MotorSportsTalk’s Predictions: Monaco GP

By May 22, 2014, 1:30 PM EDT
0 Comments

It’s the big one, folks. The Monaco Grand Prix is unquestionably the yearly highlight on the Formula 1 calendar, mixing the glitz and glamor with one of the most exciting races of the year.

Monaco is widely regarded as the litmus test to see whether or not a driver is made of champion material. To firmly establish yourself as one of the greats in the sport, this race is one that you need to win. Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel all have, but unless you’re driving a Mercedes, it’s unlikely you’ll be tasting the winner’s champagne this year.

Luke Smith (@LukeSmithF1)

Race winner: Nico Rosberg. I still maintain that Nico will win the title, and Monaco is the perfect place for him to stop Lewis’ winning streak. He won here last year, and if he can stick it on pole on Saturday, I see no reason why he can’t do it again in 2014.

Surprising finish: Jules Bianchi. Perhaps it’s the optimist in me, but if we get a crazy race and a number of retirements, Jules could yet better Max Chilton’s current top result of P13, or even nick a point. Maybe a bit of a longshot, but if it is going to happen anywhere, it’s Monaco.

Most to prove: Sauber. They’ve been dreadful this year, and really could do with a result in Monaco. Adrian, Esteban, just keep it out of the walls and you should be okay. Seriously in need of points, though.

Tony DiZinno (@tonydizinno)

Race winner: Lewis Hamilton. Although the track occasionally throws up a surprise – teammate Nico Rosberg winning last year wasn’t an obvious pick, and guys like Jarno Trulli and Olivier Panis have won here in the past – I don’t see the weekend shaping up as anyone being able to beat the Mercedes. Hamilton’s roll is hard to stop at the moment, as is the W05 chassis.

Surprising finish: Romain Grosjean. Lotus seems to have turned the corner performance wise starting in Spain and as my colleague Luke wrote over the weekend, this is a big weekend for Romain to show what he can do at a track where he has a checkered past. If a top-five is possible for Lotus, it’s going to be via “RoGro,” and not Pastor Maldonado (even though he’s run well here in the past, too, he’d be a bigger surprise finishing well to me).

Most to prove: McLaren. This is the marquee event. This is a marquee team. You haven’t scored in three races lads. Get on with it. 

Christopher Estrada (@estradawriting)

Race winner: Lewis Hamilton. Mercedes will triumph once again in Monte Carlo, but this time, it will be Hamilton drinking the champagne after his fifth consecutive Grand Prix win.

Surprising finish: Romain Grosjean. Lotus and Grosjean finally got on the board last time out in Spain, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Frenchman put his 2013 Monaco crash with Daniel Ricciardo behind him with another points run.

Most to prove: Felipe Massa. As I wrote on Monday, his 2013 visit to Monaco for Ferrari was dreadful and he’s trying to get himself sorted at Williams. A good finish here should boost his confidence considerably.

Jerry Bonkowski (@JerryBonkowski)

Race winner: Nico Rosberg. It’s getting harder and harder to pick against the Mercedes juggernaut of Rosberg and teammate Lewis Hamilton. So as the old saying goes, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. Look for another 1-2 Mercedes finish with Rosberg crossing the finish line ahead of Hamilton.

Surprising finish: Kimi Raikkonen. Old habits die hard. We’ve been waiting all season thus far for Kimi to get moving upward in the standings, but he just seems to have hit a wall (literally, not figuratively). Will Monaco be Kimi’s breakout and breakthrough race? We hope so. We’ll keep riding this horse until it finally gets to galloping to a podium finish. With teammate Fernando Alonso doing so well, there’s no reason Kimi why can’t follow suit.

Most to prove: Felipe Massa. Sitting 12th in the standings and with only 12 points thus far this season, we would have thought Massa would be ranked a lot higher than he is heading into Monaco. Massa is far better than his ranking indicates. While we’re not expecting a miracle such as a win, a podium finish would do wonders. The problem is he has a number of other drivers ranked ahead of him that will likely beat him to the podium.

Ford unveils a new Mustang for 2024 Le Mans in motorsports ‘lifestyle brand’ retooling

Associated PressJun 9, 2023, 7:00 PM EDT
Ford Mustang Le Mans
Ford Performance
2 Comments

LE MANS, France — Ford has planned a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with its iconic Mustang muscle car next year under a massive rebranding of Ford Performance aimed at bringing the automotive manufacturer “into the racing business.”

