The Formula One circus descends on Monaco for this weekend's showpiece Grand Prix with tensions running high over tyres and Bernie Ecclestone telling drivers to stop complaining and use their brains to win races.
After a week of squabbling between the teams and tyre supplier Pirelli over the performance of the Italian company's high-degradation tyres, Formula One's veteran commercial rights holder waded in to the debate.
He said: "The easiest thing for Pirelli would be to produce tyres that you put on at the first race of the season and take off at the last. That would be easy, easy.
"I asked Pirelli to make tyres that would not complete 50 per cent of a race -- and that's what they did.
"In the times when Niki Lauda was racing his biggest concern was looking after the gearbox and the brakes -- not the tyres.
"Then we got away from that and the drivers didn't have to think about anything. Now they have to use their brains and start thinking about how to win races again."
Champions Red Bull and struggling McLaren have both called for Pirelli to revise their fast-wearing rubber compounds while Ferrari and Lotus have expressed their satisfaction with leaving things as they are.
Pirelli said they will introduce revised tyres from next month's Canadian Grand Prix, a measure that the sport's ruling body -- the International Motoring Federation (FIA) -- has stressed can only be undertaken for safety reasons.
Ecclestone's comments will add spice to an already hotly-contested scrap for this year's world championship in which defending triple world champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull leads with 89 points ahead of nearest rival Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus on 85. Two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Ferrari, winner on home soil two weeks ago, is third with 72.
This Sunday's famous race is not only a famous 'blue riband' event in world motor racing, but also an anachronism as the high-tech F1 cars fight on the tight and twisting streets of the Mediterranean principality on a circuit that could not be considered for such hosting duty in the modern age.
But such is the commercial value of the event to the F1 circus, the organisers, the media, the teams and the sport's sponsors with their visiting celebrities that it is arguably the most important of all, even if there is precious little true racing.
The sinuous and narrow circuit may produce the slowest average speed of all, but it remains a fascinating challenge for the drivers, knowing that one mistake and they will hit the unforgiving steel barriers and, almost certainly, be removed from the fray.
For that reason, the teams will use their highest down-force aero configurations and Pirelli, already under fire, will supply their softest possible tyres to maximise mechanical grip on an often slippery surface.
After their triumphs with Mark Webber in 2010 and Vettel last year, the Red Bull team are chasing a hat-trick of successes, but they will have to improve their qualifying form on a track where eight of the last 10 races have been won from pole position.
That means that in-form qualifying team Mercedes could be hard to beat if they add another pole to their recent hat-trick thanks to Lewis Hamilton in China and Nico Rosberg in Bahrain and Spain.
Since both drivers, like many others, also live in the Mediterranean principality they will be fully committed to grabbing home glory with a glittering triumph in the calendar's glitziest race.
AFP
Thu May 23 2013
![Ecclestone spices up Monaco scrap Ecclestone spices up Monaco scrap](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2013-05/61368576140_295x200.jpg)
10 Berita Pilihan - (15 Ogos 2024)
Antara pelbagai berita dalam dan luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Pasukan PBB lawat Bangladesh, siasat pembunuhan protes pelajar
Pasukan penyiasat Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB) akan melawat Bangladesh minggu depan untuk menyiasat ratusan kematian semasa protes yang diketuai pelajar baru-baru ini, menurut pegawai badan dunia itu pada Khamis.
Gempa bumi bermagnitud 5.7 gegar timur laut Taiwan
Gempa bumi berukuran 5.7 skala richter melanda daerah Timur Laut Taiwan pada Khamis.
Angka kematian di Gaza cecah 40,000 individu
Pasukan tentera Israel melakukan tiga pembunuhan beramai-ramai terhadap keluarga-keluarga di Semenanjung Gaza dalam tempoh 24 jam lepas, mengakibatkan sekurang-kurangnya 40 rakyat Palestin terbunuh dan 107 lagi cedera, menurut sumber perubatan.
Jepun tamatkan amaran gempa bumi mega
Dalam tempoh berjaga-jaga, Agensi Meteorologi Jepun tidak melihat sebarang pergerakan gempa bumi yang luar biasa atau kerak bumi.
Rakyat UK terancam dengan imigran rampas peluang pekerjaan
Bimbang golongan imigran akan merampas peluang peluang pekerjaan menjadikan rakyat United KIngdom terutamanya mereka yang mempunyai masalah ekonomi melihat imigran sebagai satu ancaman.
Parti Pheu Thai pilih anak perempuan Thaksin calon PM
Paetongtarn, 37, adalah anak perempuan kepada jutawan yang juga bekas Perdana Menteri Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra.
Pemilihan anak Thaksin sebagai PM Thailand dianggap tidak efektif
Pemilihan anak perempuan bekas Perdana Menteri Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, untuk menggantikan Srettha Thavisin sebagai Perdana Menteri negara itu dianggap sebagai tidak efektif.
![Angka kematian di seluruh Semenanjung Gaza meningkat kepada 40,005, lebih 92,401 cedera Angka kematian di seluruh Semenanjung Gaza meningkat kepada 40,005, lebih 92,401 cedera](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/81723343252_Palestiniansmourn.jpg)
Angka kematian di seluruh Semenanjung Gaza meningkat kepada 40,005, lebih 92,401 cedera
Perkhidmatan kecemasan masih tidak dapat membantu ramai mangsa dan membawa keluar mayat yang terperangkap di bawah runtuhan.
DNA mangsa kebakaran di Pagoh diperoleh, jenazah dijangka dikebumikan esok
Polis mengesahkan telah menerima laporan ujian asid deoksiribonukleik (DNA) dua mayat mangsa yang rentung dalam kebakaran rumah di Kampung Paya Redan, Pagoh, Johor Jumaat lepas.
![F1: Mana mungkin Hamilton sertai Ferrari - Ecclestone F1: Mana mungkin Hamilton sertai Ferrari - Ecclestone](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2022-09/41662086229_LewisHamilton.jpg)
F1: Mana mungkin Hamilton sertai Ferrari - Ecclestone
Masa depan Hamilton dalam sukan itu masih dalam penelitian dengan enam bulan untuk menjalankan perjanjian GBP40 juta setahun di Mercedes.
![Ibu mertua bos F1 diculik di Brazil - Laporan Ibu mertua bos F1 diculik di Brazil - Laporan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2016-07/71469545144_BernieEccleston.jpg)
Ibu mertua bos F1 diculik di Brazil - Laporan
Kumpulan penculik itu dilaporkan meminta wang tebusan dalam matawang pound Sterling dan mengarahkan ia dibahagikan kepada empat bungkusan.
!['Pemandu wanita tidak akan dipandang serius' - CEO Formula One 'Pemandu wanita tidak akan dipandang serius' - CEO Formula One](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2016-01/61452772376_BernieEcclestone.jpg)
'Pemandu wanita tidak akan dipandang serius' - CEO Formula One
Bernie Ecclestone mengakui dia tidak menjangkakan pemandu wanita beraksi dalam persaingan elit sepert F1 dalam masa terdekat.