The Monaco Grand Prix was on the inaugural F1 calendar back in 1950 and it’s been a regular fixture since ’55. The layout of the 3.3km circuit has remained largely unchanged, the biggest updates taking place in 2004, when a new pit complex was built.

The track has the slowest average speed of any circuit in F1, but the proximity of the barriers and the lack of run-off make it mentally absorbing for the drivers. Most of the corners are blind and the track surface is often slippery, particularly at the beginning of the race weekend.

Pirelli will bring the combination of its Supersoft and Soft tyre compounds to the race. The teams have yet to race the Supersoft rubber this year, so they will have plenty to learn when practice gets underway on Thursday.

Monaco has been a happy hunting ground for McLaren. The team has taken 15 wins in the Principality, more than any other team, and Jenson and Lewis have each won the race once, in 2009 and 2008 respectively. They’ll be hoping to spray more champagne this year.

Jenson Button

“My win at Monaco in 2009 remains one of my favourite victories in Formula 1. Monte-Carlo is a place where every driver wants to win, but achieving it is so satisfying because you know you’ve conquered one of the toughest circuits in motorsport. Winning the Monaco Grand Prix will always be really special.

“I remember last year having a fantastic car beneath me and feeling really confident that I could challenge for the win. As it happened, circumstances beyond our control worked to pull that opportunity away from us, but I go back to Monte-Carlo with a little bit of unfinished business. I’d love to win for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, the team has a great history around Monaco and I’d love to add my name to McLaren’s Monaco winners’ list.

“This year, we’ll be running Pirelli’s Supersoft compound for the first time – which should be interesting. And while our car isn’t especially suited to the tighter confines of a track like Monaco, I’m optimistic of getting on top of the balance issues that have affected me for the past two races. It’s going to be a fantastic weekend.”

Lewis Hamilton

“Monaco is a very special circuit. It’s up there with Silverstone as the place where I most want to do well at.

“Even though Monaco has the slowest average speed of all the circuits we visit in a season, it always feels incredibly quick. That’s because the acceleration is so rapid and the walls so close: there really is no room for error. Apart from the run-off at Ste Devote, and the tiny escape roads at Mirabeau and the harbour chicane, there’s no room to make a mistake. But when the stakes are at their highest, I just find it more exciting.

“Still, it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that, despite pushing for the win, consistency and scoring decent points is currently the most sensible way to tackle this world championship. I’ve scored points at every race, and I’m only eight points off the lead of the championship. That’s a really encouraging statistic and it’s reassuring to see my approach is paying off.

“Nevertheless, I’m coming off the back of two relatively disappointing results and there would be no better place for the cards to fall in my favour than at Monaco.”

Martin Whitmarsh, Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“I’m incredibly proud of the team’s record at Monte-Carlo. We’ve won the Monaco Grand Prix more than any other team, and it’s a race we all regard as incredibly special, and integral to the sporting image of Formula 1.

“This is a unique event in so many ways – it places unique demands on the driver, the car and the team. Accordingly, winning in Monaco is considered a more significant victory than a win at other circuits.

“Both our drivers will arrive in the paddock feeling particularly determined this year: Jenson, because he will be determined to set the record straight after losing a victory in 2011 that many felt he rightfully deserved; Lewis, simply because he has been driving brilliantlys all season and a victory at his favourite circuit would be just reward for all his speed and commitment.

“For the entire Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team, too, we travel to the south of France feeling determined to string together a faultless weekend and to demonstrate our full potential. I have absolutely no doubts that the team is feeling very strong, and a win at Monaco would be the perfect fillip for their efforts.”

Sebastian Vettel:

“It’s something special to race in Monaco; it’s tight and there’s no room for error. It’s rough and, as it’s a street circuit, the road surface is uneven so you get shaken in the car and there is no room for mistakes. You have to push yourself and the car to the limit to be fast, you have to push as hard as on other tracks, but there’s no room. You can almost feel it when you are just missing the wall and just get through – but it’s a nice feeling. You need to be fully focused on track, it’s a special thing to win in Monaco.”

