Remi Taffin, Renault Sport F1 head of track operations: Monaco is one of the few circuits on the calendar where top end power is not critical. Less than 30secs - or less than one quarter of the lap - is spent at full throttle, which places an emphasis on the overall package's driveability rather than outright performance. That said we should not rely on chassis performance alone for results. We need to concentrate all our efforts on our own task.

Our focus for this race has been targeted to maximizing the responsiveness of the Power Units. We do this by exploring the lower limits of the PU and managing the low torque levels into and out of the slow corners so the driver gets the correct response when he needs it. In fact Monaco is a real driver-led circuit. Everything we do is geared up to provide the driver with the most positive car we can: he needs to trust the car will do everything he wants, respond when he wants and deliver the torque at exactly the correct time. Key corners will be the Rascasse, where the driver will just kiss the barriers, and the Swimming Pool where the driver needs to get on the brakes and then throttle extremely quickly, with a flick of the steering wheel.

Energy recovery is easy with the amount of braking points - the 19 corners are all taken at an average of less than 100kph and the MGU-K will have more than enough opportunity to recharge.

We go to Monaco determined to deliver a Power Unit that can fight for more than third position. We have yet more software upgrades to introduce following a successful test in Barcelona, which further improved the driveability and reliability of the systems. Likewise we have also been working with our partners, Total, to trial a new fuel that should deliver in the region of 10bhp more than before, a significant increase. While we know we have a tough battle ahead, we're really up for the challenge.

Monaco in numbers - with 1 being the easiest, 5 being the most severe

Internal Combustion Engine: 1
MGU-K: 4
MGU-H: 3
Battery: 4
Fuel Consumption: 1
Energy Recovery: 4

Renault Energy F1-2014 Fast Facts:

With only 30secs of the lap spent at full throttle, the MGU-H may not be used to recover energy at all since its contribution will be so small.

Since energy recovery under braking is relatively easy, Monaco is one of the few races of the year where fuel consumption won't be crucial, particularly as the overall race distance is so short.

Due to the lower operating range of the turbo internal combustion engines the drivers should not hit the rev limiter hard over the bumps this year. This will stress the PUs a lot less since hitting the limiter is potentially destructive for the internals of the ICE.

Renault engines have won the Monaco GP six times: twice with the V10s (1995 & 2004) and four times with the V8s (2006, 2010, 2011, 2012) but never with a turbo engine. Alain Prost finished third in 1983, as did Elio de Angelis and Ayrton Senna for Lotus in 1985 and 1986 but victory proved elusive. The 1.5l V6 did however capture pole on three occasions (1982, 1983, 1985).