Monaco Grand Prix: Pre Race Quotes
May 16, 2008
McLaren
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2007 Qualifying - 2nd, 2007 Race - 2nd
“Monaco, my favourite race. You have the history all around, you can just feel it, and the atmosphere is fantastic. It is the Grand Prix that every driver wants to win. Being a street circuit it is very exciting to drive, there is no room for any error all weekend. You are on the limit the whole time, there are no long straights where you have a moment to think. It is so tight and narrow, and when you consider how quick you are driving it is unreal. To be quick you need to use every centimetre of the circuit, this even includes touching the barriers at some points.”
“Unpredictable is the word that sums up Monaco from a performance perspective. It was a great race in Turkey, we know the performance is there, but at Monaco literally anything can happen.”
Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren
2007 Qualifying - 15th, 2007 Race - 13th
“I always enjoy driving at Monaco because it is a very challenging circuit. Some people think because it is not as fast it must be easier, but it is not very forgiving and you have to focus every single moment and be the maximum on each lap, you can’t relax anywhere. It also has unique characteristics, such as the sound is very different. It is louder even in the car because of the buildings surrounding the track. All the drivers like it because it is a challenge, and we like our challenges! It is a very special race and it is very difficult to win, that is why everybody is very motivated to do just that.”
“I want to have a trouble free race and to be able to show the pace we have in the car. It felt really good all weekend in Turkey and we had a good test on the Monaco-simulation track at Paul Ricard. We have certainly improved and hopefully we can capitalise on that at Monaco. Of all the races, Monaco is the most unpredictable Grand Prix, as always I want to be challenging for the win, but with this race who can say!”
Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber
2007 Qualifying - 7th, 2007 Race - 6th
“I’m a real fan of narrow street circuits like this. Lots of people have tried to describe what it’s like driving through these streets that are like canyons in a Formula One car. I’ve never been able to think of a comparison that really does it justice, so I won’t even try. You simply have to experience it for yourself. This is a circuit that’s totally unforgiving of even the smallest driving error. If you run out of road, there’s nowhere to go except into a crash barrier.
“Monaco goes quite crazy during Grand Prix weekend. The town and the harbour are all packed to bursting point. Of all the GP races, this is definitely the one that has the most to offer spectators. For one thing, there’s nowhere else you can get so close to the action. The engine noise is stupendous and the razzmatazz is simply unique. I always enjoy coming to Monaco. That said, I have to admit it’s all a bit too frenzied for me in the long run, which is why a few years ago I decided to move to Switzerland.”
Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber
2007 Qualifying - 8th, 2007 Race - 5th
“I am really looking forward to Monaco. I was very strong there in 2007 and I am a big fan of narrow street circuits with barriers right next to the track. Monaco is one of these tight and narrow circuits. There are three or four really nice corners like the swimming pool chicane or the Casino section. The track is quite tricky to understand and it is not easy to find the right set-up of the car in Monaco. Without traction control it will be an even bigger challenge to drive there. We will have to see how our car suits the track. I hope this works at least as well as last year and I expect a good result.”
