Monaco Grand Prix - team and driver preview quotes
Jenson Button, Brawn GP
2008 Qualifying - 11th, 2008 Race - 11th
?The Monaco Grand Prix is always a very special race weekend, and as a resident of the principality, it will be my first home race of the season with the British Grand Prix at Silverstone following next month. To go to Monaco with the lead in both the drivers' and constructors' championships is fantastic but we saw in Barcelona that the performance margins at the front are extremely close. There will be a lot of competitive cars fighting it out this weekend. My usual driving style is very smooth but I will have to change that a little bit to get the best out of the car here. You have to be aggressive around Monaco and not let the barriers intimidate you whilst obviously paying them due respect. Every time you take to the track, it's a non-stop challenge which requires you to maintain absolute focus, concentration and precision. I think we will see a very exciting qualifying session on Saturday as grid position is so significant in Monaco. It's almost impossible to overtake once the race is underway so being at the front and getting a good start will be important for a successful weekend."
Rubens Barrichello, Brawn GP
2008 Qualifying - 14th, 2008 Race - 6th
"Driving a Formula One car around Monaco is a fantastic challenge. This will be my 17th Monaco Grand Prix but the weekend has lost none of its appeal and is always one of my favourite races on the calendar. Experience counts around Monaco and it's going to be a fascinating weekend with the competition so close at the front of the field. Qualifying is one of the biggest challenges of the year here and it is so important to get it right to give yourself the best chance in the race. The unique nature of Monaco presents a number of technical challenges. The streets are tight and twisty although not as bumpy as you might expect following resurfacing work in recent years. We will run with as much downforce as possible on the car and good mechanical grip and low-speed handling is crucial. And then of course there are the barriers which line the majority of the Monte Carlo streets for the race weekend. You can really feel the speed of the car when the barriers are so close but Monaco is actually one of the lowest speed circuits that we race on."
Hirohide Hamashima,
Bridgestone director of motorsport tyre development
?Finding grip will be the main challenge on the streets of Monte Carlo. This is a very interesting circuit, and one where the track is made of many different types of surface as well as there being public road markings on the track. Also notable is that F1 does not run on Friday, so the track conditions can change quite a lot between Thursday and Saturday. When there is no racing taking place, public vehicles and also people use the track. This makes it difficult for rubber to build up and the surface can become dirty again, which does not help the track surface develop well for racing. The new intermediate tyre gives more grip through having a softer compound than the old one, but driving the latest specification F1 cars in the wet will always be a challenge, no matter what tyres are used. The latest cars have less downforce so less aerodynamic grip than before, and this is true in wet or dry conditions. In the dry, less downforce is not as much of a problem as the slick tyres have more grip than the previous grooved tyres, so there is more mechanical grip to counter the loss of aerodynamic grip. In the wet, even with our new intermediate tyres, there is only slightly more grip than before. In the wet we still need the drainage channels in the tread to prevent aquaplaning, so the only grip improvement must come from new compound developments."
Jarno Trulli, Toyota
2008 Qualifying - 8th, 2008 Race - 13th
"Monaco is one of my favourite tracks in Formula One; it is so challenging and the driver can really make a difference so this suits me well. It is always special to go to Monaco because the atmosphere is different to any other race and the circuit is unique. I know it's slow in terms of average speed but when you are driving it feels really fast as the barriers are so close. This means you have to be completely concentrated otherwise a small mistake can put you in the wall. I love the challenge of Monaco and I am usually really strong there, even if sometimes I've had a bit of bad luck and not had the results I deserved. Our car has been competitive all year but you can't compare Monaco to other circuits so you can never be sure what to expect. Obviously the race in Spain was one to forget but anyway I prefer to look forwards not back so I'm ready to fight hard again this weekend. I'm hoping for a strong result."
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 3rd, 2008 Race - 1st
?Monaco is my favourite circuit. The sensation you get from racing up the hill at 175mph, trying to make as straight a line as possible between the barriers while just shaving them with the walls of the tyres is unbelievable - the best sensation you could ever have in a Formula One car. There?s an expectation that Monaco will be another good circuit for our car package because the combination of low-speed corners and absence of any really fast stuff should suit MP4-24. I really hope so because it would be fantastic to have a competitive car and to be fighting at the front again.?