“Heading back to Monaco will be really exciting after a little break last year!”, Fernando Alonso said before the legendary F1 Monte Carlo race. In 2017 he took part in Indianapolis 500 and Jenson Button took over his McLaren cockpit in the Principality.
“I loved the Indy experience of course, but Monaco is also a really special place to go racing, and it’s easy to see why it’s such a famous venue for a grand prix. It’s one of the most technically challenging circuits of the year simply because of the level of skill and concentration you need to get around lap after lap 78 times, as well as negotiating the traffic, strategy, weather and everything else this crazy race throws at you”, Alonso added.
“I’m looking forward to getting behind the wheel there for the first time in two years and seeing how our car performs. For sure, we know the limitations of our package, and a slow-speed track such as this requires a totally unique set-up compared to anywhere else on the calendar, but it’s up to everyone to adapt and get the most out of our equipment.”
“Monaco is one of those tracks that tends to level the playing field a little and it’s a bit like throwing a dice. As we saw in Spain, even if you qualify well it doesn’t mean you won’t fall victim to a drama which can change things around. So, we need to maximise everything on Saturday, and then fight hard on Sunday to earn as many points as possible.”
Alonso: Heading back to Monaco will be really exciting after a little break last year!
His McLaren teammate Stoffel Vandoorne commented that in Monaco the whole race weekend is about staying out of trouble.
“Even if you’re not directly involved in an incident, the Safety Car can cause chaos in itself on a slow-speed track such as this, which can create more drama. You never really know what to expect there but that’s what makes this track so special. The test in Spain gave us some great information that we’re already putting to good use in Monaco. Of course, it’s a very particular kind of track with different characteristics to others, but we can still adapt what we’ve learned and hopefully continue our step forward in performance”, the Belgian said.
“Our first DNF of the year in Spain wasn’t the result we hoped for, but we’ve investigated and hope we won’t see any repeats of the same issue. Monaco is typically a race of attrition, so while the aim is always to stay out of trouble as much as we can, it’s also to stay out of the barriers!”
☃️Freezin…. pic.twitter.com/BqAEy2IX45
— Stoffel Vandoorne (@svandoorne) May 20, 2018
