FORMULA 1 - 2010

[MIKA27]

Kubica: Qualifying will be crucial

Robert Kubica has underlined the importance of a qualifying well at this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix.

The Pole - who endured a frustrating weekend in Barcelona - believes that on a tricky Monaco circuit which offers very few overtaking opportunities, qualifying high on the grid is paramount to a successful weekend.

"As we saw in Barcelona, qualifying is going to be the most important part of the weekend because overtaking is even more difficult in Monaco. If you want to score good points you need to qualify towards the front and avoid any mistakes," explained Kubica.

The Renault ace is also of the opinion that Monaco will be tougher than ever this year given the changes to the set-up of the cars.

"I expect it will be even more challenging to drive Monaco this year with a full tank of fuel because the car will become less reactive. The tunnel used to be taken flat, but with heavy fuel I expect it will be much more of a challenge," he said.

But the 25-year-old heads to Monte Carlo aware of how he can get the most out of the circuit.

"It's all about having a car that is reactive and easy to drive. To find those final few tenths you need a car that gives you the confidence to really push to the limit and almost kiss the barrier with your tyres," he said.

Kubica's team-mate, Vitaly Petrov, completed his first dry race in Spain, and is looking to build on that performance in Monaco.

"I'm really looking forward to Monaco and driving an F1 car there for the first time. I enjoyed the track in GP2 and I'm sure it will be even better in my F1 car," he explained.

"But I know it will be a difficult race too because it's a street circuit and there's no room for error. Also, overtaking is almost impossible in Monaco so qualifying will be very important, and it won't be easy with so many cars on the circuit, especially in Q1.

"I think to complete just one clean flying lap will be a good achievement. More than anything, it's important not to make any mistakes if we want to finish in the points," the Russian concluded.

Renault currently find themselves in fifth spot on the Constructor's table, with fifty points after five races.

[MIKA27]

Red Bull could use F-duct in Turkey

Red Bull may introduce their F-duct device in Turkey according to team boss Christian Horner.

The controversial device which stalls air flow to the rear wing giving the car extra speed down a straight has been banned from next season, but despite this Red Bull look set to follow in McLaren's footsteps and implement the device while they still can.

"We still don't have the blown rear wing or F-Duct, so inevitably there is a research project that is going on into that," Horner told Autosport.

"Istanbul could be a venue where that could be introduced."

Red Bull have not always viewed the F-duct in a positive light, with chief engineer Adrian Newey saying earlier in the season that it was dangerous "to force a driver to make a sudden movement to change normal load conditions has to do with safety", but it appears they have since changed their tune.

Horner came out in praise of Newey following Mark Webber's win last weekend in Spain, revealing his delight in the manner in which the RB6 is consistently being improved upon.

"We had a race one upgrade that was late onto the car for the last test here just before race one," he explained.

"Then we brought performance to the car at each of the grands prix to date.

"What we had in Spain was an evolution of what was introduced in Bahrain. Adrian and his guys have really taken the results out of Bahrain and that morphed into this.

"They have hit some ridiculously short lead times to be able to get the components to the cars, which is testament to all the guys in the factory," he added.

[MIKA27]

Hamilton: Weather could be a factor in Monaco

Lewis Hamilton expects changeable weather and new tyre strategies to make the Monaco Grand Prix an exciting and unpredictable affair.

The former world champion took victory in a wild race in 2008, when he slid into the barriers early on but recovered to lead across the finish line.

The British driver, who is yet to win this year, says the victory may have been the best he has ever taken.

And with passing opportunities hard to find around the street circuit and pit-stops not playing the role they once did, Hamilton believes a surprise result could be on the cards on Sunday.

"I love the Monaco circuit," Hamilton said.

"It's the greatest track in Formula One, and my victory there in 2008 is still probably my best win in Formula One, and one of the greatest moments in my career. It was an incredible day.

"In 2008 it was wet, and looking at the week ahead, the weather also looks extremely unpredictable, with heavy rain forecast for much of the week.

"Even if it doesn't rain on the Sunday, the possibility of heavily disrupted practice and qualifying sessions means we'll probably go into the race with a chance of one of the most exciting and unpredictable Monaco Grands Prix for many years.

"That would be fantastic because with just a single stop in the race for tyres, there's going to be less opportunity for strategy to play a role in deciding the outcome, unless it rains of course.

"That means qualifying will be more important than ever, and we're still working hard to improve our qualifying pace.

"But I think Monaco is a place where the input of the driver is more important than at any other track, so I'm pretty confident."

The McLaren driver also revealed that he will be using a special helmet design for the event.

He added: "I'll be wearing a specially-painted helmet for the occasion.

"When you see it you'll know why I'll be hoping for it to swing the odds in my favour."

[MIKA27]

Brawn eyeing Monaco double

Ross Brawn is hoping the unpredictability of Monaco will lead to another dream result on Sunday.

A year ago Brawn celebrated a momentous victory at a time when he was in charge of his own team, with Jenson Button leading the way around the streets of the principality.

It was one of the highlights of Brawn GP's double title-winning season, but a repeat for the man widely regarded as the most astute technical brain in the sport would appear to be a long shot.

Brawn is now in charge of Mercedes, but the German marque has failed to so far build on the momentum generated by the successes of last year.

Seven-time champion Michael Schumacher has struggled on his return to F1 after three years in retirement, although achieved his best result of the season on Sunday with fourth in Spain.

Nico Rosberg had finished on the podium in the previous two races, but around Barcelona, the new-spec car was far from his liking and he lagged far behind in a woeful 13th.

Brawn, though, would like to think anything is possible as he said: "The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most challenging race weekends of the year.

"But everyone revels in the special atmosphere, and as engineers we love the unique demands and extra pressure the street circuit generates.

"The drivers play their role at Monaco perhaps more so than at any other track.

