2006 MONACO GRAND PRIX PREVIEW
The 2006 Monaco Grand Prix marks the 40th anniversary of
McLaren, with the team making its Formula 1 race debut at
the event in 1966 with founder Bruce McLaren at the wheel
of the M2B. Bruce, who had previously won the event in 1962,
became the youngest ever Formula 1 Driver / Constructor to
enter a race, at the age of 29.
Since this time McLaren has won the prestigious race on 13
occasions, which is more than any other Formula 1 team. McLaren’s
first Monaco Grand Prix victory occurred in 1984 with Alain
Prost and the team went on to win every single year, apart
from 1987, until 1993. Ayrton Senna won the event a record
six times, for which five of those victories he was driving
for McLaren. Since the partnership with Mercedes-Benz began,
Team McLaren Mercedes has won the Grand Prix on four separate
occasions. Mika Hakkinen in 1998 and David Coulthard in 2000
and 2002. Last year Kimi Raikkonen won the race with a dominant
victory from pole position. As Juan Pablo Montoya took victory
in 2003 (with BMW Williams), Team McLaren Mercedes is the
only current team that has two drivers who have won the legendary
race.
The Grand Prix round the streets of Monte Carlo, which is
being run for the 64th time this year, is widely regarded
as the ‘Jewel in the Crown’ on the Formula 1 calendar.
From 25th – 28th May, the glamorous Principality is
taken over by the sport for a race, which is, considered to
be among the most demanding for both drivers and teams.
KIMI RAIKKONEN
"Monte Carlo is a completely different challenge to the
Barcelona track we will be pushing hard for victory. To lay
the foundation for a good result you have to perform well
in qualifying. In Monaco overtaking is almost impossible as
the track is so twisty and narrow. Because of this, I am sure
we will see some interesting strategies from all the teams.
Also Monaco is all about the car being responsive, particularly
the front end. You are less aggressive under braking here
into the corners because the barriers are so close and you
need to be precise, and a responsive front end means the car
is better in the mid corner and exit performance, allowing
you to get on the throttle without having to wait for the
car to turn the corner. At Monaco this is where you can find
time, so the handling of the car and the mechanical grip are
more important than other areas, such as aero efficiency."
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA
"Everything about the Monaco Grand Prix is great, it
is such an historic track and this creates a fantastic atmosphere.
It is a unique challenge to race at because of its short,
tight layout and other factors such as the gutters and manhole
covers, the camber as the road crowns and all the white lines.
Despite all this, the ride height isn't massively high, instead
we run with suspension that has more compliance than normal.
It isn't very comfy for the drivers, as you really feel all
the bumps, but you don't notice it because you are there to
race. Also the corner loadings and pressures on straights
are much less so it is not too tough physically. Cooling is
another issue at Monaco, because there are no real straights.
As a result we run with the maximum cooling package of the
season and we spent time at Paul Ricard last week focusing
on the Monaco spec for cooling. We covered over 3,000km in
total at the test and in addition to work for Monaco, we also
looked at specific components and set-ups for the much faster
Canadian Grand Prix."
MARTIN WHITMARSH, CEO FORMULA ONE, TEAM McLAREN MERCEDES
"The Monaco Grand Prix is the most prestigious event
of the year, this is partly the location but also the heritage.
The race holds particular significance for the team, as McLaren
made its Formula 1 debut at Monte Carlo 40 years ago. Whilst
we are pushing hard to develop the performance of the MP4-21,
we are aware we have a challenge ahead on the streets of Monte
Carlo if we are to build on this record. Because there is
such low grip we will run the softest Michelin tyres of the
year. Team McLaren Mercedes conducted a four day test at the
Paul Ricard track last week, where our work with Michelin
focused on tyre selection for Monaco. The track was in a configuration
to mimic as much as possible the street circuit and we were
able to get some positive feedback with Michelin and other
areas of the test programme such as the bodywork modifications
for the race. Monaco will also see us use the maximum downforce
configuration, good front end grip for exact turning into
the tight corners, an engine with good torque and an efficient
traction control."
NORBERT HAUG, VICE PRESIDENT, MERCEDES-BENZ MOTORSPORT
"Traditionally this Grand Prix is the highlight of the
Formula One season, because the street circuit of Monaco today
is as unique a venue for a Formula One race as during its
premiere 77 years ago. Everything is different from all other
permanent race tracks. The challenge for the drivers regarding
concentration and precision is even bigger and therefore winning
in the principality is most prestigious. Driving at the limit
through the canal between the barriers it can happen easily
that a driver hits the guard rails; this happened already
to World Champions when they were in the lead without pressure.
The new qualifying format with all competing cars on the track
will cause a thriller we haven’t seen before this season
and in the last couple of years. To find a clear lap in these
conditions won’t be easy and we can therefore expect
a mixed grid with some surprising positions. With 260 kilometres
the race is the shortest of the season; not concerning the
driving time, however, and when it rains it might happen that
the Grand Prix will last for the maximum time of two hours.
The team has good memories of Monaco. Including last year’s
race Team McLaren Mercedes have won there on four occasions
since 1998.”
USEFUL STATISTICS
Monaco Grand Prix McLaren Team McLaren Mercedes Kimi Juan
Pablo
Circuit length 3.340 km Race starts 602 192 93 91
2.075 miles Race wins 148 44 9 7
Race distance 260.520 km Pole Positions 122 43 9 12
161.887 miles Points 3083.5 1176 308 296
Laps 78 Podiums 387 134 32 28
Inaugural race 1929 Fastest Laps 128 58 17 12
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