Monaco is a special place. Whenever you think of Formula 1, you also think of Monaco. It’s a privilege to drive a Formula 1 car around the streets there, and I’m very excited to do it again this year. I really like the location, all the boats in the harbour, the sea sparkling in the sun and the atmosphere. Everything about it makes it so incredible. It’s been a while since I’ve raced in Monaco, back in 2018, which is the same for Fernando actually. I think it’ll take us a little bit of time to get back up to speed and find the limits during practice. It’s the most challenging circuit of the year for a driver. You have to be on it and have confidence in the car.

There really isn’t a race like it and I’m looking forward to being there again this weekend. I’ve had two wins at Monaco in Formula 1 and I enjoy the strategic element of Sundays here. Qualifying will be very important, just as it was in Spain, so we need to work on maximising our one lap potential to make sure both cars do well on Saturday. Traffic management will also be key here. I’m looking forward to getting back to business this weekend. It’s a very challenging circuit and with the barriers either side of you for the entire lap is a constant reminder you can’t make a mistake. You have to concentrate so hard for the entire race distance. But this is what we live for as a Formula 1 driver and I enjoy that thrill you have with the sharp turns and bumps at every corner.

It’s great to have Monaco back on the calendar. It has a different feel to any other place we visit with the street environment, the location by the sea and the port with all the yachts. It is such a special place for every F1 fan and a circuit all race team members enjoy going to, and it should be even more enjoyable this year since we didn’t race here last season. The A521 is generally better suited to low-speed corners, even if we’ve improved it since the beginning of the season across medium and high-speed corners too. Generally, though, Monaco is all about downforce, mechanical grip and traction, but also places a high emphasis on the drivers. It’s a circuit where it takes drivers time to get used to driving so close to the guardrails and finding the ability within themselves to push the limits a little bit further in every single lap, but without exceeding them as the sanction is immediate. It’s a track where the driver really makes a difference in Formula 1.