We can do well at Monte Carlo - Schumi
"I am really looking forward to an exciting week", declared Michael Schumacher today. The German is a real fan of the Grand Prix of Monaco, a race that will take place this weekend. The Ferrari driver will be leaving for Monte Carlo tomorrow. Schumacher will take part in the traditional football match between drivers and Stars captained by Prince Albert. "It is one my favourites, they are always great", commented Michael with a smile.
After two days of testing last week at the Fiorano circuit, Michael is certainly well prepared for Monaco. The seven time champion did not want to make predictions on the race given the form of the top teams and the nature of the sport. Everything is possible and nothing can be taken for granted until the chequered flag is flown".
Michael is hopeful: "I think that we can be optimistic about the race. I believe that we can do well. However, as I have said previously, I don't intend making predictions owing to the characteristics of the circuit. Monte Carlo is unique from this point of view. We have not yet tested out current car on a circuit similar to this one and so what we hope is to do our best. At Monaco things can change in an instant, above all in extreme conditions. This makes the races very exciting".
Michael has enormous experience behind him on this track. He is one of the few drivers that consider the technical difficulty of the circuit as a challenge. The German has obtained many good results here. "It is marvellous driving at such high speeds close to the guardrails. It is very tough. No mistakes are allowed and this makes things particularly arduous. Things improve if you have a car that allows you to keep pace with the leaders and this should include us".
Many in the know describe Monte Carlo as a race that is decided after Saturday's qualifying. This is because overtaking is virtually impossible at Monaco. "It is true: many think that qualifying heavily influences the outcome of the race", concluded Schumacher. "I do not think this is the case. For sure, it can be a disadvantage starting from the back of the grid and we certainly cannot allow a big gap to the leaders. If we avoid this, we can achieve a lot with the right strategy even though we do not start from the top spot. It is crucial to have a good strategy and a fast car. We have a great chance of victory even if we start from third, fourth or fifth.
