By Jamie Makin
May 30 2004

The streets of Monte Carlo have historically not been kind to team SAUBER PETRONAS. Twenty race starts have only rewarded them with four point-scoring finishes while they suffered through nine DNF's. Ironically, it was the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix that gave the team its most successful finish ever. Johnny Herbert stood on the podium in 3rd place with teammate Heinz-Harald Frentzen in 5th. The last time Sauber scored points in the principality was in 2000 with Mika Salo's 5th place finish. This year the team will hope to build on the momentum of the last few races to turn their luck around once again.

Driver Giancarlo Fisichella has been incredibly lucky in Monte Carlo in the past, having stood on the podium three times in eight starts. He achieved 3rd place for Jordan in 1997, 2nd for Benetton in 1998 and another 3rd for Benetton in 2000. Clearly this is a track that suits him well, no matter what team he is driving for. Fisichella talks about why Monte Carlo is one of his favorite tracks. "I really like the track. It´s the ultimate challenge, because you need speed and precision - two of my best qualities."

Fisichella is ready for Monaco, but is his Sauber C23 up to the task of getting him to the finish line? "The reliability of the C23 is in fact outstanding. It is the basis to be ready when something unexpected happens in one of the races." It's reliable, but is it fast? "Looking at our performance in Barcelona, I´m quite confident that we should again be in a position to score points in a 'normal' race, and in case something unexpected happens, I´m always ready . . ." Fisichella is clearly a man on a mission here, but does the car have any weak points? Sauber have struggled with pace in single-lap qualifying recently, and on the tight street circuit, grid position is more important than ever. Even so, Fisichella does not sound too worried. "It is down to tyres," he explained. "Michelin seem to have an edge on one lap, but the boys from Bridgestone are not sleeping! With further improved grid positions, we could surprise some people!"

His young, Brazilian teammate, Felipe Massa, has limited experience on the streets of Monte Carlo. His only Formula One race there in 2002 ended prematurely with a heavy crash into the barriers following brake problems. Still, he remains optimistic about his chances. "Despite that, I love the circuit! It is a difficult and challenging track, with the walls so close all the time. You have a much greater sense of speed as a result. You don´t let them intimidate you, but you do have to be aware of them because they penalise the slightest mistake."

Massa also felt the team has worked hard to give him a competitive car for this weekend's race. "We tested well in Fiorano in preparation for Monaco and have some more new parts for the car, so I hope we will be able to qualify well and therefore race strongly."

Technical director Willy Rampf confirms that the team will look strong for Monte Carlo, but is perhaps a bit more realistic in his expectations than the two drivers. "Our major weakness, no doubt, is Qualifying," Rampf explained, all too aware that grid position can make or break a teams chances. "It´s difficult for us to drive a very fast lap. The Bridgestone tyres showed very good consistency in the race at Barcelona, but in the first fast lap, which is so important for the grid position, we´re having difficulties compared to the Michelin teams. That´s why, in the end, we opted for a conservative Qualifying approach with heavy fuel load and a two-stop strategy at Barcelona."

The Sauber team has worked closely with their partners at Bridgestone in the last two weeks to remedy this problem. "Bridgestone knows our requirements and are working on them. Our tyre partner has made major progress particularly in terms of consistency as well as resistance to high track temperatures. Now, they´re working on further improving tyre performance with regard to a fast lap as well," said Rampf.

Sauber easily beat the ailing McLaren-Mercedes team in Barcelona. Could they be looking to do the same thing here? Rampf seems to think it's possible in the short term only. "We continue to see Jaguar and Toyota as our direct rivals for this season – this has not changed in any way. In sport, however, you always have to focus on who´s ahead of you, and that´s why we´re currently focussing on McLaren as well. Nevertheless, I expect that McLaren-Mercedes´ pluses in budget, manpower and technical resources will be making a difference during the course of the season."

Luck has been defined as "preparation meets opportunity". The Sauber team is certainly well prepared for this weekend's challenge. Opportunity may very well be provided by mother nature in the form of rain which is predicted to fall on and off throughout the weekend. The last rain-soaked race in Indianapolis last year gave Sauber a 3rd and 5th place finish, and their only one better than that, the 3rd and 4th in Monaco in 1996 also came in wet conditions. The stage looks set for more luck to come Sauber's way this weekend.

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