There may not have been an F1 race on this weekend, but that hasn’t stopped the F1 world tweeting about other random things, so here’s what they’ve been saying this week…
What the drivers are saying:
I should’ve posted this last week, but for some reason I missed it. I thought it was so good though, I had to share…
@AussieGrit: Today I mowed the lawns, great team work with oliver doing the edges. http://twitpic.com/9i6dwh
It would seem Webber’s had better luck at mowing the lawns than Kovalainen…
On Monday morning, Nico Rosberg had a message for Williams:
@nico_rosberg: Congrats to all of you at williams and if you were hurt in the fire i really wish you a quick recovery! Best, N
Pastor Maldonado had this to say on his first win in F1:
@Pastormaldo: It was a great victory for Venezuela, @WilliamsF1Team and myself, we need to keep pushing 
thank you for the big support…
Heikki Kovalainen was looking for some help translating some Spanish:
@H_Kovalainen: Need spanish translation help please – what kind of sauce is “mojo picón”?
Bruno Senna had a thank you message for his fans:
@BSenna: I’d like to say a big thank you to all my fans and supporters for the messages! It’s learning and 1 bad weekend won’t bring me down! Push!!
Jenson Button congratulated Maldonado:
@JensonButton: Massive congrats 2 Pastor Maldonado, Frank and the whole Williams team for a very impressive Grand Prix weekend. Hope all ok after the fire.
@JensonButton: Tough weekend for myself but hopefully we’ll solve the issues so we can have a strong Monaco GP! 
@Pastormaldo: @JensonButton I appreciate your congrats… keep pushing..
Mark Webber shared a photo from Frank Williams’ birthday party:
@AussieGrit: Few blokes in this shot, the lady? Ginny Williams now there is a amazing lady. http://twitpic.com/9lf9kx
Kovalainen had a busy day on Wednesday:
@H_Kovalainen: Pro-Am done, finished 3rd 1 shot down from the first two. We had great flight, everyone made birdies so happy days. Now off to gym…
Kamui Kobayashi was in Monaco:
@kamui_kobayashi: Here in Monaco absolutely nice weather https://twitter.com/#!/kamui_kobayashi/status/202800008771289088/photo/1
Fernando Alonso was talking about this year’s Monaco helmet:
@alo_oficial: These days we will give you insights of the new helmet, you will be the first to see it ) Remember last year..? https://twitter.com/#!/alo_oficial/status/202858449086853120/photo/1
Vitaly Petrov had a new weapon for Monaco:
@vitalypetrovrus: My new weapon for Monaco )) now I’m to strong xa xa https://twitter.com/#!/vitalypetrovrus/status/203079044416282624/photo/1
Kobayashi was lost on Thursday from the sound of this tweet:
@kamui_kobayashi: Mont-Carlo VIP Madame coming to swimming pool with Hermes Birkin bag. My god!! If I stay longer here i lost my self….. Ok let’s get out!!
Alonso gave us a sneak peek of this year’s Monaco helmet design (just click on the link to see):
@alo_oficial: Good morning! Another detail of Monaco Helmet , always at the back of it with a “2 chip” very special… https://twitter.com/#!/alo_oficial/status/203392968231620608/photo/1
Jenson Button had this to say about Casey Stoner retiring from Moto GP:
@JensonButton: Casey Casey Casey really?!?! @official_cs27 Retiring at 26… Gonna miss watching you on two wheels but might see you about on four!!
Alonso was in reflection-mode on Friday:
@alo_oficial: Nobody said life was easy, but we were promised that the trip would be worthwhile .. Live the day! The best comes without expecting it…
He was karting on Friday:
@alo_oficial: Another photo 2 min ago… I can’t promise anything, but I will try to record a video for you “onboard” )) https://twitter.com/#!/alo_oficial/status/203794999480041472/photo/1
Daniel Ricciardo took part in a demo with Red Bull in Kiev on Saturday:
@danielricciardo: Thanks to everyone who came out and encouraged me to paint the streets https://twitter.com/#!/danielricciardo/status/203867793408528384/photo/1
Meanwhile, Kovalainen enjoyed playing golf:
@H_Kovalainen: Really good two days at golflive in London golf club, great event lots of golf fans out there. Good to meet Monty and few other pros too
Button had a message for DTM driver, and McLaren test driver, Gary Paffett:
@JensonButton: Congrats @GaryPaffett for putting it on pole for the DTM race tomorrow at Brands Hatch… I’ll be there to cheer you on fella!!
