In FP1 we didn’t get quite as much running as we’d hoped due to a combination of factors, including the virtual safety car interruptions and finally the red flag which ended the session early. FP2 was a lot better and we managed to get through a lot of work, which was quite satisfying, but there is still a lot to do in order to be prepared for the rest of the weekend. Today was the first time I have ever driven around this incredible track and also the first time we have run the Ultrasoft tyres, so a lot going on but all in all not a bad start to the weekend and now I can’t wait until Saturday to get back out there again.

Today was going pretty well until my crash at St. Devote. I’d had a good morning, we’d been working our way through the run plan and I was looking forward to trying out the Ultrasoft tyre. Unfortunately I braked a little too late and hard and lost the car on the exit of the tunnel and into the chicane. Thankfully the impact with the Armco was not so bad and the car isn’t too badly damaged. Plus, we have the extra day to prepare the car, which eases the pressure on the guys a little. However, it’s unfortunate and it’s a shame that I wasn’t able to complete the programme as preparation is key here. Better luck in FP3 I hope.

It’s been an interesting start to our Monaco weekend, with all the various incidents on track reminding everyone just how unforgiving this circuit can be. Unfortunately, Rio was one of the drivers to receive a stark reminder of this on the exit of the tunnel and on his first run with the Ultrasoft tyre but thankfully the damage was relatively minor and it won’t keep the mechanics here too late tonight, although Rio could well find himself buying the boys a drink or two sometime over the weekend. The stop-start nature of the day hampered progress a little but with Pascal we managed to get through a lot of work and he was clearly revelling in his first taste of this circuit. Generally, a reasonably positive start and let’s see how things pan out on Saturday.