1992 Monaco Grand Prix
| 1992 Monaco Grand Prix | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 6 of 16 in the 1992 Formula One World Championship | |||
| File:Montecarlo 1986.jpg | |||
| Race details | |||
| Date | 31 May 1992 | ||
| Official name | L Grand Prix Automobile de Monaco | ||
| Location | Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo | ||
| Course | Temporary street circuit | ||
| Course length | 3.328 km (2.068 miles) | ||
| Distance | 78 laps, 259.584 km (161.298 miles) | ||
| Weather | Dry | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Williams-Renault | ||
| Time | 1:19.495 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver |
 Nigel Mansell | Williams-Renault | |
| Time | 1:21.598 on lap 74 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | McLaren-Honda | ||
| Second | Williams-Renault | ||
| Third | Williams-Renault | ||
The 1992 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on May 31, 1992. It was the sixth round of the 1992 Formula One season. The race is remembered for a battle for the lead between Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna in the last four laps with Senna finishing as the race winner, ending Mansell's run of five straight wins in the previous races.
Report
Background
The first five races of the championship had ended with Williams driver Nigel Mansell leading the Drivers Championship by 26 points having achieved a Formula 1 record of five race wins in a row. Team-mate Riccardo Patrese was second having claimed 24. Their Williams team was leading the Constructors Championship with 74 points; second-placed Benetton had 20, with their driver Michael Schumacher third place in the drivers championship. Reigning World Champion Ayrton Senna of McLaren was only in fourth place, having accumulated eight points. However, The Monaco Grand Prix had only been won in the last eight years by either Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost but Nigel Mansell was looking to achieve his first win at Monaco having won the previous five races. There were no changes to the driver line-up from the previous race, however before the race Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo had to publicly announce Ivan Capelli's position within the Ferrari team was "safe" in response to criticism from the Italian Autosprint magazine about Capelli's recent performances.[1]Autosport had also reported on the Thursday before the race that Capelli was "about to be replaced" according to "Italian rumours", highlighting the fact Gianni Morbidelli had carried out most of Ferrari's testing work at the Imola circuit before the Monaco race.[2] Ferrari had released a statement in response to Morbidelli's testing of the Ferrari F92A saying Capelli had been "on holiday" but Capelli denied this was the case.[2] Team Lotus also brought a second new 107 chassis for Mika Häkkinen at Monaco as only one 107 had been available for Herbert at San Marino.[3] The car had been "skaken Down" at Hethel in Norfolk by Olivier Beretta before being taken to Monaco[4]
Practice and qualifying
pre-qualifying on the Thursday morining was warm and sunny.[5] Michele Alboreto ended up fastest in the session, gaining himself some extra track time. Roberto Moreno finished third fastest promoting the Andrea Moda team into the main qualifying session for the first time. Ukyo Katayama was slowed by a slight oil leak and only managed a 1:28.310 before crashing at Tabac in the final minutes of session, finishing with the 5th fastest time and becoming the only driver other than Roberto Moreno and Perry McCarthy to not pre-qualify in 1992.[6] Perry McCarthy in his Andrea Moda actually only managed two laps and subsequently did not record a time:[7]
The team still hadn't made a proper seat for me, so I had taken a beating inside the cockpit, but I kept my foot down and desperately tried to remember where the next corner was. I knew the tunnel was taken flat out on my first lap but as I came back into daylight at 170mph, I was being bounced around so badly, I had double vision and I vividly remember speeding toward the tyre barrier wondering if I should turn left or right. Anyway I was called back to the pits and that was my run for the day.