Kobayashi was watching a football match on Saturday night:
@kamui_kobayashi: Here I am. https://twitter.com/#!/kamui_kobayashi/status/203899674367758337/photo/1
@kamui_kobayashi: Eddie is here!! He’s supporting Chelsea too!! https://twitter.com/#!/kamui_kobayashi/status/203917550264922112/photo/1
Alonso had an injury after karting:
@alo_oficial: Healing “corns” after the go kart, I was thinking to put a Band-Aid, but seeing what I have…I think I leave it..;)) https://twitter.com/#!/alo_oficial/status/203936852791672832/photo/1
But he was sad to hear about the Italian earthquake this morning:
@alo_oficial: Wake up with sad news from Italy, with an earthquake last night . Talking to friends and people from the team ..!
Kovalainen was waiting for lunch:
@H_Kovalainen: Back home and gym session done, now waiting @KataHyde to cook me some lunch! I used to cook like the first 6 years so its her turn now!
Rosberg had a reward after a hard training session:
@nico_rosberg: Reward after a hard training session. https://twitter.com/#!/nico_rosberg/status/204194680609587200/photo/1
What the teams are saying:
The Williams team had a message following their win and the fire in Barcelona:
@WilliamsF1Team: Thanks 2everyone for the congratulations,well wishes&all who helped when the fire broke out. We’ve never had a weekend quite like that one
Force India shared a photo of GP3 driver and F1B columnist Conor Daly, driving in their aero test:
@clubforce: Nice shot of @ConorDaly22 getting comfortable in the VJM05 yesterday during his seat-fit. https://twitter.com/#!/clubforce/status/202680856983240704/photo/1
Ferrari were talking about Massa:
@InsideFerrari: Anyway, someone has found a good opportunity to promote the umpteenth candidate to replace Felipe: this time is D’Ambrosio….
Lotus were doing some pitstop practice:
@Lotus_F1Team: Full kit for the crew in today’s pit stop practice #F1 @Lotus_F1Team http://yfrog.com/oc9z1hoj
@Lotus_F1Team: Our good friend Jack, ready for action! #F1 @Lotus_F1Team http://yfrog.com/oda8ojfnj
They were excited about Monaco on Thursday:
@Lotus_F1Team: Morning all! Bit of an overcast day here at Enstone but a great atmosphere in the factory nonetheless… Why? It’s amost Monaco GP week! #F1
Ferrari had a view to share:
@InsideFerrari: A view of the Fiorano track from an unusual observation point… https://twitter.com/#!/InsideFerrari/status/203035215688507392/photo/1
Caterham were in Duxford for their aero test:
@MyCaterhamF1: Good morning from a rather chilly Duxford where today we are conducting a straight line Aero test… https://twitter.com/#!/MyCaterhamF1/status/203043206882017280/photo/1
@MyCaterhamF1: A certain @RSpeedyGonzalez is stepping up to drive the CT01 today along the runway – mostly in a straight line… https://twitter.com/#!/MyCaterhamF1/status/203044099757051904/photo/1
Williams were back in Grove:
@WilliamsF1Team: Pastor gets a warm welcome back in Grove today! http://yfrog.com/h6tqckolj
Red Bull’s spy was preparing for Monaco:
@redbullf1spy: Monaco preparation begins in earnest… How much do you reckon for the Energy Station passes on eBay? https://twitter.com/#!/redbullf1spy/status/203133528706265088/photo/1
@MyCaterhamF1: Back at Duxford @RSpeedyGonzalez prepares for the next run… A lot of ‘flo vis’ on the front wing this time… https://twitter.com/#!/MyCaterhamF1/status/203140238363725825/photo/1
@MyCaterhamF1: Here’s a shot of @RSpeedyGonzalez before he heads out again, talking to Engineer Nicola… https://twitter.com/#!/MyCaterhamF1/status/203166046595710976/photo/1
HRT were packing for Monaco on Friday:
@HRT_F1Team: After an intense day, we’re packing up and going to Monaco! F1 doesn’t stop! http://yfrog.com/odkp2ahj
Williams were on their way to Sky for The F1 Show:
@WilliamsF1Team: With me and @Pastormaldo we also have this!! @SkySportsF1 #thef1show http://yfrog.com/hwr88wuj
@WilliamsF1Team: Pastor heads onto the set @SkySportsF1 http://yfrog.com/klenjjrxj
@WilliamsF1Team: Great job by @OfficiallyGT & @tedkravitz tonight! Lots of respect having heard everything they have in their ears to deals with when live!