The Friday unveil of the new Mustang Dark Horse-based race car follows Ford’s announcement in February (and a ballyhooed test at Sebring in March) that it will return to Formula One in 2026 in partnership with reigning world champion Red Bull.

The Mustang will enter the GT3 category next year with at least two cars in both IMSA and the World Endurance Championship, and is hopeful to earn an invitation to next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. The IMSA entries will be a factory Ford Performance program run by Multimatic, and a customer program in WEC with Proton Competition.

Ford CEO Jim Farley, also an amateur sports car racer, told The Associated Press the Mustang will be available to compete in various GT3 series across the globe to customer teams. But more important, Farley said, is the overall rebranding of Ford Performance – done by renowned motorsports designer Troy Lee – that is aimed at making Ford a lifestyle brand with a sporting mindset.

“It’s kind of like the company finding its own, and rediscovering its icons, and doubling down on them,” Farley told the AP. “And then this motorsports activity is getting serious about connecting enthusiast customers with those rediscovered icons. It’s a big switch for the company – this is really about building strong, iconic vehicles with enthusiasts at the center of our marketing.”

Ford last competed in sports car racing in 2019 as part of a three-year program with Chip Ganassi Racing. The team scored the class win at Le Mans in 2016 in a targeted performance aimed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ford snapping Ferrari’s six-year winning streak.

Ford on Friday displayed a Mustang with a Lee-designed livery that showcased the cleaner, simplified look that will soon be featured on all its racing vehicles. The traditional blue oval with Ford Performance in white lettering underneath will now be branded simply FP.

The new mark will be used across car liveries, merchandise and apparel, display assets, parts and accessories and in advertising.

Farley cited Porsche as an automaker that has successfully figured out how to sell cars to consumers and race cars in various series around the world while creating a culture of brand enthusiasts. He believes Ford’s new direction will help the company sell street cars, race cars, boost interest in driving schools, and create a merchandise line that convinces consumers that a stalwart of American automakers is a hip, cool brand.

“We’re going to build a global motorsports business off road and on road,” Farley told the AP, adding that the design of the Mustang is “unapologetically American.”

He lauded the work of Lee, who is considered the top helmet designer among race car drivers.

“We’re in the first inning of a nine inning game, and going to Le Mans is really important,” Farley said. “But for customer cars, getting the graphics right, designing race cars that win at all different levels, and then designing a racing brand for Ford Performance that gets rebranded and elevated is super important.”

He said he’s kept a close eye on how Porsche and Aston Martin have built their motorsports businesses and said Ford will be better.

“We’re going in the exact same direction. We just want to be better than them, that’s all,” Farley said. “Second is the first loser.”

Farley, an avid amateur racer himself, did not travel to Le Mans for the announcement. The race that begins Saturday features an entry from NASCAR, and Ford is the reigning Cup Series champion with Joey Logano and Team Penske.

The NASCAR “Garage 56” entry is a collaboration between Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet and Goodyear, and is being widely celebrated throughout the industry. Farley did feel left out of the party in France – a sentiment NASCAR tried to avoid by inviting many of its partners to attend the race so that it wouldn’t seem like a Chevrolet-only celebration.

“They’re going right and I’m going left – that NASCAR thing is a one-year deal, right? It’s Garage 56 and they can have their NASCAR party, but that’s a one-year party,” Farley said. “We won Le Mans outright four times, we won in the GT class, and we’re coming back with Mustang and it’s not a one-year deal.

“So they can get all excited about Garage 56. I almost see that as a marketing exercise for NASCAR, but for me, that’s a science project,” Farley continued. “I don’t live in a world of science projects. I live in the world of building a vital company that everyone is excited about. To do that, we’re not going to do a Garage 56 – I’ve got to beat Porsche and Aston Martin and Ferrari year after year after year.”

Ford’s announcement comes on the heels of General Motors changing its GT3 strategy next season and ending its factory Corvette program. GM, which unlike Ford competes in the IMSA Grand Touring Prototype division (with its Cadillac brand), will shift fully to a customer model for Corvettes in 2024 (with some factory support in the IMSA GTD Pro category).