Honda ready for unique Monaco test

Following a two-car points finish at the Spanish Grand Prix, the Honda Racing F1 Team has been hard at work on the test track in Vallelunga to fine-tune the set-up of the RA106 race car and its Michelin tyres for the harbour-side streets of downtown Monte Carlo.

In terms of chassis set-up, the one overriding concern at Monaco is downforce. Overall speeds are low – cars may reach a maximum of 290kph through the famous tunnel, but the average speed for a lap is less than half that. The result is that engineers throw everything they can at their cars to generate downforce and optimise low-speed handling. Securing a good grid position is vital since overtaking is truly problematic, while fuel consumption and tyre wear are not significant issues. It's a weekend that requires maximum concentration and consistency from drivers and team members alike.

“For the teams, cars and drivers, it also represents a tough challenge, confirms Gil de Ferran, Sporting Director. “The nature of the tight and twisty circuit emphasises different performance areas on the car than at other tracks. In preparation for the event, we tested a configuration of the Vallelunga circuit that most closely replicated the layout that we will encounter next weekend. During the test, we evaluated aerodynamic, mechanical and tyre specifications specially designed for the streets of Monaco.”

Monaco also presents its own special challenges for engines as Shuhei Nakamoto, Engineering Director at Honda Racing Development knows well: “We have been working hard on improving engine performance. We had a positive test around a specially-adapted circuit at Vallelunga, so we are feeling good for this special weekend in the calendar.”

Conceived by Antony Noghès, and always held on the weekend following Ascension Day, the Monaco Grand Prix remains the most famous race on the F1 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.

"Monaco is unique in many ways and it certainly has a special place in F1 history,” says de Ferran. All the preparation is done – our drivers enjoy the track – let the weekend begin!"