Force India were packing for Monaco:
@clubforce: The cars being loaded to the trucks ready for Monaco. They will leave at 5am tomorrow. http://twitpic.com/9mgjpc
Red Bull took Daniel Ricciardo to Kiev on Saturday:
@redbullracing: IT’S SHOWTIME! @danielricciardo bringing the streets of Kiev to a standstill in the #RB7 at 300km/h #F1 #redbullracing https://twitter.com/#!/redbullracing/status/203837547946835970/photo/1
Sauber were at a football match:
@OfficialSF1Team: Sitting, singing, cheering, dreaming in the #BLUE corner! Impressive to be part. Thx @chelseafc. Uhhhhhhh…. #CFC31 https://twitter.com/#!/OfficialSF1Team/status/203917243313172480/photo/1
Ferrari had this to say after this morning’s earthquake in Italy:
@InsideFerrari: Everything looks ok here in Maranello after tonight’s earthquake.. Very sad for all the victims…
What the media have been saying:
The BBC’s Lee McKenzie missed EJ’s injury in Barcelona:
@LeeMcKenzieF1: I was so busy interviewing drivers I missed the chaos with EJ and his injured paw on the forum. Try and watch on iplayer or f1 website.
Jake Humphrey bumped into some of the Sky team:
@mrjakehumphrey: Sent this with title ‘men of c&a’. Moral of the story-whatever the channel we’re a stylish bunch! Eh @johnnyherbertf1? https://twitter.com/#!/mrjakehumphrey/status/202042817822986240/photo/1
Reuter’s Alan Baldwin reported this after the Williams fire:
@alanbaldwinf1: McLaren have offered Williams any help they may need to go racing after yesterday’s fire in Spain. Frank has thanked whole F1 community.
Jake Humphrey had a present from DC:
@mrjakehumphrey: This was a present from @therealdcf1. I’m talking about the T-shirt, not what is written on it!!! Anyone want one..? https://twitter.com/#!/mrjakehumphrey/status/202321680289370112/photo/1
David Coulthard was sending out invites for a BBQ on Wednesday:
@therealdcf1: @JensonButton @pauldirestaf1 @mrjakehumphrey looking forward to seeing you at Brands Hatch for the DTM this weekend, Barbecue Saturday PM?
Peter Windsor had this to say about Conor Daly:
@PeterDWindsor: Good to hear that today’s guest on #theflyinglap, @conordaly22, will be aero testing the Force India VJM05 tomorrow in the UK
Jake Humphrey had a new avatar:
@mrjakehumphrey: I think this is my favourite photo. Ever. #EJismyhero https://twitter.com/#!/mrjakehumphrey/status/202864925134168065/photo/1
@LeeMcKenzieF1: Loving @mrjakehumphrey’s new profile pic. Sums up the fun and friendship perfectly.
Autosport’s Jon Noble was talking Monaco on Friday:
@NobleF1: For those asking, I’m going for a sixth different winner from six races. Lewis? Kimi? Sergio? Kamui? Mark? Bruno? Michael? #whynot
@NobleF1: And in this most open of seasons, I managed to leave off Grosjean from the list of possible Monaco winners. Too much choice these days!
Will Buxton had this to say on Casey Stoner’s retirement from Moto GP:
@willbuxton: Just realised how huge the Stoner news is for motoGP. In F1 terms it is Vettel, a young double champ, saying he had no love for the sport.
