BMW Sauber F1 Team - GP Monaco - Preview
Monaco Grand Prix.
25th - 28th May 2006
7th of 18 World Championship rounds
It's that time of year again. On 28th May the Formula One
teams will line up on the grid for the Monaco Grand Prix.
The race on the Côte d'Azur is the most glamorous and
prestigious date on the F1 calendar and attracts the most
attention worldwide. Nowhere else do the fans get as close
to the action or see more of it: with the track the shortest
and tightest of any grand prix venue, the cars cover more
laps than anywhere else.
Overtaking on the streets of the principality is the exception
rather than the rule, yet the race usually provides its fair
share of entertainment. One reason for the frequent thrills
and spills is the narrow and twisty nature of the circuit,
which means mistakes tend to be punished.
In the week following the Spanish Grand Prix, the BMW Sauber
F1 Team - with drivers Nick Heidfeld, Jacques Villeneuve and
Robert Kubica - completed three days of testing at the Paul
Ricard circuit in France.
Nick Heidfeld:
"The race in Monaco is without doubt one of the highlights
of the season. Driving through the streets with the apartment
blocks and buildings on either side is an extraordinary feeling.
I finished second last year, but even if I hadn't got such
a great result the race would still have been a lot of fun.
Qualifying will be much trickier than in recent years, with
a lot more cars out on the track at the same time.
I have a strong connection with the principality, having
lived there for several years before moving to Switzerland.
When Formula One comes to Monte Carlo the whole place goes
crazy. The bay is full of yachts and the streets are buzzing.
I would recommend anybody to experience the Monaco Grand Prix
weekend at least once. The atmosphere is totally unique. As
a fan, you can get closer to the cars than at any other race
- normally you're sitting hundreds of metres away. In Monaco
you have a real sense of the speed and sound of the F1 cars.
Away from Formula One, on the other hand, I prefer life to
be rather quieter and feel very much at home in Switzerland."
Jacques Villeneuve:
"Monaco is a very exciting track to drive on and that
is probably the track where we were the most competitive last
year with Sauber. It is hard on the tyres because we go with
very soft compounds. However, the car is normally quite easy
on tyres. This GP is a race where anything can happen; you
can start last and still get on the podium. There was a year
when only four cars finished. There's always a lot of excitement
around Monaco and I think we can probably do quite well there."
Robert Kubica:
"Monaco will be something special for me because this
is my first time on a street circuit with a Formula One car.
I like street circuits, though, and in the past I have performed
really well in places like Monaco and Macau. I think I've
raced on six or seven street tracks. But my race performance
isn't an issue this year: I just need to do a proper job on
Thursday. This will not be easy as the track will have very
little grip, but I hope I'll be able to help my two team-mates
a bit.
I raced at Monaco in the World Series last year, but unfortunately
only finished fifth. It is a really difficult track and there
is no space for any mistakes. But it is the same for everybody."
Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director:
"The eyes of the world are on Monaco for the Grand Prix.
The race in the principality constitutes the crown jewels
of Formula One, although the track has absolutely nothing
in common with a modern race circuit. Whether you like the
glamour of it all is a matter of taste, but it is all part
of the image of Formula One. The closeness of the fans to
the track and the paddock creates an atmosphere unlike any
other grand prix.
Raw power doesn't get you very far on this tight and twisty
course. Instead, it's good engine driveability that makes
the difference. The hairpin at the Grand Hotel is the only
corner all year when engine speeds dip below 5,000 rpm. The
nigh-on 200 bhp performance gap between the 3.0-litre V10
engines in 2005 and this year's 2.4-litre V8 will be less
visible at Monaco than anywhere else. Qualifying in Barcelona
was the first time a car had set a faster lap time than last
year. Similarly, I wouldn't be surprised to see a new lap
record this year in Monaco.
Nick will line up with a new engine in Monaco after his previous
unit completed its two-race stint, while this will be the
second GP for Jacques' engine. Monte Carlo will also see the
cars set the lowest top speeds of any circuit on the calendar
and operate flat out for the shortest amount of time. On the
other side of the coin, the engines get less cooling air,
and that can push oil and water temperatures to the limit."
Willy Rampf, Technical Director Chassis:
"Monaco sees the lowest average speeds of the whole season,
which means that heavy downforce is more important here than
aerodynamic efficiency. Good traction is also critical when
you're accelerating out of the many slow corners. As the circuit
is opened again to public traffic between the practice sessions,
the drivers have to contend with big fluctuations in grip
- and that makes it extremely tricky getting the set-up right.
The car has to work with absolute precision here, as the smallest
error can mean crashing out of the race.
Since overtaking is more or less out of the question in Monaco,
striking the right compromise between a good grid position
and the optimum race strategy will be critical. I'll be interested
to see what happens in qualifying, especially the first session
when there will be 22 cars out on the track. The drivers will
need a bit of luck on their side to avoid getting caught up
in traffic. Whatever happens, excitement is pretty much guaranteed.
After our solid showing in Barcelona, I can see our drivers
putting in a good performance once again in Monaco."
After six of 18 rounds of the World Championship, the BMW
Sauber F1 Team is in fifth place in the constructors' standings
with twelve points.
History and background:
The Monaco circuit is the shortest GP course of all at 3.340
kilometres. Nowhere else are more laps covered (78), yet the
race distance of 260.520 kilometres is the shortest in the
calendar.
Monaco has hosted 52 grands prix since 1950. The circuit
length varies from 3.145 km and 3.370 kilometres. For the
first 14 GPs the race distance covered an impressive 100 laps.
27 drivers have made it into the winners' list so far. The
most successful F1 driver in Monaco to date is Ayrton Senna,
with six triumphs to his name.
It wasn't until 2004 that garages for the cars were installed
along the pit lane in Monaco. Prior to that, the teams had
to shunt the cars back and forth from the makeshift garages
in the paddock and the pit lane between practice and qualifying
sessions and then for the race. The old building essentially
served as a shelter for the fuel rigs, spare parts and computer
equipment.
On Friday Monaco traditionally remains free of Formula One
engine noise. That is why the first two practice sessions
are held on Thursday.
The Monaco Grand Prix is also the party and glamour high
spot of the Formula One season. Brazilian top model Alessandra
Ambrosio will be among BMW's guests once again. She already
drew attention to herself at the team presentation in Valenca
in January when she posed in a catsuit sporting the team colours.
Star photographer Michel Comte will be setting out with her
and the team on the next round of shooting.
Covering an area of 1.95 square kilometres, Monaco is the
smallest independent state in the world after Vatican City.
It comprises the districts of Monte Carlo, La Condamine, Fontvieille,
Le Larvotto, Les Moneghetti and Monaco Ville. This gambler's
paradise and tax haven has a population of 32,400, of whom
just 5,070 are true Monegasques. With around 17,000 people
per square kilometre, Monaco is the most densely populated
state in the world.
Since the death of Prince Rainier on 6th April 2005, the
affairs of state have been run by his son Prince Albert II.
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