Mark Webber:

“Monaco is a really special track, it’s an old circuit in terms of when it was first designed and the layout hasn’t changed too much since. It’s got a bit easier from when I first joined Formula One ten years ago, but it’s still a test of man against the track and with the car. You’re racing other people, but it doesn’t always feel like it because the track is always asking you to give more. If you bite and try to give it more then you crash so it’s a very, very challenging circuit mentally. Physically it’s quite straightforward, but in the mind you need to be very disciplined and that’s the challenge around Monaco.”

Everyone who assisted got an insight of the facilities where the entire team is already working and saw the result of the team’s effort in these short but intense months.

Once the official act concluded all the guests enjoyed some Spanish wine offered by Marqués de Murrieta wine cellars, accompanied by the selection on pintxos that the prestigious catering company Arzak-Bokado has created at each of this season’s Grands Prix.

Honourable Madam Ana Botella, Mayoress of Madrid:

“I would like to thank HRT for choosing Madrid to set up its headquarters. I congratulate them for being the first Spanish team to obtain a Formula 1 license, there are only 12 teams and just being there is very important for Spain. They’ve written a golden page in the history of Spanish motorsport and for the people of Madrid it’s an honour and a privilege to have them here. In the Caja Mágica they have chosen the best facilities to become a sporting and technological icon and with this we are going to help Madrid to continue progressing and become an innovative city. With their presence we strengthen a sport that has thousands of followers and we give the citizens of Madrid a chance to get to know the Formula 1 world on the inside. I wish them the best of luck as their triumphs are also those of the people from Madrid and Spain”.

Carlos Gracia, President of the Spanish Motorsport Federation:

“Today is a very important day because we needed a Spanish Formula 1 team in Spain and now we have it. A few weeks ago I accompanied Jean Todt when he visited the facilities and he was impressed with what he saw. They’ve completed it in a record time, I’ve been by their side through this period and the effort they’ve put in is impressive and something we have to value, no one can complete a project like that. I’ve seen teams with more tradition who have been in Formula 1 for longer but I’ve never come across such a hungry and united team. We’ve achieved a lot but we must be patient, Formula 1 is the pinnacle of world motorsport and just being here and finishing races is a lot. I want to thank the Mayoress for making this possible. The Caja Mágica is a magical project and I hope she feels proud”.

Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal HRT Formula 1 Team:

“We’re extremely proud to have finally opened our doors to everyone and have shown what, since a few months ago, is HRT’s home. It’s been a lot of hard work but it’s a dream that has finally come true and an exciting project. This is the present but we continue to work looking ahead to the future to make this a top level sporting and technological centre and surely, with the help of everyone, we will achieve this”.

Pedro de la Rosa:

“It’s a pleasure to share such an important moment for the team with all of you. We’re satisfied because we’ve reached one of our targets which was to have modern and functional facilities like the ones at the Caja Mágica. And we’ve achieved it. We’re on the right path to consolidate ourselves and gain confidence and competitiveness. Being in the Caja Mágica will definitely help us to be quicker every day. As a facility it’s right up there with the rest. We’ve taken the first step but now we must take the next one and develop it for it to become a leading sporting and technological centre”.

Kamui Kobayashi (car number 14):

“I have good memories of Monaco. I finished fifth there last year, which was really great. Monaco is a very special track for the drivers. Our car seems to be strong on most of the tracks. Now it will be interesting to see how competitive it will be on a street circuit, but I’m quite confident it will be strong there as well. In Monaco a lot of things can happen, therefore it’s important to stay out of trouble and make it to the end. If we do that then I’m sure we will be able to fight for points.”