Sky’s Georgie Thompson had some friends alongside her on the sofa for the F1 Show:
@OfficiallyGT: Pastor Maldonado is in the building, make that on the #F1Show, getting ready for going live at 8pm #skyf1 https://twitter.com/#!/OfficiallyGT/status/203553622116675584/photo/1
@CroftyF1: Kids in bed, time to settle down and watch @Pastormaldo live on the F1 Show with Georgie & Ted. @SkySportsF1 from 8pm
Georgie was on her way to the South of France on Saturday:
@OfficiallyGT: Woman is reading my copy of Fifty Shades of Grey over my shoulder. I hope that happens with http://www.thetwitterdiaries.com! #guiltypleasure
BBC 5 Live F1 pitlane reporter, Jennie Gow, saw an unusual speed limit on Saturday:
@JennieGow: Can anyone explain this please? https://twitter.com/#!/JennieGow/status/203875762363842560/photo/1
Sky’s Natalie Pinkham was in fancy dress:
@NataliePinkham: Fantastic day of sport… And all appreciated from the perspective of a woodland frog…. https://twitter.com/#!/NataliePinkham/status/203973153888813056/photo/1
Jake Humphrey was off to Brands Hatch on Sunday:
@mrjakehumphrey: Today I’m off to Brands Hatch for the DTM race. Some promising young guy called David Coulthard is racing. U12′s get in free…who is in??
What everyone else is saying:
Marc Gene was proud of Ferrari after the Spanish Grand Prix:
@marc_gene: Fantastic 2nd position of @alo_oficial with an improved Ferrari. Congratulations to all Maranello staff for the great work done these days!!
Meanwhile, Williams Development Driver, Susie Wolff had an emotional day:
@Susie_Wolff: A really incredible and emotional day. Such a fantastic job by the Williams F1 Team with Pastor driving a perfect race. Am very proud.
Nicolas Hamilton was proud of his brother:
@nicolashamilton: Back home now, solid job from big bro @LewisHamilton , proud of him this weekend, very mature drive and has held his head all weekend #solid
Tom Webb was proud of the Caterham team:
@TWCaterhamF1: Very very proud to work with a bunch of boys up and down the pitlane who are actual, real life heroes. Feeling pretty humble tonight.
Alexander Wurz was in Monaco on Monday:
@alex_wurz: Next race ! All ready http://yfrog.com/esrnpacj
Fake Charlie Whiting had this to say about McLaren offering Williams their tools:
@charlie_whiting: If McLaren offer Williams some wheel guns or fueling gear for Monte Carlo, they should politely decline.
Jaime Alguersuari went swimming on Tuesday:
@AlguersuariJA: Good training session today 50kms mtb. Now heading to swimming pool for another hour https://twitter.com/#!/AlguersuariJA/status/202337351651954688/photo/1
F1′s doctor, Gary Hartstein can’t wait for Monaco:
@f1doc: I for one cannot wait for Monaco. Most F1 personnel rather don’t like it because everything is difficult. Paddock very far from pits. Etc
Conor Daly drove the Force India on Thursday:
@ConorDaly22: Yep, driving an f1 car today. @clubforce #nocomplaints http://twitpic.com/9ly12f http://twitpic.com/9ly14r
@ConorDaly22: Done several runs so far. I must say it sounds pretty amazing! Had to avoid a large rabbit on my last run, that was entertaining lol
Juan Pablo Montoya shared a photo of his bus driver:
@JPMontoya: my bus driver working really hard as u can see. nice going mark!!! https://twitter.com/#!/jpmontoya/status/203213673580343296/photo/1
Alice Powell was excited about Monaco:
@alicepowell: By this time next week… I would have driven the Monaco circuit… Wow! I still can’t believe it!! #excited #thisisreal @GP3_Official
McLaren’s Dave Robson was over Barcelona by Friday:
@DaveRobsonF1: Finally over the disappointment of the Spanish GP. Now ready to take on Monaco and get the big trophy that we should have had last year
Fake Charlie Whiting had an #FF on Friday:
@charlie_whiting: #FF @willbuxton because he has more motorsport journalism jobs going at once than I had protests from Horner about the Mercedes DDRS.
Nicolas Hamilton shared a photo of both his and Lewis’ helmets:
@nicolashamilton: Never thought there would be 2 Hamilton’s racing https://twitter.com/#!/nicolashamilton/status/203550796535709696/photo/1
And finally, Karun Chandhok enjoyed being on The F1 Show:
@karunchandhok: Had a great time on the @SkySportsF1 F1 show yesterday with @Pastormaldo , @OfficiallyGT Derek & @tedkravitz ! Look forward to being back !
