16/05/2024
NEWS STORY
Before Lance and Fernando take to the streets of Monaco, Aston Martin Aramco Team Ambassador Pedro de la Rosa looks ahead to the weekend and gives us a driver's-eye view on one of the most challenging and enthralling events in motorsport.
How does a driver feel during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend?
Pedro de la Rosa: "You feel the excitement and the pressure from the very first lap in Free Practice. There is no time to relax, from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave. You have to pace yourself and make sure that you gradually get your rhythm before pushing the limits.
"You must be very alert. If your engineer tells you to change a setting like the engine map or the brake balance on the steering wheel, it is very difficult to find the moment to do that. Monaco is the ultimate challenge for an F1 driver."
Monaco has been on the calendar since the inception of the Formula One World Championship. What has changed and remained the same since the inaugural Formula One Grand Prix in the principality?
PdlR: "The asphalt has got a lot smoother. Some areas on the circuit used to be quite bumpy and when the track was green at the start of the weekend it was difficult to go full throttle because the cars would jump and get unsettled over the uneven surface.
"Safety at the circuit has improved too. The organisers do a great job of setting the circuit up with Armco barriers and catch fencing, preventing repeats of Alberto Ascari's trip to the water in 1955!
"Other than that, though, the circuit hasn't changed much since the first race here and that's the great thing about Monaco. It still has its own personality and it is very distinctive - the track layout is very similar to what it was when it was first introduced. If Ascari or Juan Manuel Fangio saw it today, they'd instantly recognise it. It's like no other circuit in the world."
Monaco is a unique challenge. How will the AMR24 fare on this tight and twisty circuit?
PdlR: "Monaco is ultra-low speed and requires a unique car setup that you won't use anywhere else. In Lance and Fernando, we have two very experienced drivers, so after the first few laps in FP1 we should know where we will likely be because they don't need many laps to get up to speed. Monaco also presents another opportunity to keep learning about our recent updates. Qualifying well is going to be key to a good race."
Qualifying in Monaco is one of the most thrilling spectacles in motorsport. How does Saturday in the principality challenge the drivers?
PdlR: "Qualifying in Monaco is so important - you need to focus your car setup on that one lap.
"Saturday is everything. You go into Qualifying as motivated and nervous as you are for the start of a Grand Prix and you're like that for the full session. You're drained afterwards, because 90 per cent of the weekend is effectively done. You've done the most difficult part and then it's very tough to sleep on Saturday night because you've given it your all and your adrenaline levels are super high. Qualifying is the biggest and most thrilling challenge of the Monaco weekend."
How much of a difference can the driver make in Monaco?
PdlR: "The driver can make the difference at Monaco perhaps more than anywhere else. The track evolution is high; taking advantage of that can pay real dividends in Qualifying. In the final seconds of Quali, if you pick the right time to go out and you nail it, you can achieve a super-fast lap.
"It's one of those tracks where you leave it as late as possible to run in Qualifying and you throw everything at it. It's maximum attack. The driver can change a lot through the steering wheel but it's not easy to do in Monaco. It takes a lot of stress and concentration but if you manage to optimise the car for every corner during a Quali lap, it really pays off. You can only do that if you have the brain capacity to concentrate on all those areas at the same time as driving flat-out, millimetres from the wall. That's why the best drivers always shine in Monaco."