Monaco 2012 preview quotes: HRT F1 Team

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Published on 21 May 2012 12:06
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By: Rob Veenstra

The Formula 1 World Championship arrives at one of the most special dates on the calendar because the history, glamour and originality that surround the Monaco Grand Prix make this race a pure spectacle. This year there will be an even more festive atmosphere as its the 70th edition of the race. 43 different drivers have come away with the winners trophy since Englishman William Grover-Williams crossed the finish line first with his Bugatti in 1929 and many will attempt to get their name on that coveted roll of honour this year. HRT Formula 1 Team attends the Principality after having lived a very emotional week in Barcelona in front of its home fans and with its drivers, Pedro de la Rosa and Narain Karthikeyan, very motivated to continue working and progressing at such a unique circuit.

The Monaco Grand Prix takes place on the Principalitys streets, just centimetres off the guardrails, meaning that any mistake, small as it may be, is very costly. Its a high downforce track and very demanding on the brakes. Qualifying is very important because overtaking during the race is a difficult task.

Pedro de la Rosa: "Monaco is by far the most difficult and technical circuit in the entire Championship. The only trick to this track is to do miles and not change the cars set-up too much because you can find more time in the driver than in the car. We must try to do as many laps as possible on Thursday in order to build up some confidence for qualifying because its the most important thing in Monaco. Another major difficulty at this track is the traffic, its vital to complete a clean lap and make the most of it. Pirelli is bringing its soft and super-soft tyres so its even more important to do a good first lap with the super-softs as you wont have two laps with them. In the race the most important thing is to manage your strategy well and its more than probable that there will be a safety car so luck can also come in to play. Were all really looking forward to the race because its a less aerod ynamic track than Barcelona and, therefore, we expect to be closer to the leaders than in the last Grand Prix."

Narain Karthikeyan: "Street circuits arent my favourite but Monaco obviously has a special place on the calendar. Its not every day that you get to race in such a beautiful setting and with such a special vibe surrounding the race. Its one of the toughest races because youre so close to the guardrails that you know you cant make one single mistake. Last year I had a decent outing despite facing many problems in qualifying and practice. Coming away from a disappointing weekend in Barcelona, I am hoping for better luck this time and to get a proper chance to work with the updates we brought in Spain and have a trouble-free weekend."

Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal: "Monaco is a very special Grand Prix and a circuit that, in my day, I really liked to drive at because youre always very close to the guardrails and you cant make one mistake. Its a very demanding track mechanically, where drivers need great ability and suffer physically and psychologically because you cant make any slip-ups and therefore you need to be fully focused at all times. Its a tough test for the cars reliability and even more so if it is hot. We have minor upgrades for this race which we hope will help us to close the gap to the front pack. The team is really looking forward to taking on a beautiful race as is Monaco."

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