21/05/2019
NEWS STORY
Cyril Abiteboul, Team Principal: "The first five races of the year have been disappointing but as ever we have adapted to address the situation.
"We understand the overall level of our car and the progress we need to make to satisfy our objectives, but at the same time, we appreciate the role circumstances have played in those five races.
We have the necessary ability, resources and resilience at Enstone and Viry, but also two determined and talented drivers to recover our real competitiveness level.
Monaco is a circuit that offers a huge challenge, and it's one that gives surprises too. Daniel enters this Grand Prix as last year's pole sitter and race winner and we'll be counting on his and Nico's experience to give the result we need to lift our campaign.
Chassis Technical Director, Nick Chester, looks forward to Monaco.
What are the specificities of the Monte Carlo track?
Nick Chester: It is a unique track, very slow, bumpy and tight. Each lap can be extremely busy and to allow the driver to focus solely on the driving, you need consistency from the chassis and engine every lap. Ultimately, Monaco is about confidence. When a driver is confident it can make a big difference, we will do everything we can to get Nico and Daniel happy with car balance so they can focus on the track.
How are the drivers working together now, with five races under their belts?
NC: They are obviously two great drivers, who provide good feedback and they are working very well together. They know what they want and generally agree on the direction they need for development. This helps us a great deal.
Have you carried forward some information from the last street race this season?
NC: We've had one street race this season so far, in Baku. The track itself is quite different to Monaco, with very fast sections, but some characteristics, such as the bumps and the tighter sections are actually very similar. We struggled with tyre temperatures and balance in Baku, but we learned a lot to carry forward and we conducted some specific tests in Barcelona to improve on these areas for Monaco.