"Precision, consistency, speed and control are essential, and with Michael and Nico, we are fortunate to have two drivers who excel here.

"Together with Mercedes-Benz, we achieved the dream result of a one-two finish last year.

"Whilst we are not at the pace of the frontrunners at the moment, at Monaco you just never know what can happen."

Despite an improvement in performance from Schumacher, the gap to Sunday's race-winning Red Bull driven by Mark Webber increased as the 41-year-old finished over a minute adrift.

Schumacher knows he and Mercedes will have to conjure up something special if he is to add to his five wins at the famous venue.

"We hope the characteristics of the street circuit suit our car better than in Spain last weekend," said Schumacher.

"On the other hand, we should be careful to expect too much this time as we have seen in Barcelona there is still a lot of work ahead of us.

"So, other than having achieved my best result so far this season, I have taken with me a lot of motivation to work even harder with our engineers to improve the car further."

[MIKA27]

Di Resta sidelined at Monaco

Paul Di Resta is to sit track-side for the entirety of the Monaco Grand-Prix weekend as the Silverstone-based team aim to give their regular drivers maximum track time.

Force India bosses have decided that due to the challenging track layout in the principality, Vitantonio Liuzzi and Adrian Sutil require as much time as possible on-track to get their set-ups "just right."

DTM driver, Di Resta, will be available as a reserve driver should Liuzzi or Sutil be unable to compete at the weekend.

[MIKA27]

Mercedes GP preview the Monaco GP

Mercedes GP head to Monaco fully aware that they face a challenging weekend of racing...

Nico Rosberg:

"The Monaco Grand Prix is my home race and it's always an enjoyable weekend. Formula 1 brings a real atmosphere to my home town and it's very special to have all of my family and friends there to support me over the weekend. Living so close to the track is helpful too!

"After a rewarding first four races, Barcelona was disappointing, so we will hope to see an improvement for Monaco and we will work hard to understand our issues from last weekend. Monaco is a completely different circuit with its own unique challenges and characteristics so it will be interesting to see how the car goes there. I had a good race last year, qualifying and finishing in sixth place, so it would be nice to go a few places better this time."

Michael Schumacher:

"I have always liked to drive in Monaco and that's why I am really looking forward to competing there this weekend. The Monaco Grand Prix certainly adds something very special to the Formula 1 calendar and driving through the streets of Monte Carlo is undoubtedly unique. We go there and hope that the characteristics of the street circuit suit our car better than in Spain last weekend.

"On the other hand, we should be careful to expect too much this time as we have seen in Barcelona that there is still a lot of work ahead of us. So, other than having achieved my best result so far this season, I have taken with me a lot of motivation to work even harder with our engineers to improve the car further."

Ross Brawn:

"The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most challenging race weekends of the year but everyone revels in the special atmosphere and as engineers, we love the unique demands and the extra pressure that the street circuit generates. In addition to a car which is strong mechanically, you need good power and drivability, provided by our Mercedes-Benz engine, for the low-speed corners. Monaco requires a particular set-up and therefore whilst we will run our new aero package but we will revert to our previous specification suspension system to allow for the steering lock required around this unique circuit.

"The drivers play their role at Monaco perhaps more so than at any other track. Precision, consistency, speed and control are essential and with Michael and Nico, we are fortunate to have two drivers who excel here. Together with Mercedes-Benz, we achieved the dream result of a one-two finish last year, and whilst we are not at the pace of the frontrunners at the moment, at Monaco you just never know what can happen."

Norbert Haug:

"The Grand Prix of Monaco is the most spectacular, most popular and most glamorous event on the race calendar. If teams and drivers could choose one race that they desperately want to win, then their choice would be Monaco. Mercedes-Benz has mostly found the unique street circuit in the Principality to be a place for great results. Starting with our first victory in 1998, we have won seven of the last 12 Grands Prix together with our partners, the last three being a hat-trick in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

"With our new team, Mercedes GP Petronas, we currently do not belong in the absolute favourites for race victories. However the Monaco Grand Prix is known for its own rules and we will work fully concentrated on achieving a good result. With Michael and Nico, we have two drivers who both like this circuit and in my view, both belong among the fastest drivers on this special and demanding circuit."

[MIKA27]

Renault preview the Monaco GP

After a disappointing weekend in Barcelona, Renault are confident of an improved showing in Monaco.

Robert Kubica

Q: Robert, you scored points last weekend in Spain, but you ended the race a bit disappointed?

RK: It was a bit frustrating because I had a difficult first lap and lost three places, which affected the rest of my race. I also made contact with Kobayashi, which damaged my car and gave me a lot of understeer. Even with the damage, I was surprised that my pace was not too bad and I was able to follow Sutil closely after my pit stop. But it's so difficult to overtake in Barcleona and there was no chance to get by him. Although it was encouraging to see our pace during the weekend, especially compared to Mercedes, I felt that we should have come away with more points.

Q: Looking ahead to Monaco, is it a race you enjoy and what are your expectations for the weekend?

RK: I always enjoy street circuits, especially Monaco, and I've always gone well there. There are aspects of Monaco that are both positive and negative for our car, so it's difficult to know how competitive we will be until free practice begins on Thursday. Also, as we saw in Barcelona, qualifying is going to be the most important part of the weekend because overtaking is even more difficult in Monaco. If you want to score good points you need to qualify towards the front and avoid any mistakes.

Q: What is the secret to a good set-up in Monaco?

RK: It's all about having a car that is reactive and easy to drive. To find those final few tenths you need a car that gives you the confidence to really push to the limit and almost kiss the barrier with your tyres. I expect it will be even more challenging to drive Monaco this year with a full tank of fuel because the car will become less reactive. The tunnel used to be taken flat, but with heavy fuel I expect it will be much more of a challenge.

Vitaly Petrov

Q: Vitaly, in Spain you completed your first dry race. How was the weekend from your perspective?

