|
Team
and Driver race preview (selected
team quotes, for a full team and driver preview click on the team name) Renault (
Fernando Alonso, Giancarlo Fisichella ) Bob Bell, Technical Director
The team won in Monaco last year – can
you do it again?
We certainly hope so. One of the puzzling things about last year with the R24 was that the car was difficult
to drive on the limit, yet it flew round Monaco – the last place where you would want a difficult car. I think what we have seen
with the R25 is that where the competitiveness of last year's car was up and down, this season we have lifted those ‘downs' to a
consistent overall level of performance. So far, Michelin have been extremely consistent in their level of performance this year.
Their tyres have been historically strong in Monaco, and we are confident they will deliver a good solution once again. At every
race so far, we have been quickest or next quickest – over five different circuits, in varying conditions. I anticipate that we
will go very well in Monaco, and that we will see both drivers fighting for the podium. Full
Team and Driver Preview Back to Top Toyota (
Jarno Trulli, Ralf Schumacher ) Dieter Gass - Chief Race Engineer:
"It's difficult to
prepare for Monaco because there is no other circuit like it, so we use the data gathered from previous races there. We also put in
some work at Paul Ricard last week to test very slow corners and to work on the maximum steering lock of the car for the Loews
hairpin, the tightest corner on the calendar. Due to Monaco's tight nature we take a second spare car - one for each of the race
drivers. We also have to ensure the suspension is strong enough to survive when a driver brushes the barriers. Monaco is very
narrow, which makes overtaking virtually impossible. But, while qualifying is very important you still need a car that can perform
for all 78 laps of the grueling race. So consistency is the key and we won't compromise our race pace by being tempted to reduce the
fuel load for qualifying. Some cars might do only one pit stop and if you are stuck behind a slower car it can ruin your race." Full
Team and Driver Preview Back to Top McLaren (
Kimi Raikkonen, Alex Wurz ) Martin Whitmarsh, CEO Formula One, Team McLaren Mercedes
"Everyone within Team
McLaren Mercedes was obviously delighted with Kimi's victory at the Spanish Grand Prix, and have been continuing to work solidly
with the aim of building on the performance. Monaco is a very unforgiving circuit that requires total concentration and focus from
everyone involved for the whole weekend. Testing at Paul Ricard, which was configured to the Monaco set-up, saw us complete over
1900 km with Kimi, Juan Pablo, Alex and Pedro. Qualifying is of course vital in Monte Carlo, and we are well positioned in the
running order for the first session on Saturday, and to ensure a positive result it is imperative we maximise this." Full
Team and Driver Preview Back to Top Williams
BMW ( Mark Webber, Nick Heidfeld ) Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director):
"Next to a good qualifying
result, a good start is crucial in Monaco. As the level of grip varies a great deal on what are ordinarily public roads, it is
difficult to find just the right amount of grip. At the test in Vallelunga, we placed a strong emphasis on our practice starts
again. Good starts depend on a combination of quick driver reactions, precise clutch control and optimum acceleration governed by
the traction control system. On Monaco's roads, engine power alone won't win you any trophies, but good engine driveability at
relatively low revs definitely pays off. Since the track modifications, the Rascasse corner at the harbour is no longer as tight as
it was. Last season, the Loews hairpin was the only F1 corner where engine speed dropped down to the 5,000 rpm range in first gear.
Incidentally, in 2006 we'll be lamenting the passing of the variable intake trumpets on circuits such as this where you have to
drive in unusual rev ranges. By adjusting the length of the intake manifold, we can currently achieve a fuller torque curve. This
technology will be banned in the future V8 engines. The Monaco Grand Prix, and the subsequent race at the Nürburgring, make
up the season's first back-to-back races. In all, the 2005 calendar has six sets of two consecutive Grands Prix within eight days.