That’s it for this week! Join me next Sunday for the Monaco Grand Prix edition!
Note: I don’t say specifically male or female models. We’re equal opportunity arm-candy users here at F1B.
The Monaco Grand Prix is once again nearly here, and here’s your always more compelling than a game of baccarat pre-race quotes:
Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull
2011 Qualifying – 1st, 2011 Race – 1st
“It’s something special to race in Monaco; it’s tight and there’s no room for error. It’s rough and, as it’s a street circuit, the road surface is uneven so you get shaken in the car and there is no room for mistakes. You have to push yourself and the car to the limit to be fast, you have to push as hard as on other tracks, but there’s no room. You can almost feel it when you are just missing the wall and just get through – but it’s a nice feeling. You need to be fully focused on track, it’s a special thing to win in Monaco.”
Mark Webber, Red Bull
2011 Qualifying – 3rd, 2011 Race – 4th
“Monaco is a really special track, it’s an old circuit in terms of when it was first designed and the layout hasn’t changed too much since. It’s got a bit easier from when I first joined Formula One ten years ago, but it’s still a test of man against the track and with the car. You’re racing other people, but it doesn’t always feel like it because the track is always asking you to give more. If you bite and try to give it more then you crash so it’s a very, very challenging circuit mentally. Physically it’s quite straightforward, but in the mind you need to be very disciplined and that’s the challenge around Monaco.”
Jenson Button, McLaren
2011 Qualifying – 2nd, 2011 Race – 3rd
“My win at Monaco in 2009 remains one of my favourite victories in Formula One. Monte-Carlo is a place where every driver wants to win, but achieving it is so satisfying because you know you’ve conquered one of the toughest circuits in motorsport. Winning the Monaco Grand Prix will always be really special.
“I remember last year having a fantastic car beneath me and feeling really confident that I could challenge for the win. As it happened, circumstances beyond our control worked to pull that opportunity away from us, but I go back to Monte-Carlo with a little bit of unfinished business. I’d love to win for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, the team has a great history around Monaco and I’d love to add my name to McLaren’s Monaco winners’ list.
“This year, we’ll be running Pirelli’s Supersoft compound for the first time – which should be interesting. And while our car isn’t especially suited to the tighter confines of a track like Monaco, I’m optimistic of getting on top of the balance issues that have affected me for the past two races. It’s going to be a fantastic weekend.”
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2011 Qualifying – 9th, 2011 Race – 6th
“Monaco is a very special circuit. It’s up there with Silverstone as the place where I most want to do well at. Even though Monaco has the slowest average speed of all the circuits we visit in a season, it always feels incredibly quick. That’s because the acceleration is so rapid and the walls so close: there really is no room for error. Apart from the run-off at Ste Devote, and the tiny escape roads at Mirabeau and the harbour chicane, there’s no room to make a mistake. But when the stakes are at their highest, I just find it more exciting.
“Still, it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that, despite pushing for the win, consistency and scoring decent points is currently the most sensible way to tackle this world championship. I’ve scored points at every race, and I’m only eight points off the lead of the championship. That’s a really encouraging statistic and it’s reassuring to see my approach is paying off. Nevertheless, I’m coming off the back of two relatively disappointing results and there would be no better place for the cards to fall in my favour than at Monaco.”
Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“I’m incredibly proud of the team’s record at Monte-Carlo. We’ve won the Monaco Grand Prix more than any other team, and it’s a race we all regard as incredibly special, and integral to the sporting image of Formula One. This is a unique event in so many ways – it places unique demands on the driver, the car and the team. Accordingly, winning in Monaco is considered a more significant victory than a win at other circuits.
“Both our drivers will arrive in the paddock feeling particularly determined this year: Jenson, because he will be determined to set the record straight after losing a victory in 2011 that many felt he rightfully deserved; Lewis, simply because he has been driving brilliantly all season and a victory at his favourite circuit would be just reward for all his speed and commitment.
