gp2 in monaco turns into a shambles

what was expected to turn out as 1 of the most excited races of the calendar turn into a complete farce during qualifying around the streets of Monte Carlo.

The entire 30-minute session was marred by incidents in traffic as drivers continually backed up to try and find clear space for their hot laps.

Van der Garde (Addax) had been involved in a clash when he ran into the back of Oliver Turvey at the Swimming Pool section with seven minutes remaining. But after coming in for repairs he went back out and snatched pole position from Sam Bird in the final minute.

Second-placed Bird was also caught up in a shunt, which involved his team-mate Marcus Ericsson. The Swede was on a hot lap as he came across Bird in the middle of the Swimming Pool section, and he ran over the back of the Briton.

The iSport drivers were not the only team-mates to collide, as DAMS pairing Romain Grosjean and Pal Varhaug had a much more spectacular accident.

Grosjean, who had found plenty of clear track in practice this morning, spent the whole session at the bottom of the timesheets as every lap he did was ruined by cars queuing up in the final sector.

When he came up behind Varhaug with six minutes remaining he tried to pass the Norwegian on the exit of La Rascasse. But Grosjean misjudged the pass, and as he hit Varhaug's right rear wheel it launched the Frenchman onto the top of his team-mate's car.

Both DAMS cars were heavily damaged, and Grosjean finished the session last, with a time outside 107 per cent of pole. However, due to his pacesetting practice performance this morning he will almost certain to be allowed to start the race.

Other incidents involved Dani Clos losing his front wing when trying to pass Bird into the final corner, while Stefano Coletti and Luiz Razia brought out the red flags halfway through the session when they collided at La Rascasse.

Luca Filippi was an early casualty, as he clouted the barriers at St Devote just eight minutes into qualifying.

After a crazy qualifying session on Thursday, pole setter van der Garde, Frenchman Romain Grosjean and Swede Marcus Ericsson were penalised for having caused collisions.


after all this had happened the stewards released the following statement:

"One is accustomed at Monaco to competitors slowing at Rascasse in order to create space between themselves and the preceding competitor.

"What is not expected is that competitors should slow not only as Rascasse but as far back as the entry to the Swimming Pool, such that a competitor endeavouring to set a time is confronted with a queue of much slower competitors for a considerable part of the lap.

"The stewards consider this practice as unacceptable, potentially dangerous, and it is this that has contributed to an unnecessarily problematical qualifying session which did not do justice to the GP2 Series."

The officials also explained that the penalties handed out to Giedo van der Garde, Marcus Ericsson and Romain Grosjean for causing collisions were reduced to five places on the grid instead of 10 because the drivers they hit had to shoulder some responsibility.

"Penalties have been issued in respect of three drivers each of whom collided with the rear of other competitors whilst endeavouring to set a qualifying time," the statement said.

"The penalties so applied are of a lesser degree than those normally applied for the offence of causing a collision.

"The reason for this is that the stewards consider other competitors must also share some of the responsibility."

davide valsecchi won race 1 and charles pic won race 2 all littered with incidents and silly driving.

here's some highlights of the qualifying session
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm2BMM71S14

sources: autosport/ youtube

Oy!

And to think some people were complaining about F1 qualifying.

Given the problems Monaco throws up, maybe it would be better if they only had 1 car on track at a time for qualifying. Each driver would get 3 laps at a time...out-lap, hot lap and in-lap, before they had to pit and make way for the next driver?