In the ten weeks following the Monaco GP, eight Grands Prix will be held. For the teams, and in particular for the logistics staff,
that will mean working at full revs." Full
Team and Driver Preview Back to Top Ferrari (
Michael Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello ) Not Yet Available Full Team and Driver Preview Back
to Top Red Bull (
David Coulthard, Christian Klein ) Christian Horner, Sporting Director:
“In many respects Monaco is the highlight of the Grand Prix
calendar and is certainly a huge challenge for both drivers and teams. It is currently the only street race of the year and its
unique layout makes overtaking virtually impossible to achieve. David has a fantastic track record at this circuit having won there
twice. I also have fond memories of Tonio winning F3000 there last year. Red Bull Racing are collaborating with the new Star Wars
movie, Revenge of the Sith, in Monaco. Characters from the movie will be guests of the team in the paddock and on the grid, which I’m
sure will generate a great deal of interest. Monaco is the perfect setting to promote a movie and we are delighted to be part of the
fun. Hopefully the force will be with us!” Full
Team and Driver Preview Back to Top Sauber ( Jacques Villeneuve, Felipe Massa ) Willy Rampf (Technical Director):
"Monaco
is a great challenge, both to the drivers and to the engineers. It is a maximum downforce circuit, and we will be bringing a revised
aero package to Monte Carlo to achieve this. Unlike other tracks, the speeds are relatively low so that pure efficiency is less
important than outright downforce.
"Traction is also crucial. The C24 is much improved in that respect, and we are
continually refining our traction control settings, but you need to make sure the engine does not suffer. The track is also tough on
the drivetrain; due to the high number of corners and the associated braking and acceleration, we have more gear changes there than
anywhere else. Among other modifications are revised front suspension geometry to facilitate more steering lock specifically for
this track, and further refinement of the power steering.
"The brake material for this track has to offer a high level of
controllability and consistency to avoid severe wheel locking, but also needs good performance as there is no long straight to cool
down. Tyre wear could be an issue as we use the softest tyre compounds of the whole year. The track itself only offers low grip as
it is used for public traffic.
"Overall, our target is to combine good grip and traction with neutral handling balance. The
car needs to behave with precision because the run-off areas are very limited, and they are one-way!" Full Team
and Driver Preview Back to Top Jordan ( Tiago Monteiro, Narain Karthikeyan ) Trevor Carlin,
Sporting Director
“It will be the first time for our three drivers on this demanding circuit in a Formula One car. Narain,
Tiago and Robert have performed very well in the past in street circuits in junior formulas. Therefore I expect Jordan Grand Prix to
do better than on traditional tracks and with fantastic reliability from Toyota, we hope to be around at the finish and maybe get
some points.” Full
Team and Driver Preview Back to Top Minardi
( Christijan Albers, Patrick Freisacher ) Not Yet Available Back to Top Bridgestone Hisao Suganuma, Technical
Manager
“Monaco is a very special race. It is run on the only
street circuit, as well as the slowest circuit, on the calendar and has lots of tight corners, which means that rear traction out of
the corners will be especially important on this circuit. While compounds will be soft for Monaco because of the very smooth nature
of the road tarmac, the one set of tyres for qualifying and race rule means that it is likely we will not see compounds as soft as
in previous years. We also have to take into account the changing nature of the wear rates of the tyres during the race. We have
learnt from previous years that in the early stages, the front tyres have some graining and the wear is higher than on the rear
tyres. As the race progresses, however, the wear balance shifts to the rear tyres. So there is plenty to take into consideration
when deciding the Bridgestone tyre specifications for Monaco and we had a good test last week with Ferrari at the Fiorano circuit to
make sure we have made the right choices. It’s going to be a very interesting race.” Full Bridgestone Preview
Back to Top Michelin Pierre
Dupasquier, Michelin motorsport director
“We are moving from the high-speed sweeps of Barcelona to something completely
different - the tight confines of Monaco, with its many slow corners. It is never easy to prepare for the Monaco Grand Prix because
it is difficult to find any circuits with similar characteristics. There is nowhere else quite like it. “The streets of the
principality are an asphalt patchwork that ordinary cars and trucks use on a daily basis. Many parts of the circuit frequently have
to be resurfaced and we can but hypothesise about the effects this might have.” “We use fairly soft compounds in Monaco
because average lap speeds aren't particularly high and the surface is not too abrasive. Even so, we have to pay careful attention
to the rear tyres because cars are forever accelerating fiercely out of slow corners - it is vital that traction control systems are
set up correctly, because that can influence wear rates. If a car's rear tyres start to wear more than its fronts, it will begin to
oversteer and the driver needs to be much more sensitive with the throttle - especially when exiting slow corners.” “Controlling
the rate of tyre wear is always the biggest challenge in Monaco, but Michelin has traditionally done very well here. Having won this
race for the past three years, we will be doing our utmost to make sure our partner teams have everything they need to maintain that
winning streak…” Full Michelin Preview Back to Top BAR Honda ( Jenson Button, Takuma Sato ) Team banned from event ... more
Back to Top | 
