Monaco is a fantastic show for the people - Alonso

After winning his home race at the Circuit de Catalunya and after the Roadshow in Seville yesterday, World Champion Fernando Alonso is looking forward to the Grand Prix at Monaco this weekend. Alonso, like all the other drivers, underlines the importancy of the qualifying session on the street circuit in Monaco.

"Monaco is different to anywhere else, completely different. First of all, we run a special set-up to cope with the bumps and tight corners, so the car feels very different and is quite hard to drive. The circuit is so tight, that it is hard to get the car and tyres to the maximum, or to use maximum power on this track. At the end of the day, from the point of view of getting maximum performance from a Formula 1 car, this is not my favourite circuit."

"For me, Monaco is a show for the people. As drivers, I think we have to help make that show we provide, enjoy it and try to be as spectacular as possible for the fans."

"It is nearly impossible and in Monaco, sometimes you have to guess a little bit with set-up, and make changes thinking about qualifying and the race, not the immediate moment. The circuit starts the weekend very dirty and cleans up with every lap, getting better and better all the time. So you have to have some guesses, and put a set-up on the car, then work from there."

"For sure, we set-up the car for qualifying, and work all weekend to get that perfect lap. If you are on the front row, then if you finish the race, it is almost 100% certain you will be on the podium. If you are not in the top five in qualifying, then you can forget the podium. So qualifying is where you need to take a lot of risks, but necessary risks. It is the key to the race."

"I think everybody will be a little bit worried about qualifying. Already in Monaco, you normally have a lot of traffic in every session, and this year qualifying will be very tough. I think the first 15 minutes will be hardest because one yellow flag, or if the guy in front has problems, then you could be out. So we need to be careful, and for sure we will have a different strategy to make sure we get into the top ten."

"I think the car will be quick there. You need good traction at this circuit, and that has been a strong point for the R26 all the way through the season so far. Michelin did a fantastic job in Spain, and they have always been very strong in Monaco, so they should be there as well. This has been a good Renault track in the past but more than ever, we will need a perfect, mistake-free weekend to fight for the win. That will be what we are focusing on."