Monaco GP: The McLaren MP4/24 is highly anticipated
For two weeks now, McLaren has warned its opponents that the British team will be a force to reckon with on the streets of the Principality. The car is built for urban circuits with sequences of slow corners. Expectations are therefore high for the team from Woking. After a disappointing weekend in Spain, Lewis Hamilton […]
For two weeks now, McLaren has warned its opponents that the British team will be a force to reckon with on the streets of the Principality. The car is built for urban circuits with sequences of slow corners. Expectations are therefore high for the team from Woking.
After a disappointing weekend in Spain, Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen will have a revengeful spirit on a circuit they particularly like. The goal is to solidify McLaren’s 4th place in the championship (13 points to date) and to score as many points as possible for the drivers.
Lewis Hamilton – Racing Driver
« Monaco is my favorite circuit. The sensation you feel at 175 km/h, trying to make a line as straight as possible between the barriers, skimming the walls with the tires, is incredible. It’s the best feeling you can have in a Formula 1 car. We expect Monaco to be a good circuit for our car because our package on the MP4/24 suits a succession of slow corners. I really hope our car will be fantastic and competitive to fight in the leading pack. »
Heikki Kovalainen – Racing Driver
« I really like street circuits, and I’m optimistic about having a good package in Monaco. Even if the result doesn’t show it because I was forced to start from the pits, I had a very good race here last year. I finished eighth. I hope to have an easier race this year! Using KERS in Monaco is one of the questions to know if the system will really be useful for overtaking other cars. After a disappointing race in Spain 10 days ago, I’m more determined than ever to achieve a good result. »
Martin Whitmarsh – Team Principal
« Everyone at McLaren Mercedes is proud of the achievements made in the streets of Monte Carlo by the team in the past. We have won the Grand Prix in the past two seasons, and McLaren has triumphed here 15 times, more than any other Formula 1 team. Consequently, we are heading into this race weekend with optimism. Lewis [Hamilton] and Heikki [Kovalainen] want to be competitive, and we feel that the MP4-24 will perform better in the streets of the Principality. »
