Experience counts for a lot in Monaco. Rubens Barrichello has raced in the Principality more than any other driver on the grid and he’s bullish about his chances in Sunday’s race.

Q: Rubens, what can you achieve in this year’s race?
RB: I hope to score points and we have a better chance here than we did in Barcelona as aero isn’t so important and anything can happen in Monaco. Qualifying is going to be important because a good grid position enables you to have a strong opening to the race.

Q: This is your 19th Monaco Grand Prix. You must know your way around…
RB: I live here and I enjoy racing through the streets. When I first came to Monaco in ’93, I looked at the track and thought it impossible to race an F1 car here because it was so tight. But we do it and it’s very pleasurable. I like Saturday better than Sunday because qualifying is such a buzz. You’re really close to the walls all the time.

Q: What do you need from your car in order to be quick?
RB: You’re asking for maximum traction and a good balance. If you have too much oversteer or understeer, you’re in trouble because the barriers are never far away.

Q: Will tyre wear be a big factor in the race?
RB: We’re using the super-soft tyre for the first time this year and it will be interesting to see how it holds up. When we last used it, during winter testing at Jerez and Barcelona, it was lasting only one lap. But the corners are slower here and there are only small lateral forces. We’ll only find out in the race on Sunday how long it will last because the track conditions are constantly changing prior to that as more rubber gets put down.

Q: Are you expecting much overtaking in the race?
RB: Monaco is no overtaking territory and it’s hard to see the situation changing this year, even with the DRS. Of course we’ll try to overtake, but this place is very narrow. In the past, we’ve seen people trying to overtake each other and they’ve run into each other. Let’s put it this way, if overtaking is possible here, then it’s going to be possible everywhere!

Q: There will be no driving on Friday; what will you do?
RB: I’ll work with the engineers to try and improve the car ahead of qualifying. I’ll relax a bit too. I’d prefer to drive on Friday as it makes this the longest race weekend of the year, but it’s great to drive at Monaco so you can’t complain too much!