2007 MONACO GRAND PRIX MONTE CARLO 24-27 MAY
PREVIEW
The Honda Racing F1 Team heads to Monte Carlo next week for
the highlight of the F1 calendar - the Monaco Grand Prix.
Loved by fans, teams and drivers alike, Monaco offers a unique
atmosphere, a challenging street circuit and one of the most
exciting races of the year.
SHUHEI NAKAMOTO - Senior Technical Director
"At the Paul Ricard test, we evaluated the latest aerodynamic
components for the next three races, particularly Monaco and
Canada. For the street circuit around Monaco, downforce is
essential so we will be running a high downforce set-up on
the car. We have acquired a lot of useful data from the test
and will use this for the continual development of the RA107.
We expect to improve our performance in gradual steps over
the next few races."
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
"Like most drivers, Monaco is one of my favourite races
and I have some fantastic memories as I have finished on the
podium four times there. Monaco is unique in many ways and
it certainly has a special place in F1 history. I particularly
enjoy qualifying at Monaco, it's one of the biggest challenges
of the year and so important to get right. Overtaking is very
difficult so you have to qualify well and get a good grid
position. Strategy is also crucial in Monaco as the pit-stops
can help you gain track position."
JENSON BUTTON ON THE MONACO GRAND PRIX
Monaco resident Jenson on what makes Monaco so special and
what you need to have a good race around the street circuit.
"Monaco is the most famous race of all, where all the
glitz and glamour of Formula One is on display, and there
is no question that it is a very special place over the race
weekend. It's a very different race from any other on the
calendar with so much history and it means even more to me
as I live in Monaco, so it is one of my home races. Yet ironically
the qualities which make it so appealing also make it a frustrating
weekend for the teams and drivers. It's unbelievably busy
and getting around can be just impossible! When I'm not in
the paddock, I'll be getting out of the Principality and up
into the hills behind the action to relax and give myself
some space.
"The circuit itself is very tight and twisty and you
can really feel the speed of the car when the barriers are
so close to you. The whole lap is one non-stop challenge and
you just have to get your head down and keep focused. You
have to keep the car out of the barriers but not worry too
much about getting a few scrapes during the race. The absolute
key to a really quick lap is being uninhibited and not letting
the barriers intimidate you. This is a circuit that rewards
precision like no other.
"Qualifying is crucial for getting the best grid position
possible and then you have to make a good start in the race
and do your overtaking there otherwise passing is almost impossible.
You also need the right pit-stop strategy which can make all
the difference to the outcome of your race. Good mechanical
grip from the car is a fundamental requirement, coupled with
as much downforce as possible."
"And finally it's a fantastic race for the fans and
one of the only opportunities for them to get so close to
the action and the noise of F1."
MONTE CARLO, MONACO
No of Laps 78 laps
Circuit Length 3.340 km
Race Distance 260.520 km
Conceived by Antony Noghès, the Monaco Grand Prix
remains the most famous race on the Formula One calendar.
First held in 1929, the street circuit is tight, twisty, bumpy,
slow and totally unforgiving - an anachronism for today's
Formula One cars that gasp and crawl around its 3.340 km lap.
To this day, Monaco remains the race that every driver dreams
of winning sometime in their career.
In terms of chassis set-up, the overriding concern at Monaco
is downforce. Overall speeds are low - cars may reach a maximum
of 290kph through the famous tunnel but the average speed
for a lap is less than half that. The result is that engineers
throw everything they can at their cars to generate downforce
and optimise low-speed handling. Securing a good grid position
is vital since overtaking is truly problematic, while fuel
consumption and tyre wear are not significant issues. It's
a weekend that requires maximum concentration and consistency
from drivers and team members alike.
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