Perry McCarthy sums up his Monaco pre-qualfying session.[8]
The Thursday afternoon qualifying session was held under warm but overcast conditions.[5] Nigel Mansell finished thursday qualifying fastest with a 1:20.714.[5] Stefano Modena who qualified on the front row of the grid in the 1991 Monaco Grand Prix achieved the 12th fastest time in the session, despite having previously failed to qualify for two races with Jordan in 1992.[5] Roberto Moreno continued the improving results for Andrea Moda with the 20th fastest time, despite complaining of a "down-on-power engine".[11]
During the Saturday morning practice session Pierluigi Martini crashed in the Monaco tunnel, causing damage to the barrier which took 40 minutes to repair and delayed the start of Saturday Qualifying by 30 minutes.[12][13]
Nigel Mansell improved on his best qualifying time from the Thursday session to a 1:19.495 and held onto pole position. [5] Riccardo Patrese improved to qualify second fastest, however was held up by Bertrand Gachot on one of his qualifying laps, and reacted by heading over to the Larrousse pit and trying to punch the Belgian.[5][12] Ayrton Senna finished qualifying third on the grid despite spinning the rear of his car into the tyre barrier at the Mirabeau corner, damaging both his rear suspension and wing which eventually broke off in the tunnel as Senna returned his damaged car to the pits. Following his crash in the morning Pierluigi Martini still took part in the afternoon session and qualified 18th fastest.[14] Having finished 20th fastest on Thursday Roberto Moreno then managed to qualify his Andrea Moda S921 26th fastest by posting a time 0.036 seconds faster than Eric van de Poele's Brabham at the end of the session.[12] In the Sunday morning warm up Aguri Suzuki was sent to hospital for checks after crashing his Footwork but the Japanese driver was fit enough to race.[12]
Race
The conditions for the race were overcast, but warm and dry.[5] At the start, Senna passed Patrese into the St. Devote corner. Schumacher also passed Alesi and Berger into the first corner. However, Alesi took fourth back at Mirabeau and then the race settled down. The order was: Mansell, Senna, Patrese, Alesi, Schumacher and Berger.
Patrese began to attack Senna but then began to drop back with gearbox troubles. On lap 12, Schumacher tried to pass Alesi and the two collided, and an electronic box was damaged in Alesi's car, with Schumacher getting ahead. Alesi continued to stay fifth for another 16 laps before the damage forced him to retire on lap 28. This promoted teammate Berger to fifth, a place which he held for just under 5 laps before he had to retire from gearbox troubles.
Ivan Capelli was running in 5th place despite having been lapped by Nigel Mansell, however on lap 61 he spun at Casino Square, damaging the steering arm. When he reached the swimming pool complex the damage caused him to spin and slide backwards wedging his Ferrari into barrier before Rascasse at a 45 degree angle. His retirement reminded the BBC F1 commentary team of the speculation regarding his future with Ferrari, which had been prominent before the race weekend.[15]
Murray Walker: "This won’t of course have done his Ferrari position any good because although Luca Di Montezemolo, the Ferrari boss of both the passenger and the racing car divisions has said Capelli’s position is safe; some of us doubted that statement and Capelli has gone off and out of the race, out of fifth position, out of a possible two points for the team"
James Hunt: " Some of us horrible cynics yes"
Nigel Mansell lead the race in his Williams FW14B-Renault up until lap 70, but then suffered a loose wheel nut and was forced into the pits, emerging behind Ayrton Senna's McLaren-Honda. Mansell, on fresh tyres, set a lap record almost two seconds quicker than Senna's and closed from 5.2 to 1.9 seconds in only two laps. The pair duelled around Monaco for the final four laps but Mansell could find no way past, finishing just two tenths of a second behind the Brazilian.[12][16] It was Senna's fifth win at Monaco, equalling Graham Hill's record.
Post-race
The top three finishers appeared in Prince Albert II of Monaco's Royal box to collect their trophies and in the subsequent press conference. Mansell said that he had "given it all and more" in the last 10 laps after his pitstop but Senna's car had been "too wide to get past". However, he gave his congratulations to Senna for his race win. Senna amitted he knew the Williams car was "several seconds faster" than him in the last few laps and his tyres were like "driving on ice" due to having completed the whole race on the same set.
