“It’s quite a difficult track, with the walls very close to you at times, but I did enjoy it. We have two practice sessions this weekend so that will be good for us, and we should be able to use it to our advantage to score our first points.”
With just the one race on the streets of the Principality, the Monaco winner can savour his victory perhaps more than at any other venue. The individual event also allows for a slightly tweak in the timetable, with an extra half-hour of practice on Thursday, before the usual Friday combination of practice and qualifying. With only an hour between sessions, a millimetre mistake could end the weekend before it’s even begun. Saturday sees business as usual with the 45-lap race following
F1 qualifying.
As in 2006, all sessions will be run on Bridgestone’s soft compound slicks. On a track whose characteristics change, not just by the day, but by the minute, grip on the narrow streets is essential and, on top of the levels of adhesion created by the Bridgestone rubber, the new 2007 aero kit will also be called on for increased levels of downforce.
It’s the only race at which the softest tyre is used - indeed, practice on Thursday will be the first time this season that drivers will use the soft compound, so those who contested the event last year should have an advantage.
“It is very difficult for drivers to overtake on the narrow circuit, so qualifying is important,"
Bridgestone's Hirohide Hamashima noted, "The drivers need to start from a strong position on the grid to have a good chance in the race, but driver concentration is also essential as the circuit is known for its limited amount of run-off area. Monaco should, as always, provide an interesting race for fans - and the tyres.”
