Monaco F1 race excites Raikkonen

Kimi Raikkonen is looking forward to Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix, a race the Finn rates as the most important of the Formula One season.

The 27-year-old former McLaren driver won in Monte Carlo in 2005 and is hopeful of securing his second victory of the season this weekend.

"If I had to follow Formula One as a spectator and had to choose one race, I would have no doubt, I would go to Monte Carlo, " said Raikkonen.

"It is the most important amongst all the Grand Prix, with an extraordinary combination of the emotions during the race, the particularity of the place and the prestige, surrounding the event. "It must be as wonderful to watch this race, as it is to participate in it. Not so much as far as the race is concerned but more in terms of the challenge.

"Driving fast in a F1 car through these streets is the biggest challenge of them all for sure. I love challenges: the more challenging they are the more I'm attracted. I really can't wait to race this GP. "This is a very special place for me and I will never forget my success in 2005, in a race, which I think was one of my most beautiful ones.

"It will be the seventh time I am going to race here and the first time with Ferrari. As usual we will have lots of work to do, but I hope I can also pass some time with my friends and family.

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Michael Schumacher: “In the future - who knows?”

by Don Suseelan

Michael Schumacher’s cryptic answer to the question “Might we see you in a racing car sometime in the future?” only helps to give rise to more questions on his future than answering any. Schumacher, who had been keeping a low profile since his retirement from Formula One racing last year, was spotted in the Ferrari camp at the Barcelona grand prix this year. And despite repeated questions he maintained that he had no specific role and was “just observing”. He downplayed remarks on his individual brilliance and maintained that it was always the team that counted.

A lot of people still believe that Schumacher may return to Formula One racing if not as a full time driver at least on a part- time basis. But there are, also, a lot of people who believe that his single handed dominance of the sport in the past decade has actually done a lot of harm. The competition was always for the second place. This was not helped by the fact that Schumacher’s style of driving did not win him many friends on the track. His purportedly willful collisions in the title deciding races in 1994 and 1997 left a lasting blemish on his reputation.

However, the fact remains that Schumacher is, and for a long time will continue to be, the most successful driver the sport has ever produced. He currently holds nearly every record in Formula One racing and his name, together with Ferrari, will remain as the sports best known and most successful team.

The emergence of new and young drivers, notably Lewis Hamilton, is one reason some people believe that the return of Schumacher is improbable. Improbable, yes - but not impossible. Schumacher was a man who always stood up to challenges. Add to that his statement that he has not completely ruled out a return to racing and who knows – an interesting duel between Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton might be on the cards.

Honda Team Heads to Monte Carlo Next Week For The Highlight of The F1 Calendar

Conceived by Antony Noghès, the Monaco Grand Prix remains the most famous race on the Formula One calendar. First held in 1929, the street circuit is tight, twisty, bumpy, slow and totally unforgiving - an anachronism for today’s Formula One cars that gasp and crawl around its 3.340 km lap. To this day, Monaco remains the race that every driver dreams of winning sometime in their career.

RUBENS BARRICHELLO:
“Like most drivers, Monaco is one of my favourite races and I have some fantastic memories as I have finished on the podium four times there. Monaco is unique in many ways and it certainly has a special place in F1 history. I particularly enjoy qualifying at Monaco, it’s one of the biggest challenges of the year and so important to get right. Overtaking is very difficult so you have to qualify well and get a good grid position. Strategy is also crucial in Monaco as the pit-stops can help you gain track position. “

JENSON BUTTON:
“Monaco is the most famous race of all, where all the glitz and glamour of Formula One is on display, and there is no question that it is a very special place over the race weekend. It’s a very different race from any other on the calendar with so much history and it means even more to me as I live in Monaco, so it is one of my home races. Yet ironically the qualities which make it so appealing also make it a frustrating weekend for the teams and drivers. It’s unbelievably busy and getting around can be just impossible! When I’m not in the paddock, I’ll be getting out of the Principality and up into the hills behind the action to relax and give myself some space.

A Race of Attrition or Sheer Blinding Brilliance by One Man, Monaco Always Delivers

The streets of Monte Carlo always throw up an exciting race. Whether it’s a game of tactics, a race of attrition or sheer blinding brilliance by one man, Monaco always delivers. This time last year we arrived in Monaco with Nelson Piquet Jr at the top of the championship table.

An almost perfect weekend from eventual champion Lewis Hamilton, however, turned the tables well in the Englishman’s favour. With just the one race on the streets of the Principality, the Monaco winner can savour his victory perhaps more than at any other track of the year, and as is traditional, will take his place by Royal Invitation alongside the winner of the Formula One Grand Prix at a gala dinner on Sunday evening.

With Monaco holding its own as one of the truly individual circuits in global Motorsport, it is perhaps unsurprising that the weekend format has been slightly tweaked for this race, allowing more track time but an absolutely miniscule margin for error. Thursday sees one half hour practice session at midday, before the insanity of Friday descends. It’s all go as the Series contests a half hour practice at 09:00 with qualifying taking place at 10:30. With only an hour between sessions, a millimeter mistake could end your weekend before it’s even begun.
On Saturday it is business as usual with a 16:00 start for the 45 lap race. As in 2006, all sessions will be run on Bridgestone’s soft compound Slick Potenza tyres. On a track whose characteristics change not just by the day but by the minute, grip on the narrow streets is essential and on top of the levels of adhesion created by the Bridgestone rubber, the new 2007 aero-kit will also be called on for increased levels of downforce.