2009 Monaco GP – Race Start Fuel Loads
For tomorrows Monaco Grand Prix it was always going to be a gamble between fuel load and qualifying speed. Here more than any other track drivers want to qualify hard as overtaking is so difficult. However be one of the first to pit early and you could find yourself sandwiched between other slower cars unable to continue the benefit of your earlier speed.
In the final qualifying session drivers race with race fuel loads to decide positions 1-10. We can see that Sebastian Vettel in 4th is the lightest car on the track with a weight of just 631.5 – this is just 26.5 KG of fuel. Its a shame to see the Red Bulls struggling so much after such a strong start to the season. Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello have similar fuel loads on board and should be able to stay out around 2 laps longer than Kimi Raikkonen in 2nd place. With such a variety of strategies it will prove to be an exciting race!
Below is the provisional grid for Monaco with each car’s weight.
1. Jenson Button, Brawn GP, 647.5 kg
2. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 644
3. Rubens Barrichello, Brawn GP, 648
4. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, 631.5
5. Felipe Massa, Ferrari, 643.5
6. Nico Rosberg, Williams, 642
7. Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren, 644
8. Mark Webber, Red Bull, 646.5
9. Fernando Alonso, Renault, 654
10. Kazuki Nakajima, Williams, 668
11. Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso, 670
12. Nelson Piquet, Renault, 673.1
13. Giancarlo Fisichella, Force India, 693
14. Sebastien Bourdais, Toro Rosso, 699.5
15. Adrian Sutil, Force India, 670
16. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren, 645.5
17. Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber, 680
18. Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber, 696
19. Jarno Trulli, Toyota, 688.3
20. Timo Glock, Toyota, 700.8
