EXCLUSIVE TACH COVERAGE

Monaco Grand Prix: all-German front row for Sunday

Andrew Frankl
European Bureau Chief - reporting from the scene.

In all the years I have been attending the Monaco Grand Prix I have never seen anything like it. It was more like a shoot-out at OK Corral than qualification for a car race. The lead was changing all the time as were the positions.

Verstapppen had a tough time - he crashed soon after the start of the session and was lucky to get to his spare car in time.

Mika Hakkinen was very bullish last Sunday about his chances, this time he also crashed and was lucky to find that the spare car was set up for him. As it is he only qualified in a disappointing 8th place.

Thursday' hero Johnny Herbert did a little bit better, he ended up 7th after crashing during the morning session.

I know that one should finish one story before starting another but just as I was writing my report for TACH the Formula 3 race started as per tradition, Saturday afternoon. It lasted all of 250 yards to the first corner at St Devote where virtually the entire field crashed into each other. I have never seen anything like it. It was more like a dodgem at a funfare than a car race. Those who managed to get through the wreckage did of course line up again, after all the show must go on!

The terrifying thing is that the same could happen at higher speeds tomorrow afternoon with the Formula One cars and with a lot more fuel on board. Michael Schumcher did look like the man on pole position until the 57th minute of the one hour session when Heinz-Harald Frentzen gave it his all and literally threw his car at the track. Sliding with smoke pouring from the hard-working tyres he pipped his countryman to pole by all of 0.019 seconds! Jacques Villeneuve ended up in third place having touched the guard rail on what was going to be his 11 /10th flying lap and had to stop with broken rear suspension at the entrance of the tunnel. After four pole positions he had to settle for third place on the second row alongside one of the wonders of the year- Italian Giancarlo Fisichella who will be alongside him on the grid.

Fifth was Scotsman David Coulthard who will have Schumacher Junior to contend with in 6th place. Last year's champion Damon Hill was yet again less than lucky with his car, this time he will start 13th. The great French hero, Olivier Panis could do no better than 12th although one should remember that he did win from 14th place in 1996.

Veteran Gerhard Berger had a horrible day ending up in 17th place, a disaster for the Benetton team where team-mate Jean Alesi who did fastest lap of the race last year could only manage 9th. Talking to Chief Engineer Nich Wirth he suggested that it was the car and not the drivers, but I cannot help feeling that they are being demoralised by Eddie Jordan's flying tigers, namely Fisichella and Schumacher Jr.

So the scene is set for truly great race. Let us hope we won't be disappointed. The 55th Monaco Grand Prix will last the best part of two hours and will consist of 78 laps. If you get a chance to watch it - don't miss it !