In Monaco, the choice between pole position and official race strategy is always a dilemma.
The Monte Carlo circuit in Monaco is the most difficult track for overtaking because the track is too narrow. As long as you follow the correct route, even if other cars catch up, they will not be able to enter or exit the corner. , except for those one or two places, there are almost no places on the entire track where you can overtake.
But at the same time, the Monte Carlo track allows the use of a one-stop strategy. Although the entire track requires a full 78 laps, the actual total distance is only 260 kilometers, which is much shorter than the total distance of more than 300 kilometers on other tracks. The tire consumption is also reduced a lot, and it can be completed in one go. The whole journey.
So what is before the team is a multiple-choice question, whether to run a light car with low fuel consumption to win the pole position, or to use more gasoline and save one pit stop.
And even after two pit stops, different strategies will be distinguished. If you add more fuel before the race, you can use two short pit stops; if you add more fuel before the race, you can use a combination of one long pit stop and one short pit stop; if you add less fuel before the race, Then only two long pit stops can fill up the tank.
On such a track where overtaking is not easy, strategy becomes particularly important. Drivers cannot overtake their opponents on the track, but team strategists can use pit stop strategies to do things that drivers cannot do on the track. That's the thing about Monte Carlo.
If Zhang Guan showed strong dominance in the first two races, just like in the previous games, and was 0.5 seconds faster than the second place, it is estimated that all teams would have difficulty in raising the confidence to compete for the pole position. After all, 0.5 seconds The advantage, even with ultra-light oil load, is difficult to compensate for. At that time, each team will think of ways to pit the pit strategy, especially for the Chinese force. This will greatly increase the uncertainty of the game, and for Zhang Guan, it will become a battle between the enemy and the enemy. Case.
But now Zhang Guan has shown the level of "fighting against the five scum" in the first two practice sessions, which has given his opponents hope. Since there is hope that they can compete for the pole position, teams such as Ferrari and Red Bull will certainly not miss this good opportunity. They do not hesitate to choose light-load fuel, and light-load fuel means that the team has only one pit stop strategy. Choice, that is two long pit stops.
Originally, Zhang Guan had no intention of deliberately slowing down in the first two quarters, because everyone knows that this track has the highest demand for downforce and is an advantageous track for China Power's racing cars. Even if Zhang Guan deliberately slowed down in the first two quarters, If you run slower in the first and second quarters of qualifying, you will also be suspected of retaining your strength. As a "five-time champion" since the start of the race, suddenly slowing down on his most advantageous track, there is 100% conspiracy.
However, the news media just happened to label Zhang Guan a "cuckold king" at this time, so Zhang Guan and Ross Brown discussed it and simply used the trick to run slower in the first two quarters, making everyone think that Zhang Guan Guan was influenced by the "Cuckold King". He was completely out of shape during the competition, which is why his results were so poor.
And things turned out just as Zhang Guan and Ross Brawn planned. Ferrari and Red Bull, the main competitors of the most powerful force, saw the hope of pole position, and in order to compete for pole position, they all chose light loads. The fuel is out of the race, and this is equivalent to Ferrari and Red Bull completely exposing their pit stop strategies.
At the Monte Carlo circuit, if you cannot overtake on the track, you have to rely on the pit stop strategy; and if even the pit stop strategy is figured out by your opponent, the word "overtake" can only be regarded as a distant goal. An unattainable dream.
…
The third qualifying session.
Felipe Felipe Massa from the Ferrari camp was the first to rush out of the pit area, but reality gave Ferrari a wake-up call. Felipe Felipe Massa's rear was rear-ended when exiting one of the corners, and his front nose hit the anti-collision wall, causing the car to collapse. The wind wing fell off and the car had to go back to the pit area to replace parts.
The two Red Bull drivers, Ferrari's Raikkonen, Renault's Alonso, and Williams' Rosberg, completed their own timing laps one after another. Judging from the results, except for Alonso, the previous few people All are light load oil. Because their results quickly entered within 1 minute and 16 seconds.
"Williams' Rosberg, 1 minute 15 seconds 455!"
"McLaren's Kovalainen, 1 minute 15 seconds 516!"
"Red Bull Racing's Vettel... 1 minute 15 seconds 271, this result is almost close to the 1 minute 15 seconds mark!"
"Barrichello of Force China, 1 minute 15 seconds 077! Well done, Force China is temporarily ranked first!"
The commentator reported the results of the drivers, and the team's strategic engineers had already seen the results on the monitor.
"Barrichello's time in the second quarter was 1 minute 14 seconds 711. We all know that the car was basically empty of fuel in the second quarter of qualifying, but now he can run to 1 minute 15 seconds 077, which is only faster than empty fuel. The fuel was 0.36 seconds slower, and I estimated that his fuel volume would be around 20 laps." The voice of Ferrari's strategy engineer sounded in Raikkonen's headphones, and within three to five seconds, they had already made a precise decision. calculate.
"The fuel capacity for 20 laps, isn't that similar to my fuel capacity?" Raikkonen then responded: "Zhang Guan is not in good condition today. Force China is preparing to let Barrichello take the pole position! Don't worry. Yes, I am definitely faster than him, and the pole position is mine."
Raikkonen looked ahead intently, he wanted to run the best result.
"Whoosh!" The car flew past the finish timer, and on the electronic display screen, Raikkonen's name came to first place.
"1 minute 14 seconds 927! Raikkonen ran within 1 minute 15 seconds! A full 0.15 seconds faster than Barrichello! Looks like the pole position belongs to Ferrari!"
"Yes, we may congratulate Ferrari in advance for winning their first pole position of the season! Since Ferrari's updated car, their form has improved immediately. They scored points in the last race, and In this race, they have been able to take the pole position. It is now the sixth race, and there are eleven races after that. It seems that this year’s championship battle has just begun... "
In Ferrari's garage, the maintenance technicians were already high-fiving and hugging each other, and they had already begun to celebrate the team's pole position.
At this time, Zhang Guan turned around Turn 19 and rushed towards the finishing point.
A red shadow flew past the main grandstand, and the next second, Raikkonen's name was pushed to second place on the display screen.
"It's Zhang Guan! Zhang Guan reached first place! He surpassed Raikkonen!"
"1 minute 14 seconds 726, 0.21 seconds faster than Raikkonen!"
This is the Monte Carlo track, with a lap of only 3.34 kilometers. Compared with other tracks with a lap of more than 5 kilometers, the length of this track is only three-fifths of other tracks, while the length of the Monte Carlo track is only 3.34 kilometers. A difference of 0.21 seconds per lap, converted to other tracks, is equivalent to a gap of 0.35 seconds per lap.
At this moment, cheers came from the China Force's garage. Zhang Guan once again won the pole position.
Six races, five pole positions!
The second chapter has been delivered. Yesterday's debt will have to be postponed for another day, sorry. Thanks to our just friends, Swz Don’t Forget, Wei Xunsu, Shaomai ONE, 龘焱鍍, Duocai Ni, Fly with the Thunder, Riding Piggy 1, Ah La La, xsf9800, Thai Style Zhang Laotou, Zhili*Zhi Jie, Mumu~Forest, Bookworm Demonic Way, Xiaoqiang 1986 reward!
(End of chapter)