VP: It was a weekend with positives and negatives, and another race that taught me a lot. It was very important for me to complete the race and get some more experience of the car in dry conditions - how the balance changes during the race and how to manage the tyres. The car felt consistent and the pace was good, but it was always going to be difficult to score points because overtaking is so difficult there. I had a good battle with Kobayashi for most of the race and managed to stay ahead of him, but I was disappointed to just miss out on points.

Q: Has adapting to Formula 1 been as challenging as you expected it to be?

VP: The most difficult thing is to put together the perfect weekend, and I think that comes down to experience. You need to get the most from the car in every session and you can't afford to make any mistakes because it affects your entire weekend. That's why races like Spain are an important part of my learning curve and I certainly feel more confident now that I have completed a full race distance in the dry. I know there are lots of areas where I can still improve and that it's important to spend as much time as I can with my engineers to try and understand everything about the car. Each race teaches me something new and is another chance to improve.

Q: We now head to Monaco this weekend - is it a track you enjoy?

VP: I'm really looking forward to Monaco and driving an F1 car there for the first time. I enjoyed the track in GP2 and I'm sure it will be even better in my F1 car. But I know it will be a difficult race too because it's a street circuit and there's no room for error. Also, overtaking is almost impossible in Monaco so qualifying will be very important, and it won't be easy with so many cars on the circuit, especially in Q1. I think to complete just one clean flying lap will be a good achievement. More than anything, it's important not to make any mistakes if we want to finish in the points.

[MIKA27]

FIA tweaks Monaco's chicanes kerbs

Formula 1's ruling body, the FIA, has decided to raise the elements behind the kerbs of two chicanes of the Monte Carlo circuit for this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix.

The FIA said new, higher elements have been placed after the kerbs at the Nouvelle chicane (Turn 11), as well as the one after the Swimming Pool (Turn 16). The move is aimed at stopping drivers from cutting through them at high speed.

The governing body also said several parts of the circuit have been resurfaced. The pitlane surface is all new, as is the stretch from Ste Devote corner to the junction of Avenue de Monte Carlo.

Also re-surfaced are sections from Place du Casino to the Tunnel du Portier entry and from the tunnel exit to the chicane.

[MIKA27]

Mercedes: Too early to rule out title

Mercedes GP CEO Nick Fry says it is still too early to admit defeat in this year's championship despite a slow start to the season.

The current world champion squad has been unable to be in the mix for victories so far and it's in fourth place in the standings, having scored two podium finishes in five races.

Fry, however, believes the kind of comeback performed by McLaren last year shows that a team with resources can bounce back.

And he insists Mercedes is not ready to throw in the towel.

"I think talking about where this is going to end up at the end of the year is massively premature," said Fry. "I think Christian [Horner] will say the same thing, with 25 points for a first place there is a lot of races and a lot of points to be won before now and then.

"The performance of McLaren last year from a miserable performance to a great performances at the end shows what can be done if you have the resources to do it.

"I think either for those of us who are a bit slower than Red Bull to admit defeat or for them to declare success would be premature in the extreme."

Fry is also convinced his team is likely to do better in this weekend's race at Monaco than last weekend's in Barcelona, where Michael Schumacher finished in fourth, but over a minute off race winner Mark Webber.

"I'm optimistic for Monaco," he said. "I'm not unrealistically optimistic but I think we can do relatively better than we were in Spain.

"I think the interesting thing about Monaco will be the casino of the first part of qualifying. I know everyone is slightly concerned on the one hand but on the other hand it will be slightly interesting but on the other hand you hope it is not your team that is caught out because it is inevitable someone will."

Fry said his team, which used an updated car in Spain, will revert to the shorter wheelbase machine for Monaco.

"There is some specific front suspension for Monaco so it will be different again. As always we do some unique changes for Monaco, because the cars designed for circuits like Barcelona won't get around the hairpin."

MIKA: If Michael Schumacher or Nico do well in Qualifying, they should be able to hold back the likes of Alonso, Button, Hamilton regardless if their cars have more straight line speed. Schumacher proved this in Spain where he held back Button in a far more faster vehicle for 49 laps.

[Bartolomeo]

Kubica: Qualifying will be crucial

Robert Kubica has underlined the importance of a qualifying well at this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix.

The Pole - who endured a frustrating weekend in Barcelona - believes that on a tricky Monaco circuit which offers very few overtaking opportunities, qualifying high on the grid is paramount to a successful weekend.

"As we saw in Barcelona, qualifying is going to be the most important part of the weekend because overtaking is even more difficult in Monaco. If you want to score good points you need to qualify towards the front and avoid any mistakes," explained Kubica.

The Renault ace is also of the opinion that Monaco will be tougher than ever this year given the changes to the set-up of the cars.

"I expect it will be even more challenging to drive Monaco this year with a full tank of fuel because the car will become less reactive. The tunnel used to be taken flat, but with heavy fuel I expect it will be much more of a challenge," he said.

But the 25-year-old heads to Monte Carlo aware of how he can get the most out of the circuit.

"It's all about having a car that is reactive and easy to drive. To find those final few tenths you need a car that gives you the confidence to really push to the limit and almost kiss the barrier with your tyres," he said.

Kubica's team-mate, Vitaly Petrov, completed his first dry race in Spain, and is looking to build on that performance in Monaco.

"I'm really looking forward to Monaco and driving an F1 car there for the first time. I enjoyed the track in GP2 and I'm sure it will be even better in my F1 car," he explained.

"But I know it will be a difficult race too because it's a street circuit and there's no room for error. Also, overtaking is almost impossible in Monaco so qualifying will be very important, and it won't be easy with so many cars on the circuit, especially in Q1.

"I think to complete just one clean flying lap will be a good achievement. More than anything, it's important not to make any mistakes if we want to finish in the points," the Russian concluded.

