MONACO — The Monaco Grand Prix should be less about tire degradation and more about pole position, as Formula One returns for its showcase race on a street circuit that is notoriously difficult to overtake on. That will be good news for Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, but less so for Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen. Vettel, the three-time defending Formula One champion tops the championship standings by four points from Raikkonen, who closed the gap by finishing second at the Spanish GP with Vettel placing fourth. That was Raikkonen's third consecutive second place as the Finn bids for his second F1 title. However, he has one major problem: qualifying speed. He has been on the front row only once — in Bahrain last month — compared to Vettel's two poles. Mark Webber won from pole last year and in 2010, Vettel did likewise in 2011 — giving Red Bull three straight victories. In the last 10 years, only Lewis Hamilton, five years ago, and Juan Pablo Montoya, 10 years ago, have won not starting from pole. When Raikkonen won in 2005, he led from the front. This season, his superb tactical sense, coupled with smart management of Pirelli's vulnerable tires, have helped him stay in touch with Vettel. Monaco, with its tube-like circuit, is unique because drivers are hemmed in on pencil-thin streets and have to concentrate for nearly two hours to avoid crashing into walls or getting spun off track by debris and gravel. There will be less speed, so therefore less tire wear and less pit stops — and overtaking is always a gamble in the home of casinos. Red Bull will be especially looking forward to this weekend, after finishing behind both Ferraris in Barcelona two weeks ago. Fernando Alonso won, Felipe Massa was third, and Webber rolled in behind Vettel in a hectic race that saw almost 80 pit stops with most drivers backed into a four-stop strategy due to tires shredding at an alarming rate. Red Bull has been one of the leading critics of the tires and Pirelli have pledged to make changes from next month's Canadian Grand Prix. The tires will feature a revised construction including elements from last year's tires to combine durability with performance. The chances of Alonso repeating his Barcelona win, where he drove brilliantly to win from fifth on the grid, are slim and he will need a strong qualifying performance to have a chance of repeating his Monaco wins from 2006 and 2007. — AP