Sergio Pérez (car number 15):

“This Grand Prix is the most special one for me. I have been waiting to race in the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix all my life and, of course, after what happened last year I am looking forward to it even more. I strongly believe on this track the driver can make more of a difference than on any other track. As a team we are in good shape and I want to keep that momentum for Monaco. I also think our car can perform quite well on that unique city circuit. Of course I also think back to the accident I had in Q3 last year. To me it is like a watershed event in my career. There is a time before and a time after the accident. I learnt a lot from what I had to go through and I think it made me stronger. I really want to show what I can do in Monte Carlo.”

Matt Morris, Chief Designer:

“The Monaco track is probably the one where the driver has the most influence on the overall performance. Last year both our drivers were competitive – Sergio until his accident in Q3, and Kamui finished a strong fifth in the race. The main challenge for setting up the car will be to optimise the mechanical grip. I’m confident we will be able to handle this. The development package that we ran for the first time in Barcelona will also be used again in Monaco, so we will be able to carry over its performance gain. Pirelli will provide us with the soft and the super soft tyres. This is actually the first time this year that we will be using the super soft compound during a race weekend. We tested it briefly during winter testing in Barcelona, which is a track that’s not exactly suited to this tyre, but I don’t see us having any problems in managing this tyre compound. The track has been resurfaced in some areas, for example in the braking zone after the tunnel, so we have got rid of the bump there. That’s something the drivers have to get used to, but, if anything, it should be easier. One of the design considerations of the C31 was to improve it over the kerbs, so we should be stronger at kerbing compared to last year. We have been competitive so far this season, and I’m confident we can be very strong in Monaco as well.”

• During a typical Monaco qualifying lap, the driver makes over 130 significant steering movements
• Including other functions like KERS, a driver makes around 200 car inputs per lap – not including brake and throttle pedals
• On average, the drivers change gear once every 54 metres around a lap – in Spa, it’s once every 146 metres

Michael Schumacher

“Monaco is just a circuit of its own very unique character. In a way, you could look at it with a big portion of irony with regards to the contradiction that, for so many years we have successfully campaigned for more track safety, and then we deliberately race in Monaco. But in my view this is justifiable once a year, especially as the circuit is really so much fun to drive. Every time you go there, you just look forward to finally getting out and driving the track. Of course, knowing that I will lose five positions on the grid does not add to this feeling but this just means that I will have to try even harder. I’m actually quite confident that we should look reasonably good in Monaco due to the hard work that everybody in the team is putting into the development of our car. So let’s make the best out of the weekend.”

Nico Rosberg

“I love the Monaco Grand Prix weekend and it’s a great feeling to be driving at home, knowing that all my friends and family are watching. I have always been quick around the streets here, and I believe a good result is possible for us next weekend. The nature of the track should suit our car but as we have seen at every race so far this season, tyre management will be crucial. With five different winning teams so far this year, at least ten drivers have the chance to win in Monaco so this could be one of the most interesting races there for years.”

Ross Brawn, Team Principal

“The uniqueness of Monaco makes it one of those tracks where anything can happen, particularly in a season that has proved to be almost impossible to predict so far. Despite the logistical challenges of the weekend, Monaco is a race that everyone on the team and the drivers really enjoy, and the experience of winning in Monaco is something very special indeed. After Nico’s win in China, we have had two more difficult race weekends, but I am confident that we will start to see an improvement in Monaco as the developments that we have brought to the car recently take effect.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

“With five different winners from five different teams in five races, it has been an exciting and unexpected first quarter of the 2012 season.
Now Formula One visits the most atypical circuit of all, Monaco. It makes unusual, one-off demands of the cars: there are fast and narrow sections, but also eight corners taken at under 100 kph and over 4,500 gear changes during the race. It is also incredibly challenging and rewarding for the drivers. In Monaco, more than any other circuit, the driver can really make the difference, especially on a single qualifying lap. Both Nico and Michael have shown a great feeling for the circuit and the ability to master it in recent seasons.
After all the talk of unpredictability of the teams’ performance levels this year, there are also clear facts: three of five races have been won from pole position, including Nico’s victory in China. What’s more, the five drivers who have completed every race lap are all in the top seven in the current championship standings. Strong qualifying speed has been rewarded at every race, and consistently finishing races appears to be even more important in 2012. In the last three races, Nico has scored a total of 41 points, the second highest total in the field after Sebastian Vettel with 43. Our focus in Monaco will be to extract the maximum from our further developed technical package. Giving the drivers a car they can trust and feel confident in is worth more here than at any other circuit on the calendar.”