Renault currently find themselves in fifth spot on the Constructor's table, with fifty points after five races.

No **** Robert.......Monaco is the most important race for qualifying

Bart

[MIKA27]

The Monaco GP timetable

The Monaco GP, which takes place around the streets of Monte Carlo, marks the sixth round of the 2010 F1 World Championship.

All times are local (Monaco is GMT +2)

Wednesday 12 May

15:00: FIA press conference

Thursday 13 May

10:00 - 11:30: First free practice

14:00 - 15:30: Second free practice

16:00: FIA press conference

Saturday 15 May

11:00 - 12:00: Third free practice

14:00 - 15:00: Qualifying

15:00: FIA post qualifying press conference

Sunday 16 May

14:00 - 16:00: Monaco GP

16:00: FIA post race press conference

Monaco GP Info

No of Laps: 78

Race Distance: 260.520 km

Lap Record: 1:14.439 - M Schumacher (2004)

2009 Winner: J Button (Brawn GP)

The Monaco Grand Prix is quite simply the most famous street race in the world.

The thriving heart of the city regarded as the "millionaire's playground" is transformed every year for probably grand prix racing's greatest fixture.

Formula One takes control of the busy streets and the harbour front of Monte Carlo to give the sport its most breathtaking event of the year.

A tight armco-barriered circuit, around the streets of Monte Carlo provides a magnificent spectacle. The cars charge past such landmarks as the Hotel de Paris, the Casino, and then through the tunnel and out around the harbour front.

The track is created overnight by a team of engineers who take over when the traffic stops. The circuit is interesting, tight and demanding, with little room for error or overtaking. But it is still regarded by many as the sport's jewel in the crown - but remember first practice is on Thursday not Friday.

[MIKA27]

Virgin expect challenging Monaco GP

Despite overcoming their reliability issues in Spain, Virgin admit the Monaco GP could be a challenge for them.

Both Virgin's cars saw the finishing line in Spain - the first time this season. However, team principal John Booth has warned that they could be in for a tough weekend on the streets of Monte Carlo.

"It's been a race against time to get from Spain to Monaco and to put in place the garage and motorhome environments that we rely on during a European race weekend," Booth said. "The team has done a fantastic job with very little time, no doubt spurred on by a successful weekend in Spain, which we hope to replicate this time out.

"It looks like it could be a challenging weekend for all of us. This is a track that is important to master at the best of times, but it's very rare that the weather plays such a hand in the race in the way that we expect it might this weekend. With this in mind, it's good to have two drivers with such experience of the challenges this track presents."

Timo Glock, who had four retirements prior to Barcelona, says they still have a long road ahead of them.

"The double finish in Spain was a nice reward for all the hard work by the team and we hope that was a turning point for us," he said.

"As we overcome our reliability issues we need to turn our focus to bringing more performance to the car, so there's still quite a road ahead for us. Nevertheless, we are all looking forward to the team's first Monaco Grand Prix this weekend.

Meanwhile, technical director Nick Wirth confirmed that di Grassi will drive the old car in Monte Carlo.

"As usual, we've done our homework back on the Wirth Research simulators in preparation for this fantastic event, and for the last time we will be running two different cars until Lucas gets his new VR-01 in Istanbul," Writh said.

"We anticipated, and observed, quite a difference in the aero characteristics of the two different cars in Barcelona and this will be amplified again as we bring some more aero parts to Monaco, some arriving so late that they will only be running from Saturday."

[MIKA27]

McLaren duo the kings of bling

Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton will be the kings of bling around Monaco this weekend.

One of McLaren's key sponsors in diamond specialists Steinmetz have again joined forces with the Woking-based team ahead of Sunday's 78-lap showdown around the streets of the principality.

In previous years McLaren's drivers have had their initials inlaid into their helmets with diamonds, but Steinmetz have opted for a different approach on this occasion.

To celebrate their recent victories in Monaco, Hamilton will have the numbers '08' and Button '09' adorning their steering wheels with diamonds.

"They look absolutely incredible and add a real bit of bling to the cars," said Hamilton.

"I won in 2008 wearing a Steinmetz diamond-studded helmet, so I'm hoping it will bring me luck again this year."

As for Button, he said: "Monaco is one of the most prestigious and important races on the calendar, a race I feel honoured to have won.

"To be racing for McLaren with a diamond-crested steering wheel, created especially for me, is a great honour."

MIKA: I don't know what diamond encrusted Helmets and steering wheels do with driving in F1? It sure adds the bling I guess.... Button and Hamilton 'Will look' pretty.

[MIKA27]

Fears over possible Monaco gridlock

There are growing concerns over Saturday's initial qualifying session in Monaco with team bosses and drivers all warning it could be a chaotic affair.

The FIA has been asked to split the 20-minute session as 24 cars making their way around the narrow streets of Monaco could be difficult but teams admit they are not hopeful that motor sport's governing body will agree to the request.

If the FIA do stick to their guns, then Q1 will be interesting, to say the least.

Lewis Hamilton has warned that "it could be a disaster".

"I lapped (Virgin's Lucas) di Grassi four times yesterday [in Spain]. That's one of the biggest gaps I've had in Formula One," the McLaren driver said.

His team boss Martin Whitmarsh has echoed his comments and says the stewards could be in for a busy time after qualifying.

"I think Q1 in Monaco will be very, very difficult and it's difficult for all of the cars," he said during a Vodafone teleconference.

"At the moment we have to accept that there are six cars that are very difficult to avoid. They have been in the order of six-seven seconds slower and when you're trying to open a gap you have cars behind you so you can't back off, and it's a circuit where you're going to catch cars and a circuit at which it's very difficult for those cars to get out of the way, even if they want to.

"The slowest cars will do the lap, presumably staring in their mirrors, which I'm sure is distracting for them. Even if they see something, trying to respond to it is going to be very difficult, even if they're on a slow lap, let alone a fast one.

