What's at stake in Monaco this weekend?

It’s quite simply the rendez-vous of the year. The Monaco Grand Prix is both the most glamorous event of the season, and a circuit that puts the drivers to the test like no other. In the Principality, the drivers’ job is to skim along the gleaming metal barriers. The tiniest mistake brings a heavy price: broken suspension and retirement. In the best of circumstances…

Only the very best enter the pantheon of winners in Monaco. On this year’s grid, Michael Schumacher is the man who has won most, but a young hero is looking to make life difficult for him: Fernando Alonso, who took victory two weeks ago in Barcelona, is looking to add his name to the list of winners at the famous race.

“The tyres will be critical,” explained the World Champion. “Michelin and Bridgestone are in the middle of a big battle, and we will have to see what they have brought here. But one thing is sure: no testing can really simulate Monaco. The thing that makes the difference is experience, and flair.”

For the first time of the year, the cars will be running in maximum downforce configuration. Indeed, some components will have been designed especially for this race. And while the headline act for this weekend is the duel between Alonso and Schumacher, other drivers could be in the hunt too. Monaco is one of those places where artistry at the wheel can make a real difference, and among the experts round the sinuous streets are Giancarlo Fisichella, Jarno Trulli and David Coulthard.

So what can we expect from the race? It will certainly be shaped largely by qualifying on Saturday afternoon. The new regulations could bring with them some surprises: it would only take a slow runner in the way, or a couple of yellow flags, and it’s elimination time. That means Sunday’s grid could take on an unusual appearance… and some of the top drivers will more than likely get caught out. As always, a poor grid position will hamper any chances of winning, so every driver will be aiming for pole on Saturday. It won’t just be Renault and Ferrari fighting it out – McLaren and Honda may also have something to say…