Yes! It's differentials through Monaco. Skip the next paragraph if you are a regular visitor.

As mentioned in the first edition of Atlas F1 Qualifying Differentials, we are going to keep an eye on the battle between teammates throughout the season by race and overall averages. The measurement is simple. We compare the intra-team difference in seconds on Saturday. Some may say compensation must be given in the favoritism between the number one and two seats within the team. We, on the other hand, do not grant that pardon. For better or worse, our analyses will be on the perfect world of egalitarian status in intra-team rivalry.

So, here we go. The season is unfolding and the differentials are rolling in. Let's see which drivers deserve bragging rights for the next two weeks.

Notables

1. Schumacher. Michael may be behind the likes of Panis and Barrichello in overall differential averages. Michael may also be behind the "1.0 second advantage" label given to him by Formula One connoisseurs before joining Ferrari. However, Schumacher shined in Monaco qualifying. He burned so bright this year that a 1.5 second gap was placed between him and his teammate... a very formidable Eddie Irvine.

2. Panis. Olivier is five for five in 1997. His 1.335 differential in Monaco falls short of the overall average of 1.847. To date, his smallest differential was 1.243 in Brazil and his largest was 2.875 in Argentina. The dominating Panis has never been below one second so far. Let's see if this trend holds out.

3. Barrichello. Rubens is also five for five. His 1.221 differential in Monaco also falls short on his overall average of 1.398. To date, his smallest differential was 0.693 in San Marino and his largest was 2.093 in Argentina. At this point, Rubens stands strong in second place. Will he overtake Panis by the end of the year? It may be too early to tell but we are always interested in your opinion.

4. Frentzen. Finally! The highly touted Frentzen breaks the Villeneuve domination of 1997. Lets take a look back on mighty Heinz-Harald. It wasn't until Barcelona in 1996 when Herbert managed a 0.168 differential and stopped the longest differential domination in Formula One since Monza in 1994 when Andrea de Cesaris out qualified Frentzen by 0.088. Heinz-Harald has had a difficult time since then. It got worse after the "long time in coming" Williams ride arrived. Will Frentzen reinvigorate his streak of old? Not if a decent teammate can help it.

5. Salo O.K., so Salo has been battling back and forth with Jos Verstappen and they seem pretty evenly matched. And, as we know, it just so happens that Verstappen had some major problems in qualifying on Saturday. So, why is Mika a notable in this round of differentials? Well, he is at the top of the chart for Monaco isn't he?

Monaco Differentials

1997 Differentials

on average through Monaco

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