Monaco is one of the great institutions in F1 - Theissen

Where glitter, glamour and pure motorsport meet: BMW Motorsport Director, Mario Theissen, provides his own views on the sixth round of the FIA 2008 Formula One season, the Grand Prix of Monaco. As for Theissen Monaco is one of the great institutions in Formula One. Like Spa, Monza and Silverstone, it's one of those circuits that have made Formula One what it is today.

Mario Theissen: "Monaco is one of the great institutions in Formula One. Like Spa, Monza and Silverstone, it's one of those circuits that have made Formula One what it is today. Monaco is Formula One up close and personal. Nowhere else do spectators get quite so close to the action as in the streets of the Principality. And no other Grand Prix is as famous or as glamorous as this one. The yachts, the parties, the show business - nowhere are they such an integral part of the Formula One experience as here.

"In sporting terms, the important thing in Monaco is driving precision, a good aerodynamics package to add as much downforce as possible, and an engine with good drivability at low revs. On reliability, I'm very satisfied with our record so far. With five races behind us, we've driven the maximum number of race laps possible at this stage in the season - apart from the 11 laps Robert lost in the first Grand Prix in Australia, after his accident with Kazuki Nakajima. We've finished well into the points in all our races so far, and we'll be aiming to repeat that in Monaco."