By Emma Aitken
May 20 2008

Lewis Hamilton has got a big point to prove in Monte Carlo this year. He feels the win was taken away from him in 2007 and will go to Monaco this weekend with a determination to take the win that he is sure should have been his a year ago. But Raikkonen feels the F2008 has what it takes to win too.

What is it about Monaco that makes this particular Grand Prix such a highlight of the season? It’s certainly not the over-taking, as we all know there’s little opportunity for the drivers to do any of that. I think it’s just the sheer spectacle of the thing; watching these supremely expensive machines scream through the streets of the highly elite, glamorous little jewel that clings to the Riviera is as unique as it is ambiguous.

 The prospect of a shake up in the field is another enticement of Monte Carlo. If you get it wrong on these streets it invariably means game over. And I’m not just talking about the race itself. Putting in a decent qualifying performance is never more important than it is in Monaco. Of course, if you feel it isn’t going according to plan then you could always park her up at Rascasse corner, thereby putting your nearest rival out of contention for Pole but I wouldn’t recommend it; penalties could be high. There are advantages to coming off early here though. Should the unthinkable happen and your race finishes before everyone else’s, you won’t have too far to walk to get back to your private yacht, where you can sit back and watch the rest of the race with a beer in your hand, surrounded by your mates. 

Speaking of Mr. Kimi Raikkonen, he feels that the F2008 is looking good for this weekend as the car has a far stronger high downforce package than that of the F2007. His testing in Paul Ricard did go very well for him and, when he’s on top form you’d be hard pushed to better him in qualifying. 

His team-mate, feisty Feilipe Massa reckons he’s more than capable of stepping up to the mike in the Principality. He admits Monaco is not a race that excites him. He did finish third here last season, but previous years have seen him make some serious mistakes. He claims he will be well prepared this weekend and is confident that the Ferrari’s will be able to stay at the front with the McLaren’s. 

“It will not be an easy race this weekend and we expect McLaren to be strong as usual, although I think we can be on the pace too.” 

But Lewis Hamilton is hungry for a win here in a Formula 1 car. He felt there was a gross miss-justice paid to him at Monaco last season. I am not going to rehash all of that here though; all of that is history now and we need to look forward. But Lewis will hold on to the memories of Monaco 2007 and if he channels all of that energy in to his race weekend his performance should be devastating. He dominated this track in Formula 3 and GP2. He is utterly fearless when it comes to throwing his car around corners and that is precisely what is needed this weekend. He’s the best man for the job and he is in the best car. The MP4-23 is a car well suited to this street circuit, with its tyres able to heat up so quickly which is a must-have for these cars in order to get direction change around the tight streets. 

Fuel loads and strategies play a major role here too. It’s a balancing act between a lighter fuel load to qualify higher up the grid and a heavier fuel load to run longer in the race and pit as late as possible. The two don’t tally. The front runners will more than likely run light in qualifying. The mid-fielders will run heavier to go further on in the race. This is where the likes of Renault and Red Bull could come in to contention for picking up valuable points. The two-stopper front runners on lighter fuel need to make sure they get in for their first pits and back out again in front of the mid-fielders who won’t be coming in for another 20 laps or so. If Alonso or Webber put in great performances and keep the likes of Lewis and Kimi honest then they are capable of upsetting the day as far as the top dogs are concerned.  

It seems unfair to say the best of the rest will need to keep up to see if they can pick up the spoils but that is still very much the reality in Formula 1 presently. The front runners as we classify them are very much at the front. There is a big gap to fill. But if it can be lessened anywhere throughout the season, it can be done in Monte Carlo. A mistake is not easily rectified through the narrow streets of this exclusive little place. If a McLaren or a Ferrari let a car get in front of them they will have a hell of a time getting that place back. If I have to put my neck on the line though, my money is on Lewis. He wants this too much. His determination will win this one for him if nothing else will.