In a feature on the BBC's Formula 1 Website in 2009 former BBC Formula One commentator Murray Walker ranked the 1992 Monaco Grand Prix as one of the five "best ever" Formula 1 races due to what he described as the "absolute magic" battle for lead in the last three laps between Senna and Mansell.[17]
Classification
Pre Qualifying
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Time | Gap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 |  Michele Alboreto
|
Footwork-Mugen-Honda | 1:25.413 | - | |
| 2 | 29 |  Bertrand Gachot
|
Larrousse-Lamborghini | 1:25.980 | +0.567 | |
| 3 | 34 |  Roberto Moreno
|
Moda-Judd | 1:27.186 | +1.773 | |
| 4 | 14 |  Andrea Chiesa
|
Fondmetal-Ford | 1:27.756 | +2.343 | |
| 5 | 30 |  Ukyo Katayama
|
Larrousse-Lamborghini | 1:28.310 | +2.897 | |
| 6 | 35 | Perry McCarthy
|
Moda-Judd | No time | ||
Source:[5]
| ||||||
Qualifying
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Q1 Time | Q2 Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Nigel Mansell
|
Williams-Renault | 1:20.714 | 1:19.495 | |
| 2 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese
|
Williams-Renault | 1:22.309 | 1:20.368 | +0.873 |
| 3 | 1 | Ayrton Senna
|
McLaren-Honda | 1:21:467 | 1:20.608 | +1.113 |
| 4 | 27 | Jean Alesi
|
Ferrari | 1:22.942 | 1:20.895 | +1.400 |
| 5 | 2 |  Gerhard Berger
|
McLaren-Honda | 1:22.359 | 1:21.224 | +1.729 |
| 6 | 19 |  Michael Schumacher
|
Benetton-Ford | 1:23.150 | 1:21.831 | +2.336 |
| 7 | 20 | Martin Brundle
|
Benetton-Ford | 1:23.872 | 1:22.068 | +2.573 |
| 8 | 28 | Ivan Capelli
|
Ferrari | 1:23.813 | 1:22.119 | +2.624 |
| 9 | 12 | Johnny Herbert
|
Lotus-Ford | 1:25.979 | 1:22.579 | +3.084 |
| 10 | 4 | Andrea de Cesaris
|
Tyrrell-Ilmor | 1:23.552 | 1:22.647 | +3.152 |
| 11 | 9 | Michele Alboreto
|
Footwork-Mugen-Honda | 1:23.774 | 1:22.671 | +3.176 |
| 12 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli
|
Minardi-Lamborghini | 1:24.567 | 1:22.733 | +3.238 |
| 13 | 33 | Maurício Gugelmin
|
Jordan-Yamaha | 1:24.235 | 1:22.863 | +3.368 |
| 14 | 11 |  Mika Häkkinen
|
Lotus-Ford | 1:25.809 | 1:22.886 | +3.391 |
| 15 | 29 | Bertrand Gachot
|
Larrousse-Lamborghini | 1:23.606 | 1:23.122 | +3.627 |
| 16 | 16 | Karl Wendlinger
|
March-Ilmor | 1:23.978 | 1:23.264 | +3.769 |
| 17 | 23 | Christian Fittipaldi
|
Minardi-Lamborghini | 1:25.561 | 1:23.487 | +3.992 |
| 18 | 22 | Pierluigi Martini
|
Dallara-Ferrari | 1:25.665 | 1:23.508 | +4.013 |
| 19 | 10 | Aguri Suzuki
|
Footwork-Mugen-Honda | 1:24.340 | 1:23.641 | +4.146 |
| 20 | 21 | Jyrki Järvilehto
|
Dallara-Ferrari | 1:25.050 | 1:23.862 | +4.367 |
| 21 | 32 | Stefano Modena
|
Jordan-Yamaha | 1:23.890 | 1:23.909 | +4.395 |
| 22 | 25 |  Thierry Boutsen
|
Ligier-Renault | 1:25.222 | 1:23.909 | +4.414 |
| 23 | 26 | Érik Comas
|
Ligier-Renault | 1:24.816 | 1:23.974 | +4.479 |
| 24 | 3 | Olivier Grouillard
|
Tyrrell-Ilmor | 1:24.533 | 1:23.990 | +4.495 |
| 25 | 15 | Gabriele Tarquini
|
Fondmetal-Ford | 1:25.614 | 1:24.479 | +4.984 |
| 26 | 34 | Roberto Moreno
|
Moda-Judd | 1:25.185 | 1:24.945 | +5.450 |
| DNQ | 7 | Eric van de Poele
|
Brabham-Judd | 1:25.702 | 1:24.981 | +5.486 |
| DNQ | 8 | Damon Hill
|
Brabham-Judd | 1:26.889 | 1:25.394 | +5.899 |
| DNQ | 14 | Andrea Chiesa
|
Fondmetal-Ford | 1:27.140 | 1:25.660 | +6.165 |
| DNQ | 17 | Paul Belmondo
|
March-Ilmor | 1:26.501 | 1:25.750 | +6.255 |
Source:[5] Bold time indicates the faster of the two times that determined the grid order.
