Technical preview of Monaco with Spyker's Dominic Harlow

After testing at the Paul Ricard Circuit in France last week, the The Etihad Aldar Spyker Formula One Team is looking forward to the Monaco GP. Chief engineer, Dominic Harlow, discusses the challenges of the race at Monaco.

Dominic Harlow "From an engineering perspective the circuit in Monte Carlo makes for a unique challenge and one that is typically relished by the whole team. You are very much immersed in the action and as close to the cars as it is possible to get.

Monte Carlo is the only remaining street race on the calendar at present and it produces its own challenges. Setting up a car for this event is so enjoyable because it is almost completely without compromise; you go for maximum downforce, maximum mechanical grip, the softest tyre compounds, and the longest race strategies. With the tight hairpins and corners, Monte Carlo is also the slowest F1-track on the FIA-calendar; Fernando Alonso won the race in 2006, with an average speed of 150 km/h.

We expect this event to suit our package and have brought an aero upgrade tailored to this event combined with some suspension modifications that are part of our general development programme for the F8-VII.

Since Qualifying is so important at this event and traffic on the circuit could be a real issue we expect to see some interesting strategies called into play for the various periods of the Qualifying session and again for the race."