Third Grand Prix Historique De Monaco 18-19th of May 2002

Race E Formula Junior

Saturday the 18^th May 2002 saw the Formula Junior cars lined up in the pit lane for first the first qualifying session of the weekend, the weather was fine and warm, 34 cars faced the timekeepers.

The early practice laps were as it happened, the ones to decide the eventual grid positions. Denis Welch Merlyn was fastest on lap 2, with a 2.05.354 compared with his lap record of two years ago of 1.57, Duncan Dayton Cooper T67 a couple of tenths of a second down was next on lap four, Simon Diffey in the drum braked Lotus 20 third fastest with a stunning lap of 2.09.511, was closely followed by Martin Walford and Michael Schryver both in Lotus 22's, Douglas Mockett Cooper T56 was sixth with 2.10, Robin Longdon Lola 5A also a 2.10, Mike Hibberd and Joaquin Folch both in Lotus 27's with 2.11s were in 8^th and 9^th spots respectively, Stephan Jocher Brabham BT6 and Hugh Chalmers Lotus 22 both recorded 2.12s, down in 30^th place in this session was Gary Ryan in his Lola Mark 3, this could have been important as only the fastest 30 cars were allowed to race on Sunday.

As the cars were worked on or prepared in the pits, for the second qualifying session the rain began to fall, so the cars took to a track that varied from very wet to a dry line beginning to appear toward the end of the 20 minutes allotted, four cars were absent from this period, Mockett Cooper T56, Coll Lotus 20/22, Robinson Lola 5A and Ryan Lola Mk 3, Mike Hibberd Lotus 27 started but failed to record a time, when his engine stopped in the tunnel with fuel feed problems.

Despite the weather Denis Welch in the Merlyn underlined his earlier pace by recording the fastest time in this second practice at 2.21.057, next was Schryver with a 2.21.930, third was Walford 2.23.445, the Diffey Lotus suffered serious damage in this second 20 minute period, in view of the afternoon weather the grid positions had been decided in the morning first practice, no one could hope to improve in the afternoon conditions, so Denis Welch Merlyn was on pole, Duncan Dayton Cooper was alongside on the front row for Sundays race, a very creditable third on the grid was Simon Diffey in the Lotus 20 with a lot of work to do to on the near-side rear corner of the car to make it ready for the start.

Race day was bright and sunny, Monaco as it should be, Denis Welch led out the Juniors for the first race of the day prompt at 9.50am, all the cars which had survived the practice periods were able to start , the attrition rate in qualifying had been fairly high, only to be expected on such an unforgiving circuit.

From the start of the race, a terrific dice began between Welch and Dayton first the Merlyn led then Dayton had the Cooper in front, the first bend was yellow flagged to avoid first lap confusion, after the tunnel Hibberd's Lotus was hit by Jocher's Brabham at the chicane leading to retirement for both cars, Ripamonti De Sanctis also failed to make it round, so three cars were out on lap one, the Lotus 22's of Martin Walford and Hugh Chalmers were both out after one lap, unfortunately Hugh suffered a painful neck/back injury when he struck the Armco, meanwhile the battle for the lead continued fast and furious, Dayton was leading although Welch was trying every way to get past, on lap six the engine in Dayton's Cooper slowed and the nose of the Merlyn made slight contact with the rear of the Cooper, then a lap later the Cooper retired, the Welch Merlyn then came under threat from the Lotus 22 of Michael Schryver, the tussle between these two got tangled up briefly on lap eight with the battle between Diffey's Lotus and Hicks in the Caravelle, the two leaders were soon clear, Folch was in a lonely third in his Lotus 27, while the Lotus 22 of Marcus Mussa and the Cooper of Douglas Mockett were contesting fourth, Mussa taking it at the end, Bob Birrell was enjoying himself enormously, lapping very strongly in his Brabham BT6 to take sixth place, the battle for the drum braked class was won by James Hicks in the Caravelle Mk 3, the hard work that Gary Ryan had put in on his Lola was rewarded with a finish, the Kieft of Michael Waller was still lapping steadily to the end of the race.

Denis Welch set the fastest lap 1.56.997 ( a new lap record) and took the win by a second from Michael Schryver. Quite a race, Denis Welch confirming that he is the man to beat at Monaco. A cracking race in a very glamorous setting, I won't forget any of it ever !!

Stan Hibberd 24-5-2002