You visited the team’s factory in Oxfordshire today, what was the atmosphere like?
I arrived at the factory this morning and everybody I have met has been congratulating me and there seems to be a lot of optimism about what we can achieve this season. We had a gathering this morning with all of the people in the factory to celebrate our win and this allowed me to thank all of them for their hard work.

After your victory in Barcelona do you think you have a realistic chance of winning at the next race in Monaco?
We will certainly do our best. Our package is definitely getting better and although we don’t have the quickest car right now, we are improving very quickly. I have always liked Monaco and after Sunday I am certainly full of confidence.

Last year Williams scored only 5 points, but now you have a competitive car that has won a race. What do you think has caused such a dramatic up-turn in your performance?
We have a new technical team and they seem to be making a very positive impact already. I also have more experience now compared to last year and this is certainly helping me. I don’t think there is one single thing that has led us to improve this year, but a number of little changes that when put together have made us more competitive on track.

You showed no signs of nerves when battling with Fernando Alonso in Barcelona. Did you learn valuable lessons from your encounter in Melbourne when you crashed out on the final lap?
In Melbourne I was pushing very hard to get as many points as possible for the team and perhaps pushed a little too hard. After last year the team were desperate for a strong start to the season and I wanted as many points as possible. I learnt from that and the experience certainly made me a stronger driver in Barcelona. Fernando is a tough competitor with a lot of talent so it was a tough battle but this time I came out on top.

Some people have said that you are a paid driver who entered Formula One because of your sponsorship backing. Do you think your win has answered these critics?
I am very lucky to have such amazing support from Venezuela. The finances I can bring have helped me reach Formula One but also help develop the car and that is crucial in being successful. I don’t focus on these comments, preferring to do my talking on the track and do the best job I can for the team. Hopefully my performance in Spain has shown that I have the talent to be one of the best drivers.

We have had 5 winners now in the first 5 races. Do you think this unpredictability is good for Formula One?
This has been one of the most competitive seasons we have seen in many years and to have such a strong level of competition between the teams and drivers is a good thing in my opinion. It is boring for fans when one driver dominates, and this season feels a bit like GP2 with the driver being able to play a big part in the performance of the car. The tyres also allow teams to play around with different strategies so there is always the opportunity to move up if you take a gamble. We have worked hard on getting our tyres to perform well and this was certainly the case in Spain where I could do a longer final stint than others.

Heikki Kovalainen:

“Monaco’s the race everyone in F1 wants to win, and it’s not just a famous F1 race, it’s one of the biggest annual events in the world. For drivers it’s a pretty hardcore race, in and out of the cars, but it’s a challenge I really enjoy and racing around the streets is one of the real highlights of being an F1 driver.

“On track it’s one of the races where the pack bunches up a bit and that might give us a chance to do something special. Last year I finished 14th, one of our higher finishes of the season, so hopefully we can improve on that this year. We have KERS this year and a car that has good race pace, and as our car is slightly easier on the tyres than some of the teams ahead, maybe that will help us achieve a high race finish.”

Vitaly Petrov:

“I’ve raced a lot in Monaco, not just in Formula One. I had a podium there in GP2 when I finished second in 2009, which was good. In F1 I’ve raced there twice. The first time wasn’t so great but last year was pretty good, right up until the point I crashed! That was so disappointing, but I couldn’t avoid it. We had a good strategy and I’d had a good race up to that point, but that’s how racing goes sometimes. Monaco is an unbelievable place though. Normally, between Barcelona and Monaco we have just one week and I’d leave Barcelona on Sunday night and drive to Monaco, because on the Tuesday of the race week we have the football match for the F1 drivers, which is always great.