"I think it's very difficult. By choice, I'd advocate that we divided it up somehow, either by splitting the field in half so you reduce the number of cars and don't have to manage the space quite so on such a small track, or you have a session if you thought perhaps unkindly that the six slower cars were going to fight it out among themselves, that they have the first five minutes to themselves, decided on order of merit, before the rest of the cars get onto the track.

"It's always been difficult, but with more cars and a greater performance differential, there will be controversy. There are some, and I'm not one of them, who think that controversy and stewards' hearings after the event are entertaining. I don't share that view, but it's what some people believe."

Ferrari's Felipe Massa says qualifying will become a bit of a lottery on Saturday.

"Getting the car to work as well as possible on Saturday afternoon will be even more important than usual, because if traffic has always been a problem at this race, with four more cars out on track at the same time this year, and without wishing to be too critical, I would say six rather slow cars out on track, Q1 can become a lottery," he said on the Ferrari website.

"No doubt we will use a different strategic approach to qualifying, maybe fuelling the car to do a few more laps than usual, to have a safety margin, so that you are not left without a competitive time in Q1."

Red Bull boss Christian Horner says it's "the most worrying aspect" of the weekend.

"It's about getting a lap that is sufficiently clear to post a time to get through. Unfortunately, in terms of statistics, there will be a car every 140 metres if they all run, and there's obviously a big difference in pace between the cars.

"The worst thing will be when you come round into Rascasse every lap and there is a queue of five cars. One way of looking at it is maybe you run for the full 20 minutes in the hope of getting a clear run."

Renault's team manager Steve Nielsen says some of the big names could miss out on Q2.

"I think it's first qualifying that everybody is dreading, with 24 cars out on track and some big performance differentials between the fastest and slowest. The challenge will just be to get a clear lap. But it will be a real lottery, and some big names could easily go out in Q1."

MIKA: I must admit this is concerning news when you look at the fact that the slower cars are 6 seconds per lap slower and could cause an accident. Its not great news for the fast or slower vehicles because as stated, the slower teams will be cautious, looking in their mirrors, distracting themselves and thus possibly crashing.

[MIKA27]

Hamilton urged to 'calm down a bit'

Lewis Hamilton has been given some advice by Joan Villadelprat: calm down if you want to get the most out of your potential.

The 2008 World Champion has had a frustrating start to the season - impressing with his overtaking moves but coming in for some criticism from his fellow drivers for his "aggressive" driving style. Questions have also been raised about Hamilton's ability to look after his tyres following a rim failure during Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix.

Villadelprat, a Formula One veteran who used to work for McLaren, Ferrari and Benetton among other teams, has some sage advice for Hamilton.

"Lewis Hamilton needs to calm down a bit to get the most out of his potential," Villadelprat told Spain's El Pais newspaper.

"For me, he is one of the top three drivers in Formula 1, on the level of Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso.

"I'm not saying what was the cause of his problem on Sunday, but his history has shown that as a result of aggressive driving, he is one of the drivers who most consumes his tyres - and now that the tyres must withstand runs in excess of 50 laps, that can cause many problems."

[MIKA27]

Ferrari scrap F-duct for Monaco

Ferrari have confirmed their cars won't be fitted with the F-duct device at this weekend's race around the streets of Monte Carlo.

Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa used the controversial blown rear-wing device - which will be banned from next season - for the first time in Spain last week.

However, the Italian marque says it will be horses for courses in terms of set-up for Monaco.

A statement from Ferrari read: "From the technical point of view, the two F10 cars were prepared at the Catalunya Circuit after the Spanish Grand Prix and the only change in terms of specification is that they will not be fitted with the blown rear wing, used for the first time in Barcelona, as the low speed Monaco circuit means the system has no great value, as maximum downforce is required at all times."

Felipe Massa, meanwhile, hopes he will benefit from the super soft and medium tyres that will be used in Monaco.

"This weekend, even if there will be no major changes on the F10, I expect we can be more competitive, mainly because Bridgestone is bringing the super soft and medium tyres here and I much prefer using this combination," he told the Ferrari website.

"We had the same tyre choices in Bahrain, where I was much happier than at the other races, in terms of the grip levels I found from the tyres. I hope therefore that I will be able to exploit more of my car's potential.

"In general, the grip situation is something we have to look at, as well as finding an overall improvement to the level of aero downforce we have."

[MIKA27]

Schu: Some want to profit from Monaco mess

Michael Schumacher has slated F1's team bosses for failing to reach an agreement to split this Saturday's Monaco qualifying.

The F1 drivers had unanimously agreed that it would be better - and safer - to split the first of the three qualifying segments into two ten minutes.

This would mean half the field would run in the first part and the other half in the second, meaning there would be less chance of getting caught in traffic or even involved in an accident.

However, their F1 team bosses were not able to agree on the format, which Schumacher blames on those who want their drivers higher up the order than the position their cars actually deserve.

"Some team bosses felt they would rather have the chaos and maybe take the profit from this than to have a reasonable, clean qualifying," Schumacher told Autosport.

"So that's what it is, that's what we have to deal with, and let's see who has to suffer or not."

Schumacher's concerns may come as a surprise to some as the German has previously run in qualifying through the streets of Monte Carlo during the days when there were more than 24 cars on the track.

However, the seven-time World Champ thinks it's more of a problem today than it was back then.

"In a way the field is probably a bit tighter (now) because in the past it was normal to have five or six seconds difference between the first and the last cars, and staggering backwards there were bigger gaps," he said.

"Now you have more cars in close competition in terms of lap times, but when you have 24 cars on a track which is 3.6km, it comes down to less than 200 metres between each car if all the cars are on track. That's not much for qualifying, so it's going to be interesting for Q1."

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Button: A few of us will be angry after Q1

Jenson Button is expecting qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix to culminate in angry scenes and a number of potential penalties.

McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton this week warned the one-lap battle around the tight, twisty, two-mile Monte-Carlo circuit "could be a disaster".

The fear is that, with slow-coach newcomers Lotus, Virgin and Hispania Racing likely to be over seven seconds per lap slower during the initial 20-minute session when all 24 cars could be on track, problems will arise and sparks might fly.

"We've got to hammer it round. I don't think we can back off, we have to stay on it because that might be the quickest lap we do," remarked Button.

"It will be tricky in Q1, but I'm sure we'll cope. A few of us will be angry and unhappy at the end of Q1, but we all have to deal with the same situation.

"It's the same for all of us. Some of us will get lucky, some of us won't. You can't do much about it now. That's the way it is.

"But there are going to be a lot of people asking for penalties I think."

Jarno Trulli, a winner around Monaco in 2004, is now one of those likely to incur the wrath of the quicker guys.

Although in a car that can rightly be hailed as the best of the backmarkers, the Lotus driver is in agreement with Button.

"We're all going to have a lot of traffic," said the veteran Italian.

"It's a question of luck because maybe a quicker car slows down in front of me whilst I'm on a quick lap and I'm hindered.

"On the other hand maybe I'm on a quick lap, but not quick enough for a faster car which is probably four or five seconds (per lap) quicker than me.

"Neither way will work, but we will have to see what we can do to be free of traffic and do our job.

"Anything can happen in Monaco, and it is the place where you can have more chance.

"You can get one good lap by running round and round, and you get your lap in, but for us it's a bit more difficult to do that.

"But we are all in the same boat. I don't have a solution, and I don't care. I will go out and try to get some free space, get my lap in and that's it."

Bruno Senna already has experience of how Saturday will unfold from his days in GP2 when there were 26 cars on track, and like Hamilton he predicts it "will be a mess".

It may even be the case that Hamilton, Button et al, end up at the back of the grid as they are unable to get in a quick lap.

"With so many cars on track and with their difference in pace, I believe some people won't get a lap time," Hispania Racing's Senna said.

"It happens in GP2, with some of the quick cars at the back because they were held up, or there was a queue in Rascasse to start a lap.

"It's going to be quite interesting. We have to make sure we are on the track as much as we can to get a lap in that counts.

"But it's going to be a big mess, and if it's wet it will make it even harder."

As for the race, Senna is already anticipating spending more time looking in his mirrors than at the road ahead.

One backmarker in Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix managed only 15 laps out of 66 without being shown a blue flag telling him to allow a quicker car by.

"With that many laps, it's going to be quite interesting to see how many times I will be lapped," added the nephew of Ayrton, the three -times champion who holds the record for most wins at this track with six.

"Monaco is very peculiar. It is unusual to have a straightforward race where you're not stuck behind another car or you don't make a mistake.

"The field is going to be spread big time and the traffic quite hard to manage for everybody."

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Schumi: Leave the past to rest

Michael Schumacher has refused to turn back the clock and utter a simple five-letter word seemingly missing from his vocabulary.

It was in qualifying for the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix Schumacher committed one of his most infamous acts.

Duelling with Fernando Alonso for pole position, Schumacher made a ham-fisted attempt at staging an accident, stopping just short of a barrier.

Schumacher effectively parked his Ferrari at Rascasse, preventing the Spaniard, then with Renault, from taking the grid's top spot as he was following closely behind.

Although Schumacher denied at the time he was a cheat, the stewards saw otherwise and demoted the German to the back of the grid.

Returning to Monaco for the first time since that infamous weekend, the subject was naturally aired as Schumacher faced his inquisitors from the media.

Sitting just 200 metres away from Rascasse in Mercedes' brand new motorhome on view for the first time this season, Schumacher still steadfastly refused to say 'sorry' for his indiscretion.

Initially asked if he had any regrets, especially as the manoeuvre harmed his title chances at the time, Schumacher replied: "I guess it didn't."

That was reference to the fact he ultimately finished 13 points adrift of Alonso in the final standings.

Swerving the subject, he added: "It doesn't change things if we go back into it because we are here now in 2010."

After a question on a different subject, the following one returned to 2006, and again he was pressed if he had any regrets.

A further sidestep followed as he said: "I had great fun in the race, I have to say.

"Coming from last and going through the field, finishing fifth, that was good fun."

Refusing to let Schumacher off the hook, it was pointed out to him that day was one of the low points of his career.

"You made it," said Schumacher, referring to the media.

Laughing, he added: "Some of you guys. I mean let's look forward and not backwards."

To which a sharp interviewer responded: "Well let's look forward. If you had to get on pole here now, would you do again what you did in 2006?"

With a wink and a smile to his interrogator, Schumacher quipped: "You're boring!"

Appreciating the growing tension, the Mercedes PR then called for questions relating to the current year rather than 2006.

For a minute that was the case until one final attempt was made to extract a degree of regret from the 41-year-old as he was asked if there was any reason he was unable to say sorry.

With yet another swerve as deft as the one he pulled that day, he said: "I think you can keep trying, absolutely.

"But as I said before I am not in 2006 any more. I think there is enough said, and I don't feel I need to dig any deeper into it."

If proof were needed time does not appear to have mellowed the seven-times World Champion and five-times winner of this famous race, then today was it.

MIKA: Alot of people have mixed feelings about this incident, some good, some bad but lets look at facts: (IMO)

Michael Schumacher was already on pole and Fernando Alonso, who went faster that lap, (Under yellows) still did not make pole. The stewards decided he should get a penalty for it and gave Alonso the win, same thing happend to Kimi and no one said a thing.

Whats there to apologise for? Schumacher was penalised way back to last position only to show how great he is a driver and come 5th place in the end. Monaco is almost impossible to overtake on yet MS kicked some butt regardless.

To this day however, nobody can definitively state if the incident was or was not intentional either.

