Nico Hülkenberg admits there is no place like Monaco as Formula 1 arrives at the Circuit de Monaco for the sixth round of the championship, with the German eyeing a return to the points after two consecutive races where he has failed to see the chequered flag.
The jewel in the Formula One calendar is a special place for many of the drivers and Hülkenberg feels that nothing can be compared to it.
“Nothing compares to Monaco, there is no place like it,” said Hülkenberg. “It’s the highlight of the year and the race I most look forward to.
“It’s just so unique and special in every aspect; the glitz, the glamour, the circuit itself, the whole vibe is amazing throughout the weekend. It’s one of those tracks which give you a sensation of speed and, in turn, a real buzz.”
Monaco is one of the toughest tracks on the calendar with any mistake being punished and the German driver is well aware of that.
“From a physical point of view, it’s not the most demanding circuit, but it requires a lot of concentration, precision and discipline,” said the German. “It’s not a high G-force track, as it’s mainly low speed, but it’s full on, a busy lap and means concentration levels have to be on point.
“Any error will put you in the wall and that means game over. You have to be confident as a driver in Monaco, and believe in your car. It’s usually a thrilling race, anything can happen, even though overtaking is difficult.
“But that’s the challenge, and I really love racing at Monaco.”
The Renault Sport Formula One Team driver retired due to a gearbox issue last year in Monaco but has previously had strong results around the track and knows that he has to build up his confidence throughout the weekend as he aims to make up for the disappointments of crashing out in both the Azerbaijan and Spanish Grand Prix.
“You build that confidence up in stages, lap by lap, session by session,” said Hülkenberg.“There isn’t much point in getting over excited, or confident too quickly because you’ll soon find yourself in the wall.
“Qualifying is where you need to peak and take those risks, getting closer to the barriers and on the limit. That’s when you find that buzz and that excites me.”