| ||||||
Race
Notes
- Lap leaders: Nigel Mansell 70 (1-70), Ayrton Senna 8 (71-78)
- Gianni Morbidelli couldn't start his car during the warm-up lap; his grid slot was left empty and he retired after 1 lap.
- Ayrton Senna's first victory of the season ended Mansell's sequence of 5 successive wins.
- After Mansell had to make an unscheduled pit stop for a puncture, from a comfortable 25 second lead, this race saw a very exciting and memorable battle between Senna and Mansell in the closing stages.
- Ayrton Senna's 5th Monaco Grand Prix win.
- Only time an Andrea Moda car made it to the grid; Roberto Moreno retired after 11 laps with engine problems.
Standings after the race
|
|
- Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.
References
- "The Official Formula 1 website". Retrieved 2007-08-26.
- Henry, Alan (1992). AUTOCOURSE 1992-93. Hazleton Publishing. ISBN 0-905138-96-1.
- ^ "Ivan The Terrible". F1 Rejects. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
- ^ a b Dodgins, Tony (28 May 1992). "A new shake up at Ferrari – or is it idle speculation". Autosport. 127 (9). Haymarket Publications: p6.
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help);|page=has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ Dodgins, Tony (28 May 1992). "Team Lotus". Autosport. 127 (9). Haymarket Publications: p9.
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help);|page=has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ Dodgins, Tony (4 June 1992). "Team Lotus". Autosport. 127 (10). Haymarket Publications: p7.
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help);|page=has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ a b c d e f g h i Saward, Joe (4 June 1992). "Monaco GP". Autosport. 127 (10). Haymarket Publications: p39.
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help);|page=has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ Saward, Joe (4 June 1992). "Monaco GP". Autosport. 127 (10). Haymarket Publications: p37.
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help);|page=has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "F1 Rejects Interview with Perry McCarthy". F1 Rejects. 01 June 2004. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ McCarthy, Perry Flat Out, Flat Broke: Formula 1 the Hard Way! p.197 Haynes Publishing ISBN 1-85960-886-8
- ^ "Qualifying". Manipef1. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
- ^ Saward, Joe (28 May 1992). "Monaco GP". Autosport. 127 (10). Haymarket Publications: p36.
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help);|page=has extra text (help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ Saward, Joe (4 June 1992). "Monaco GP". Autosport. 127 (10). Haymarket Publications: p37.
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help);|page=has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ a b c d e "GRAND PRIX RESULTS: MONACO GP, 1992". grandprix.com. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
- ^ Allard Kalff (30 May 1992). F1 Qualifying Practice. Eurosport. Circuit de Monaco, Monaco: TF1 Group.
{{cite AV media}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Text "Kalff, Allard (Commentator)" ignored (help) - ^ "Qualifying". Manipef1. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
- ^ Walker, Murray (Commentator); Hunt, James (Commentator) (31 May 1992 2010). Grand Prix -race live. BBC Sport. Circuit de Monaco, Monaco: BBC.
{{cite AV media}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ Autocourse 1992 pp.150, 153
- ^ "Murray Walker's "Five of the Best" GPs - Monaco 1992". BBC Sport. BBC. 6 March 2009. Retrieved 27 Jully 2011.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help)
External links