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Mercedes announce Deutsche Post sponsorship

Mercedes GP have announced their latest sponsorship tie-up which involves the European postal giant Deutsche Post.

The logo's of the German company will feature on the front wing and chassis of the MGP W01 at the Monaco GP and beyond.

Jürgen Gerdes from Deutsche Post called the deal a 'perfect match' because of the fast pace and competitiveness involved in Formula One.

"The partnership with Daimler and their premium car brand Mercedes-Benz is a perfect match for Deutsche Post and its targets.

"Formula One requires a spirit of competition, innovation, fast reactions and successful learning processes at racing speed. All of this fits to our targets in everyday business."

Mercedes Chief Executive, Nick Fry added: "We are very pleased to welcome Deutsche Post to Mercedes GP Petronas and to feature the ‘Post Horn’ logo on our MGP W01 cars from the Monaco Grand Prix onwards."

He continued: "The team has been very successful in attracting new partners over the past months and Deutsche Post is a very welcome addition. We look forward to developing our relationship further over the coming months."

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Lotus Racing preview the Monaco GP

It’s tight, it’s bumpy and it’s a major challenge for the drivers and the teams, but the Monaco Grand Prix is one of the world’s greatest sporting events, and Lotus Racing is confident of putting on a very good show at a venue where much of the Lotus history was created.

Looking ahead to the weekend’s action are team drivers Jarno Trulli, a Monaco winner in 2004, and Heikki Kovalainen, with Team Manager Graham Watson giving insight into the logistical problems Monaco presents, Chief Technical Officer Mike Gascoyne providing insights from the pitwall, and Team Principal Tony Fernandes discussing his first Monaco race at the head of an F1 team.

Graham Watson: "The challenge really begins as soon as the Spanish Grand Prix finishes as we have to pack up everything there and then get it all over to Monaco in time to try and finish setting up by Tuesday night. We have some very experienced truckies and mechanics in the team, who know their way around the confines of the Monaco paddock, and that definitely helps us make sure we can meet all our engineering deadlines, and have the cars ready to go out on track on Thursday morning. We may be one of the new teams, and we definitely don’t have as much equipment yet as some of the more established names, but we’re still able to pack in everything we need to cope with any eventuality over the weekend, including a composite and fabrication workshop on site, which hopefully won’t be needed, but with the nature of Monaco in mind, are necessities here."

Mike Gascoyne:"Monaco is obviously a unique place. I enjoy walking around as you realise what a mad place it is to race cars! Engineering wise it’s a major challenge – it’s very bumpy with lots of slow corners and qualifying is critical as it’s almost impossible to overtake, but I still love it! We should do ok here - we’re good in the slow speed sectors and both our guys are experienced in dealing with the bumps and the traffic, particularly Jarno whose win here was very special, so all in all I’m looking forward to it."

Jarno Trulli: "It’s something very special in Monaco. Whether you’re driving or just walking around, you can almost breathe in how exciting it is. Every driver in the world wants to win here, and I was lucky enough to do so in ’04, but the whole experience can be tough – it’s important for us to concentrate on the race, and here you’re under so much pressure it can be difficult to get the time to think, and concentrate on the actual race, but that’s how it is, so we deal with it.

"Getting in a good lap is also a challenge, but if you can manage the traffic it’s very satisfying. One of the most important parts of the circuit is through the swimming pool – you change direction at high speed, then brake for the next chicane, which is slow but you still need to get through it quickly. You jump over the kerbs there, not too much or you launch yourself into the wall, but just enough to carry the speed through. That’s why concetration levels are important – get that right every time and you’re ok – if not, you’re out."

Heikki Kovalainen: "I obviously didn’t get the chance in Barcelona to build on the step forward we took with the updates so I’m looking forward to getting back on track and pushing on. It’s so busy on track in Monaco there’s no time to relax, and there are no run off areas so you pay heavily for any little mistakes, but I really like street circuits as they reward good car control, and I think we’ll be pretty good here from how the car felt in Spain. I’ve managed to get a round of golf in with Tony since we left Barcelona, and it’s probably not fair to say how he got on… but generally it’ll be good to get out on track again and keep up the momentum we’ve had all year."

Tony Fernandes: "I’ve been coming to Monaco ever since AirAsia first came into the sport as a sponsor, and it’s somewhere I love coming to. It’ll be great being here with Lotus Racing – pretty emotional as Lotus has so much history here. It’ll be a special moment for me and a huge amount of fans to see the green and yellow on track again, so I can’t wait for Thursday and to see the cars out there at what’s almost their third home race!"

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Bridgestone preview the Monaco GP

For the first time ever Bridgestone will bring a non-consecutive dry tyre allocation to the unique challenges of the Monaco Grand Prix which takes place on the streets of Monte Carlo on May 13-16. The medium and super soft compound Bridgestone Potenzas will tackle the slippery 3.34km street course, making a change from the previous allocation for this race of soft and super soft.

The circuit is the shortest on the calendar, with a polished smooth track surface between the unyielding Armco barriers. It’s also the lowest average speed circuit, due to its tight and twisty nature.

Hiroshi Yasukawa – Director of Bridgestone Motorsport: "The Monaco Grand Prix is an extremely prestigious event and one which we know as the jewel in the crown of the Formula One calendar. Television figures for this race are always very good, and this gives us a superb platform to promote our brand. The Bridgestone branding we have at the first corner of the circuit is seen all around the world and it is fantastic to be associated with this great event. We are very happy to be part of this race and to see Bridgestone’s tyres contribute to the amazing spectacle we will all see."

