"Monaco is the most famous race of all, where all the glitz and glamour of
Formula One is on display, and there is no question that it is a very special place over the race weekend," he explains, "Yet the qualities which make it so appealing also make it a frustrating weekend for the teams and drivers. It's unbelievably busy and getting around can be just impossible! When I'm not in the paddock, I'll be getting up into the hills behind the action to relax and give myself some space."
BMW Sauber – Nick Heidfeld (#9), Robert Kubica (#10):
BMW Sauber drivers Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica head for the Principality with the aim of further bolstering the team's third place in the constructors' standings, and equipped with a raft of technical updates aimed at giving them a chance to edge closer to the front on the seafront circuit.
"It is crucial that the car responds with absolute precision and predictability, because the tiniest of errors will mean hitting the crash barriers and the end of the race," technical director Willy Rampf explains, "Thus the car will go to Monaco with aerodynamic modifications, and we are using a front axle specially developed just for this race to ensure there's enough steering angle in the tight turns.
“We will also be introducing totally new front brake ducts and modifications to the rear bodywork, and we have developed a new front wing generating maximum downforce, which we used for the first time – successfully – in Barcelona. We will modify this wing again for Monaco.”
Heidfeld believes that he could have snatched at least a podium finish from the Spanish Grand Prix, leading during the pit-stops before falling foul of a botched stop that dropped him down the order. He eventually retired with gearbox problems, but is determined to bounce back in Monaco this weekend.
