must be infuriating. To add insult to injury for Alonso, both he and Button retired from the race thanks to reliability issues. Alonso was quick to play down his comments after the race, but it is clear that he is becoming frustrated with the team’s performance. Despite this, he still believes that he is in the right environment to deliver his illusive 3rd World Championship. 

Drivers Who Only Win at Monaco

This week is the highlight of the F1 calendar as the circus roles into the principality of Monaco. Monaco is often referred to as the jewel in the crown for F1 and rightfully so. The glitz, the glamour, the lifestyle - all equal a fantastic weekend of racing. It is a massive spectacle that delivers a brilliant race year in year out, with its close quarters racing and being literally millimeters away from the unforgiving barriers.  The track has a rich history with the sports' greatest drivers all registering wins around the famous circuit. We obviously have Ayrton Senna, who won 6 times around the famous streets and "Mr Monaco" himself Graham Hill winning 5 times, and of course, Michael Schumacher's 5 victories as well. There are also 3 winners at this historic event that turned out to be their only ever Formula 1 victory. I will be looking at each of their races and showing how anything is possible during the Monaco GP.

Jean-Pierre Beltoise 1972

The 1972 Monaco GP was a rain soaked event that delivered Jean-Pierre Beltoise his first, and the BRM team's final, F1 win. Beltoise’s F1 career was a very quiet one, with limited success despite his win in Monaco. He found more success after he retired from Formula 1 in 1974 when he moved to Touring Cars and won 2 French titles.

Beltoise started in 4th but stormed into 1st, the only position anyone would want in a race with such poor visibility. Eventual championship winner in 1972 Emerson Fittipaldi fell back behind Clay Regazzoni's Ferrari, and with the conditions being so poor, Regazzoni went straight over at the chicane and was followed by Fittipaldi, allowing the Ferrari and Jacky Ickx to take second place. This should have spelt massive trouble for Beltoise as Ickx was a renowned wet-weather driver, yet Beltoise lead every one of the 80 laps, showing the advantage of being at the front of the grid during a wet race, especially in Monaco.  His race wasn't without heart in the mouth moments however, as he lost the rear of his car at Portier, and just marginally held on to continue. Beltoise also had a coming together with Tim Schenken's Surtees as he was trying to lap him at the Station Hairpin, now the Lowes Hairpin. Also, not just for Beltoise, but for many drivers on the grid, the weather was causing water logging in certain areas of the circuit. Notably, Sir Jackie Stewart's Tyrell Cosworth was so badly affected by the water logging, he was lapped twice in the closing stages by Beltoise. Despite the rain getting worse throughout the race and soaking the track to its core, Beltoise stayed calm and cool and scored his one and only F1 win. It goes to show how the rain can have a massive effect on the way a race is run and Beltoise put on a fantastic display to come out on top in tricky circumstances.

Olivier Panis 1996

The 1996 F1 season will be remembered for many reasons. The emergence of Jacque Villeneuve, the start of Michael Schumacher's relationship with Ferrari and Damon Hill winning the World Championship. What will also stick out in the memory of F1 fans that season will be the Monaco GP in which only 3 cars finished after a very bizarre race. At the start, I don't think anybody could have imagined that Olivier Panis who started in 14th in his Ligier would win his only Formula 1 victory, and Ligier's last.

Back in the days of Sunday morning practise, Panis actually set the fastest time and showed that engine trouble in qualifying meant his 14th position wasn't a true reflection of what the car could do. Step forward a torrential downpour.

Shortly after practise had finished, the heavens opened and soaked the track through. By the time the race started, the track was still damp which meant some very tricky conditions. This was evident at the first corner as both Minardi's were out and Schumacher had been beaten to the first corner by both Williams’. Schumacher would also retire before the end of lap 1, after a coming together with the wall and Ruben's Barrichello's Jordan was also gone. This was just the start as well, by lap 10 only 12 cars were still running after Ukyo Katayama and Riccardo Rosset both were involved in accidents, and Pedro Diniz, Panis' team mate and Gerhard Berger both retired with mechanical failures.

Panis was running a good solid race staying clear of trouble, whilst out-front, Damon Hill was unchallenged and powering on like a man on a mission. His father Graham was known as "Mr Monaco" during the sixties, and Damon so badly wanted to become the first second generation Monaco GP victor. Nothing seemed like it was going to stop him as he streaked clear of Jean Alesi's Benetton. Then fate intervened, and unfortunately for Hill, his Renault engine let go and he retired from the race. Hill's retirement meant Alesi had a 30 second lead but again, would retire from the race with a suspension issue. A very typical scenario for Alesi who many times in his F1 career would have victory snatched from his grasp so close to the end. By this point Panis had charged through the field with some brilliantly brave overtakes on Martin Brundle, Mika Hakkinen and Johnny Herbert, who were all following Eddie Irvine's Ferrari. Panis timed his pit stop brilliantly, and jumped a queue of cars getting right up with Irvine on lap 35. He threw his Ligier up the inside of Irvine at the Lowes Hairpin and never looked back from there.

So when Alesi retired from the race on lap 60, for the first time Panis found himself cruising at the head of the field. Before Monaco, Panis' best finish had been second in Germany 1994 and Australia 1995, where massive collisions meant the Frenchman prospered from others misfortunes. This was very different however, as his raw pace meant he was in the right position to capitalise on any mistakes other drivers made. In Germany and Australia the previous years, Panis was nowhere in those races and was fortunate with his podiums. This was very deserving and showed how big a talent Panis was. Surprisingly to this day, there has not been another French winner in Formula 1.

Jarno Trulli 2004

When I think of the fact that Jarno Trulli only ever won one Grand Prix it always astounds me. Whenever I hear this stat I try and rack my brain for another victory. Obviously I won't find one, but I really find it hard to believe. For me what makes his Monaco GP win brilliant is the fact was it was during the season where the Ferrari of Michael Schumacher could not be stopped. Trulli however didn't read the script properly though, as he stuck his improving Renault on pole on Saturday and drove brilliantly throughout. Again, a difference between the other two races I've spoke about is that Trulli's drive was in the dry from start to finish. No soaking or damp spells, it was bone dry throughout.

Trulli got away brilliantly and led into the first corner with team mate Fernando Alonso closely following him but unable to do much more than that. Jenson Button's BAR was chasing after the pair in 3rd place. A quiet race was disrupted massively when Fernando Alonso had a huge crash coming out of the tunnel on lap 41 which brought the safety car out and squeezed the pack up. Unbelievably, Michael Schumacher had a similar crash to Alonso but it was behind the safety car, making Trulli's race a little bit more comfortable.

That was of course until Jenson Button got himself involved. 

Button was 7 seconds behind Trulli at one point, but some stunning laps meant with 10 laps to go he could see the yellow and blue Renault. Back markers a plenty possibly cost Button the chance at a proper shot at Trulli during the final few laps, but that can't take anything away from Trulli who drove a superb race and deserved his win. It still shocks me that after watching how good a display Trulli put on in  Monaco, he didn't win any more races. His one lap pace was stunning, especially when he moved to Toyota at the end of 2004, but I suppose he was never really given the machinery after he left Renault to do anything with it. Renault was his best chance at race victories, and unfortunately for him, Fernando Alonso was his team mate. As they say: the rest… is history.