“For the entire Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team, too, we travel to the south of France feeling determined to string together a faultless weekend and to demonstrate our full potential. I have absolutely no doubts that the team is feeling very strong, and a win at Monaco would be the perfect fillip for their efforts.”
Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus
2011 Qualifying – n/a, 2011 Race – n/a
“Monaco is a little bit different and it’s hard to say how it will go there. It’s useless to put races in different categories, because all of them are as important to me. However, as a special race there is nothing like Monaco. There is no better feeling than to get things going well in there. To race in the streets of Monte Carlo is really different from everywhere else; a challenge I look forward to every year. It is very, very difficult, almost impossible, to have a clean weekend there.
“I’ve only managed to get it right once before, you really do get the greatest feeling by winning it. My win in 2005 ranks up there with my most memorable. So to win it again would be just as special. It’s such a twisty and narrow track. You have to be extra sharp and focussed in every single metre you go fast there. It gives such a good feeling a fast lap in Monaco. Overtaking has been almost impossible there in the past so to really enjoy racing there you have to be at the front.
“Monaco is always special. It’s an interesting place to go to, with a lot of fans and a lot of parties going on – or so I’m told. It’s a completely different atmosphere from anywhere else.
“We have to focus on qualifying. It’s a difficult place to race as it’s so narrow and passing is nearly impossible. I was stuck behind Rubens [Barrichello] in 2009 and we had KERS then, but you just couldn’t get past. We’ll have to see how the tyres perform and if there are any good strategies to be made, but the most important thing is qualifying well. It’s difficult to know how good the car will be in Monaco as you can’t simulate its characteristics, certainly not at any of the circuits we’ve visited so far this year. We can say the E20 has been fast everywhere else so let’s hope it’s also fast at Monaco.”
Romain Grosjean, Lotus
2011 Qualifying – n/a, 2011 Race – n/a
“I think Monaco is going to be a fantastic event and it is a special race for me for sure. There are certain to be a lot of French fans, and I’m looking forward to their support. It’s also a very special event in its own right, and the atmosphere is quite crazy! As a driver you have to stay calm and relaxed and try to do your job. It’s a track that doesn’t allow any mistakes. You have to respect it and that is the key there I think. Hopefully we can have another good result.
“I think Monaco is a specialist track and it’s very difficult to say if a car will suit there or not. It’s bumpy on the straights and it’s a very low-grip track surface. All these things mean that you never know what to expect. On a more normal racetrack you know more what you are going to have. I hope we will have a pleasant surprise and that the car will suit Monaco’s unique challenges. That would be nice.”
Eric Boullier, Lotus team principal
“We are celebrating our 500th Grand Prix in Monaco so what a story [winning] would be! Monaco is a unique event and it really is the jewel in the Formula One crown. Historically Enstone teams have shown good pace in Monaco, but last year’s car wasn’t strong in slow-speed corners so we may have some work to do. In terms of the team and our drivers, we’re all ready for a win. We’re looking at every aspect of the car and how we run it and we’re all focused tremendously on achieving our goals. A win would be a fabulous thing.”
James Allison, Lotus technical director
“We’ve got a bigger rear wing as you need more downforce at Monaco than you need anywhere else. If you look closer, or if you are a very keen fan of bodywork changes then you’ll see that the area around the side pods and the rear drums will be different too. We have to make modifications to the suspension to enable the necessary lock to get around Loews Hairpin and Rascasse. We have also made some changes, for Kimi in particular, to make the steering a little more reactive for Monaco.
“Perhaps if we look back, of the five races we’ve done so far, the race where we were least impressive was China and that’s a track with relatively few sweeping corners and lots of lower-speed traction events. So there is a train of thought that Monaco might not play to the strengths of our car.
However there are other things about Monaco that are different entirely, which are much harder to gauge. For starters the corners are so slow that the strength we’ve seen in very fast corners compared with moderate corners is not really any sort of form guide for competitiveness around Monaco’s twists and turns.
“Secondly, driver skill plays a relatively bigger part at Monaco than at most tracks, and we are fortunate to have a pair of decent peddlers. Finally, a large part of Monaco is confidence from the driver. Confidence that they can lean on the car and know that it’s not going to misbehave. So far, the E20 has proved to be a very predictable, straightforward car to drive – a quality it shares with the R30. So hopefully they will be able to lean on it to good effect. We’ll have to see.”
Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber
2011 Qualifying – 12th, 2011 Race – 5th
“I have good memories of Monaco. I finished fifth there last year, which was really great. Monaco is a very special track for the drivers. Our car seems to be strong on most of the tracks. Now it will be interesting to see how competitive it will be on a street circuit, but I’m quite confident it will be strong there as well. In Monaco a lot of things can happen, therefore it’s important to stay out of trouble and make it to the end. If we do that then I’m sure we will be able to fight for points.”
Sergio Perez, Sauber
2011 Qualifying – n/a, 2011 Race – n/a
“This Grand Prix is the most special one for me. I have been waiting to race in the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix all my life and, of course, after what happened last year I am looking forward to it even more. I strongly believe on this track the driver can make more of a difference than on any other track. As a team we are in good shape and I want to keep that momentum for Monaco. I also think our car can perform quite well on that unique city circuit. Of course I also think back to the accident I had in Q3 last year. To me it is like a watershed event in my career. There is a time before and a time after the accident. I learnt a lot from what I had to go through and I think it made me stronger. I really want to show what I can do in Monte Carlo.”
Matt Morris, Sauber chief designer
“The Monaco track is probably the one where the driver has the most influence on the overall performance. Last year both our drivers were competitive – Sergio until his accident in Q3, and Kamui finished a strong fifth in the race. The main challenge for setting up the car will be to optimise the mechanical grip. I’m confident we will be able to handle this. The development package that we ran for the first time in Barcelona will also be used again in Monaco, so we will be able to carry over its performance gain. Pirelli will provide us with the soft and the super soft tyres. This is actually the first time this year that we will be using the super soft compound during a race weekend. We tested it briefly during winter testing in Barcelona, which is a track that’s not exactly suited to this tyre, but I don’t see us having any problems in managing this tyre compound. The track has been resurfaced in some areas, for example in the braking zone after the tunnel, so we have got rid of the bump there. That’s something the drivers have to get used to, but, if anything, it should be easier. One of the design considerations of the C31 was to improve it over the kerbs, so we should be stronger at kerbing compared to last year. We have been competitive so far this season, and I’m confident we can be very strong in Monaco as well.”
Michael Schumacher, Mercedes
2011 Qualifying – 5th, 2011 Race – DNF
“Monaco is just a circuit of its own very unique character. In a way, you could look at it with a big portion of irony with regards to the contradiction that, for so many years we have successfully campaigned for more track safety, and then we deliberately race in Monaco. But in my view this is justifiable once a year, especially as the circuit is really so much fun to drive. Every time you go there, you just look forward to finally getting out and driving the track. Of course, knowing that I will lose five positions on the grid does not add to this feeling but this just means that I will have to try even harder. I’m actually quite confident that we should look reasonably good in Monaco due to the hard work that everybody in the team is putting into the development of our car. So let’s make the best out of the weekend.”
Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
2011 Qualifying – 7th, 2011 Race – 11th
“I love the Monaco Grand Prix weekend and it’s a great feeling to be driving at home, knowing that all my friends and family are watching. I have always been quick around the streets here, and I believe a good result is possible for us next weekend. The nature of the track should suit our car but as we have seen at every race so far this season, tyre management will be crucial. With five different winning teams so far this year, at least ten drivers have the chance to win in Monaco so this could be one of the most interesting races there for years.”
Ross Brawn, Mercedes team principal
“The uniqueness of Monaco makes it one of those tracks where anything can happen, particularly in a season that has proved to be almost impossible to predict so far. Despite the logistical challenges of the weekend, Monaco is a race that everyone on the team and the drivers really enjoy, and the experience of winning in Monaco is something very special indeed. After Nico’s win in China, we have had two more difficult race weekends, but I am confident that we will start to see an improvement in Monaco as the developments that we have brought to the car recently take effect.”
Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
“With five different winners from five different teams in five races, it has been an exciting and unexpected first quarter of the 2012 season. Now Formula One visits the most atypical circuit of all, Monaco. It makes unusual, one-off demands of the cars: there are fast and narrow sections, but also eight corners taken at under 100 km/h and over 4,500 gear changes during the race. It is also incredibly challenging and rewarding for the drivers. In Monaco, more than any other circuit, the driver can really make the difference, especially on a single qualifying lap. Both Nico and Michael have shown a great feeling for the circuit and the ability to master it in recent seasons. After all the talk of unpredictability of the teams’ performance levels this year, there are also clear facts: three of five races have been won from pole position, including Nico’s victory in China. What’s more, the five drivers who have completed every race lap are all in the top seven in the current championship standings. Strong qualifying speed has been rewarded at every race, and consistently finishing races appears to be even more important in 2012. In the last three races, Nico has scored a total of 41 points, the second highest total in the field after Sebastian Vettel with 43. Our focus in Monaco will be to extract the maximum from our further developed technical package. Giving the drivers a car they can trust and feel confident in is worth more here than at any other circuit on the calendar.”
Heikki Kovalainen, Caterham
2011 Qualifying – 17th, 2011 Race – 14th
“Monaco’s the race everyone in F1 wants to win, and it’s not just a famous F1 race, it’s one of the biggest annual events in the world. For drivers it’s a pretty hard-core race, in and out of the cars, but it’s a challenge I really enjoy and racing around the streets is one of the real highlights of being an F1 driver. On track it’s one of the races where the pack bunches up a bit and that might give us a chance to do something special. Last year I finished 14th, one of our higher finishes of the season, so hopefully we can improve on that this year. We have KERS this year and a car that has good race pace, and as our car is slightly easier on the tyres than some of the teams ahead, maybe that will help us achieve a high race finish.”
Vitaly Petrov, Caterham
2011 Qualifying – 10th, 2011 Race – DNF
“I’ve raced a lot in Monaco, not just in Formula One. I had a podium there in GP2 when I finished second in 2009, which was good. In F1 I’ve raced there twice. The first time wasn’t so great but last year was pretty good, right up until the point I crashed! That was so disappointing, but I couldn’t avoid it. We had a good strategy and I’d had a good race up to that point, but that’s how racing goes sometimes. Monaco is an unbelievable place though. Normally, between Barcelona and Monaco we have just one week and I’d leave Barcelona on Sunday night and drive to Monaco, because on the Tuesday of the race week we have the football match for the F1 drivers, which is always great. The track itself is always a little bit dirty at the start of the weekend and it’s quite difficult to get tyre temperatures up during the lap. It’s tricky because the walls are so close. If you make one mistake or have a little bit of oversteer, you don’t even get a chance to correct it – you’re in the wall. It takes quite a bit of mental preparation and you need to be totally focused for every single lap of every session. The race itself? The atmosphere in the race is incredible. It’s just an amazing place to drive a racing car and I really love it.”
Mark Smith, Caterham technical director
“Monaco is a unique challenge, for the drivers and the teams. The fact we are in very different garage conditions to normal, and in a cramped paddock, makes it a tough race for the truckies, the mechanics and the engineers, but it is a race we all look forward to and one that everyone wants to do well at. The short length of the lap and the limited high-speed sections means there is much less difference in lap times than at somewhere like Barcelona. We all use high downforce settings, and we have a specific aero configuration we will use in Monaco and probably Hungary, but the days of cars sprouting all sorts of special wings just for Monaco are behind us. The cars may not look hugely different to how they appeared in Spain, but we do have as much downforce as we can find for the whole weekend in Monte Carlo.
“The other challenges are managing the brake cooling and tyre wear. Even though it’s a stop – start lap, the brakes are not put under huge strain as the speeds never get as high as a normal track, but there is a real emphasis on making sure we cool the brakes as efficiently as possible, and that is something we worked on at the Mugello test, so we are happy we have a good solution for that. For the tyre wear we have planned as well as we can, but we have seen so far this season that until we are actually out on track it’s almost impossible to know which teams will be hard on the tyres and which teams will be able to manage the degradation levels well. We have the soft and the supersoft compounds in Monaco, and if the wear rates on the softs are anything like we saw in Spain, strategy will be critical.”
***
OK, I’ll admit it: I wouldn’t mind being able to say, “I’m happy to be driving in Monaco, at home, in front of friends and family.” Here’s hoping my bet bet on Facebook pays off.