“The track itself is always a little bit dirty at the start of the weekend and it’s quite difficult to get tyre temperatures up during the lap. It’s tricky because the walls are so close. If you make one mistake or have a little bit of oversteer, you don’t even get a chance to correct it – you’re in the wall. It takes quite a bit of mental preparation and you need to be totally focused for every single lap of every session. The race itself? The atmosphere in the race is incredible. It’s just an amazing place to drive a racing car and I really love it.”

Mark Smith, Caterham F1 Team Technical Director:

“Monaco is a unique challenge, for the drivers and the teams. The fact we are in very different garage conditions to normal, and in a cramped paddock, makes it a tough race for the truckies, the mechanics and the engineers, but it is a race we all look forward to and one that everyone wants to do well at.

“The short length of the lap and the limited high-speed sections means there is much less difference in lap times than at somewhere like Barcelona. We all use high downforce settings, and we have a specific aero configuration we will use in Monaco and probably Hungary, but the days of cars sprouting all sorts of special wings just for Monaco are behind us. The cars may not look hugely different to how they appeared in Spain, but we do have as much downforce as we can find for the whole weekend in Monte Carlo.

“The other challenges are managing the brake cooling and tyre wear. Even though it’s a stop – start lap, the brakes are not put under huge strain as the speeds never get as high as a normal track, but there is a real emphasis on making sure we cool the brakes as efficiently as possible, and that is something we worked on at the Mugello test, so we are happy we have a good solution for that.

“For the tyre wear we have planned as well as we can, but we have seen so far this season that until we are actually out on track it’s almost impossible to know which teams will be hard on the tyres and which teams will be able to manage the degradation levels well. We have the soft and the supersoft compounds in Monaco, and if the wear rates on the softs are anything like we saw in Spain, strategy will be critical.”

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal, Caterham F1 Team:

“Before looking ahead to Monaco I want to talk about what happened after the race in Spain. We performed well in the race itself – both cars ran faultlessly and Heikki and Vitaly put in strong drives, managing their tyres well and getting as much performance as they could from the cars that afternoon.

“After the race I was absolutely delighted for Sir Frank and the whole Williams F1 Team that they won their first race in eight years. Williams is one of the cornerstones of F1 today and Sir Frank and Patrick have served as mentors for me in F1 so I owe them a great deal. When I saw what then happened in their garage I was obviously concerned for the safety of my team and all the people from teams up and down the grid who showed incredible bravery, putting themselves in the middle of a very dangerous situation to help a fellow team.

“Since the team returned to base I have received a very gracious communication from Jean Todt, thanking our boys for helping put the fire out on Sunday. The actions of the Williams team, people from our team and everyone else who helped out, stopped the situation escalating and it makes me incredibly proud to be part of a sport that shows such bravery and spirit. For us, teams like Williams set the standards we must reach on track, but we showed on Sunday that when faced we adversity we behave like a championship winning team. That spirit is at the heart of our team and it is what we will call on to keep progressing and keep fighting to emulate the teams ahead.”

Kamui, once again you have managed to score ten points for the team. What are your thoughts looking back at the race?
“The most important thing for us was to have confirmation that our new aero package was working well. It is definitely a step forward. After I had a difficult qualifying because of an hydraulic problem, I had to start ninth. I think the race performance as such was better than my fifth place suggests. Traffic in the race makes it more difficult to handle the tyres. If you looked at Lewis Hamilton, who was fastest in qualifying, you could also see it wasn’t an easy job for him to improve positions in the race traffic after he was forced to start last on the grid. Overall I am very happy and proud of what a great job the guys back in the factory did to further develop the car and, of course, what the crew at the race track did.”

Does the Sauber C31-Ferrari’s new aero package deliver what you expected?
“Yes, I think we have improved in the areas we wanted to. The car is better balanced through the corners now. In terms of stability I would say it is about the same, but stability always depends a lot on the track conditions.”

