Jenson Button believes his Brawn team won’t have an easy ride to another victory on the streets of Monte Carlo this weekend, predicting a fierce fight at the front from qualifying onwards.
The championship-leading combination head into the sixth round of the campaign aiming to extend their dream start to the season, with their four wins having already firmly established themselves as title favourites. Click Here For More Formula 1 Photos
“To go to Monaco with the lead in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships is fantastic,” he said.
With overtaking notoriously difficult on the tight track, Button – who qualified on the front row there in 2004 – knows Saturday’s pole position shootout will be particularly cruical to his hopes of a successful weekend.
Team-mate and nearest championship challenger Rubens Barrichello, meanwhile, boats a more enviable Monte Carlo record, having finished runner-up three times in his Stewart and Ferrari days. ITV.com
Ferrari have picked up just six points in five races so far this season, compared with 68 for Button’s all-conquering Brawn GP team.
However, the reigning constructors’ champions showed markedly improved form at the Circuit de Catalunya a fortnight ago, with Massa spending much of the race in third position before a fuelling error caused him to slip down the field in the last few laps.
“I really think that the Monte Carlo race can be the turning point in our season,” Massa said. “We’ll have new things in our aerodynamic package. Telegraph.co.uk
Lewis Hamilton is hoping the tricky Monaco circuit will give him a chance to impress in his McLaren after a disappointing season so far. “It’s a bumpy, fast-flowing circuit and you have to have serious balls to touch the barriers. Really you do – deep down inside. Only the best drivers can do that,” Hamilton said ahead of Sunday’s race.
Last year Hamilton in his McLaren-Mercedes came from third on the grid to claim his first F1 Monaco victory. “It was a fantastic race in 2008, a special moment in my life. What an atmosphere. I remember on the last few laps I was thinking Ayrton won there a lot of times and to win would be amazing. From the last corner I was screaming my head off, just so happy I had pulled it off. Guardian.co.uk
Pos Team Points 1 Brawn-Mercedes 68 2 RBR-Renault 38.5 3 Toyota 26.5 4 McLaren-Mercedes 13 5 Renault 9 6 BMW Sauber 6 7 Ferrari 6 8 Williams-Toyota 4.5 9 STR-Ferrari 4 10 Force India-Mercedes 0
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