Hirohide Hamashima- Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development: "The street course in Monaco is a difficult circuit for drivers and tyre engineers. It is made up of public roads which uniquely are still used by the public over the course of a Grand Prix weekend. This means that track evolution is not the same as we would see at other venues. The actual track surface is very smooth as it is polished by the use of road vehicles, and finding grip is a priority for drivers. After reviewing last year’s data and because of the changes in positioning for our compounds this season, we can use the super soft and medium at Monaco. In higher temperatures with a good track surface our medium compound should work very well and combined with the super soft we are confident about this allocation. However, we must also remember that we have had many exciting wet races in Monaco in the past, and the unforgiving nature of the barriers is often experienced."

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Rosberg calm on Mercedes updates

Nico Rosberg has rubbished talk that the upgrades made to his Mercedes GP at the Spanish Grand Prix mean it no longer suits him as well as Michael Schumacher.

The German struggled for pace at Barcelona last weekend with the longer wheelbase W01, with Schumacher seemingly more comfortable with the improved car.

But despite that state of affairs prompting wild suggestions that Mercedes GP had worked only to help Schumacher, Rosberg says the similarity of his and his team-mate's style make such a state of affairs impossible to achieve.

"We drive exactly the same way me and Michael, so it is not that you can build something that suits him better than me," said Rosberg in Monaco.

"The only fact is that I really struggle with understeer, which we have in the car at the moment. But we are looking into that to try to improve it because for sure it is not a good thing for Michael either. It is a bad thing for both of us, and that could be the only thing where I might struggle a bit more in the end."

Rosberg said he had worked hard with his engineers since Spain to try and understand why he had such a difficult time compared to Schumacher.

"We put a lot of analysis in, and my engineers and I seem to understand a few things about why it was difficult in general," he said. "In the end, one thing is for sure, we had a lot of understeer in the car - which we've had all year.

"But in Barcelona, with all the long corners, it was particularly difficult. And also with these tyres, there is a big risk of overloading them when you go into a corner, so you need to be very, very careful with all that and it took me a bit of time.

"Then eventually I was one tenth away from Michael in qualifying. He drove well and I think I can live with that. In the race it didn't go my way. I had an incident at the start, picked up a lot of mud on the bottom which destroyed my aero, and then it just went from there and was a disaster, so you can't really look at the race."

Mercedes GP has reverted to its shorter wheelbase car for this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix, because the suspension dynamics will be better suited to the tight street circuit.

And although Schumacher enjoyed a confidence boost from the longer wheelbase version, he understands why the team has reverted to the shorter suspension.

"The long wheelbase gives me a better range of set-up solutions," he said. "But if a long wheelbase with better set-up solutions is slower than a short wheelbase with no set-up solutions, then I guess I will take the short wheelbase. And that's what we most likely will have to face here."

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MARK WEBBERS LAP OF MONACO:

VIDEO

See how Mark Webber drives the Monaco GP circuit from on board the Red Bull simulator.

Monaco Lap

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Kovy: Successful upgrade was crucial

Heikki Kovalainen believes the success of Lotus’s first major upgrade at Barcelona should give the team the confidence to switch development focus onto its 2011 challenger from after the British Grand Prix.

The new Norfolk-based operation pulled itself closer to the back of the established midfield teams, and further away from fellow start-up squads Virgin and Hispania, last weekend with a package of upgrades for its T127 that produced a step forward in pace of around a second.

Having worked on the development parts since the start of the season, Kovalainen says it was crucial that they performed as the team had been expecting around the aerodynamically-demanding Circuit de Catalunya.

The Finn reckons it can now start developing its 2011 car with confidence – a process he thinks should probably become its prime focus once the next major update of the T127 in time for Silverstone is completed in July.

“In a way the step that we have taken already now, we have proved a point to ourselves,” he told reporters in Monaco on Thursday.

"We proved that the design and simulation we did before is working and delivering what we hoped it to and that’s very important for the future because if it hadn’t delivered it would have been worrying to start designing a new car when you can’t trust the results.

“That’s very positive and in a way we have achieved that.

“There are still a couple of more updates coming, there’s probably a slightly bigger one again for Silverstone but then I think after that it’s probably time to move on and spend a lot of time making the basic concept of next year’s car correct.”

Having been forced to build a conservative car for 2010 after only getting its place on the grid confirmed last September, Kovalainen reckons that with more development time for next season there is no reason it can’t make the jump into the midfield.

“We know that this year’s car the basic concept is not what it needs to be and we can do it better,” he added.

“Then obviously start the aero development on next year’s car to have the load that we need and I think we can join the middle of the pack already next year.

“We can join the teams like Williams, Sauber, Toro Rosso, Force India – definitely minimum target is to be in that group. I think we can do it.”

Although a gearbox problem meant Kovalainen had to sit out last Sunday’s race, he said the T127 had immediately felt more competitive from practice onwards in Spain and was delighted that the team had managed to make bigger relative gains that nearly everyone.

“My feeling is that it is very positive,” he said of the upgraded car.

“I could instantly feel that the car is better. I noticed I think, at least looking at the qualifying, we’ve gained on everyone else apart from Sauber and Red Bull.

“They were the ones that went away more from everybody.

“But we’ve gained about half a percent on the teams ahead of us and about a percent and percent and a half on the Virgin and Hispania.

“So that’s pretty much in line with what we were hoping for. It’s just going to be a long road – we still need more updates.”

This weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix could give the grid’s new outfits an outside chance of enjoying their most competitive showings yet, given the tight, street-lined venue often produces unpredictability.

With the possibility of rain another potential leveller, Kovalainen acknowledges the team’s first points finish can’t be entirely counted out – although the Finn is keeping his expectations in check.

“Rain or dry, I don’t really think it will change massively the situation,” he said.

“I think Monaco is generally an opportunity for anything to happen. It’s very easy to fall off here – even in the dry – and if someone goes into the wall you can collect very easily two or three cars.

“There can be safety cars and of course if it rains then the strategy might come into play and visibility is poor, and all these things.

“So there are many things that can happen and potentially there is a chance to score points, but if it’s a straightforward race with no incidents then I think it’s unlikely.”