Kamui Kobayashi: Definitely a step forward

You had two super overtaking manoeuvres in Spain. Have you regained confidence in the car?
“I think so, I definitely had confidence in the car in Barcelona when overtaking. I also feel with the update we can now handle the tyre management better during the race. We had been a bit weak on that side before.”

How do you think the car can perform on the narrow street circuit of Monaco?
“It obviously provides an entirely different challenge than that of the Circuit de Catalunya. In Monaco the car is bouncing on bumps, you have understeer and oversteer when you are driving on the limit and the track doesn’t forgive any mistakes. I think our car will be better in Monaco than it was last year because it has improved in slow corners. In 2011 I finished fifth, so the target should be to finish higher up this year. However, even if you are given the best car in Monaco, in the end a lot is down to the driver to get the ultimate tenths of a second out of it.”

You will be attending the Champions League final of Chelsea FC versus Bayern Munich on Saturday. Have you ever been in a football stadium before for such a big match?
“No, I have never seen a match of that level. I only attended some games of lower leagues in Italy. Normally I am not a big fan of watching other sports, as I would rather concentrate on my own training. But now after I have decided to be a supporter of Chelsea FC I am very much looking forward to seeing them play in the stadium. This is professional sport at the highest level and I am getting very excited about going to Munich on Saturday!”

What are your targets for the forthcoming races?
“We have seen five different winners in five races. So you could say almost everything is possible this year. I believe we have a good car and good chances for good results. The final outcome always depends on a lot of factors. But what you have to do for success is to get every small thing perfectly right over the entire weekend. And this is what I’m aiming at.”

Russian Helicopters is a subsidiary of United Industrial Corporation Oboronprom. It is one of the global leaders in helicopter development and production with a number of special, innovative and widespread models, both civilian and military. Russian Helicopters is dominant in the Russian and CIS markets and is the leading player in the fast growing Indian and Chinese markets. The company is also rapidly increasing its presence in the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific regions.

As a global market leader Russian Helicopters leads the field in the use of innovative technological methods. This provides the perfect synergy between its high-tech business and the high-tech world of Formula 1. The global business interests of Russian Helicopters takes the company into markets worldwide, and now, through its partnership with Caterham F1 Team, Russian Helicopters will also be represented at Grands Prix all over the globe.

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal of Caterham F1 Team, commented on the deal:

“I am absolutely delighted to welcome Russian Helicopters into Caterham F1 Team. It is a sign of the increasingly strong relationships we are growing in Russia that we can attract partners of this calibre and we look forward to repaying their faith in us and Vitaly on and off track.”

Dmitry Petrov, General Director of JSC Russian Helicopters:

“Russian Helicopters are delighted to announce the start of our partnership program with Vitaly Petrov’s Caterham F1 Team. It is important for Russian businesses to support projects which positively raise the profile of Russian interests worldwide and as Russian Helicopters is a global high-tech company it is a natural step for us to support Vitaly, as Caterham F1 Team’s Russian driver, in his role in a high-tech sport which is enormously popular all over the world. Our helicopters are actively marketed internationally and I am sure that our involvement in Formula 1, a sport that is popular worldwide and is at the pinnacle of modern technology, will help us to strengthen the international image of Russian Helicopters, as well as contribute to the growth of investment in the Russian economy.”

“When BMW pulled out of Formula One in 2009, Monisha Kaltenborn was instrumental in the team’s survival and since then she has been doing outstanding work in her capacity as CEO,” says Peter Sauber. “Transferring one third of the stake to her represents an important step for me in providing continuity. My desire is to ensure that the company continues to be led as I would want over the long term. Monisha Kaltenborn and my son Alex, who joined the company as Marketing Director in 2010 and has since also been a member of the Board of Management, both embrace this aim. It means we can offer our employees a positive outlook for the future.”

CEO Monisha Kaltenborn adds: “For me this step is a mark of the greatest possible trust, which I will do everything in my power to justify.”