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| EYES ON THE PRIZE ... Lewis Hamilton |
LEWIS HAMILTON will try to make history in Monaco on Sunday by becoming the
sixth winner from Formula One’s first six races.
There has been a different victor at each of the five Grands Prix run this
season.
That last happened in 1983. But six from six would be a first in F1’s record books.
Incredibly, there are several other candidates apart from Hamilton who are in with a chance of making an indelible mark by scoring their first triumph of 2012.
They include Red Bull’s Mark Webber and Lotus pair Kimi Raikonnen and Romain Grosjean, not to mention old fox Michael Schumacher.
But McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh has no doubt Hamilton would be the most deserving of the lot.
The team have made a string of gaffes which have cost Hamilton and team-mate Jenson Button dear, including the fuel fiasco that lost Lewis pole position in Spain.
But Whitmarsh said the 2008 world champ is in the right frame of mind to be a maestro in Monaco.
He added: “He deserves it — no doubt about it — so we have to work hard to make sure he has a good car, that we don't make any mistakes and he is in a position to fulfil his potential.
"We have been very strong at Monaco. We’ve won more Grands Prix there than anyone else and we go there with the belief we can win.
"But anyone who makes predictions at the moment in this sport would be nuts. It is virtually impossible.
"Five races in, we've had five different winners, five different constructors.
"After Monaco it could be six races, six different winners, but I hope not six different constructors.”
McLaren have won at Monaco 15 times, though their last success came back in 2008 courtesy of Hamilton.
Another triumph for the Woking squad will depend on whether they can get to grips with the Pirelli tyres that are making the 2012 season a rollercoaster campaign for all concerned.
Pirelli are introducing their supersoft rubber for the first time at Monaco.
It’s the fastest compound but also degrades quickly. And it will probably raise more questions than answers.
Whitmarsh said: “People get frustrated with these tyres.
“They're difficult, challenging, but they are contributing to an extraordinary season.
"There's no magic in trying to understand them. You have to work hard, look at the data, study it, try to effect and control, and deliver what you want to make sure you get the best out of them.
"We've some views and ideas. But as every race goes by perhaps we are left with a few more questions than we had at the beginning of the weekend.
"We're learning something but I don't think there is anyone here who convinces me they understand these tyres and knows how to confidently and comfortably exploit them on a regular basis.
That last happened in 1983. But six from six would be a first in F1’s record books.
Incredibly, there are several other candidates apart from Hamilton who are in with a chance of making an indelible mark by scoring their first triumph of 2012.
They include Red Bull’s Mark Webber and Lotus pair Kimi Raikonnen and Romain Grosjean, not to mention old fox Michael Schumacher.
But McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh has no doubt Hamilton would be the most deserving of the lot.
The team have made a string of gaffes which have cost Hamilton and team-mate Jenson Button dear, including the fuel fiasco that lost Lewis pole position in Spain.
But Whitmarsh said the 2008 world champ is in the right frame of mind to be a maestro in Monaco.
He added: “He deserves it — no doubt about it — so we have to work hard to make sure he has a good car, that we don't make any mistakes and he is in a position to fulfil his potential.
"We have been very strong at Monaco. We’ve won more Grands Prix there than anyone else and we go there with the belief we can win.
"But anyone who makes predictions at the moment in this sport would be nuts. It is virtually impossible.
"Five races in, we've had five different winners, five different constructors.
"After Monaco it could be six races, six different winners, but I hope not six different constructors.”
McLaren have won at Monaco 15 times, though their last success came back in 2008 courtesy of Hamilton.
Another triumph for the Woking squad will depend on whether they can get to grips with the Pirelli tyres that are making the 2012 season a rollercoaster campaign for all concerned.
Pirelli are introducing their supersoft rubber for the first time at Monaco.
It’s the fastest compound but also degrades quickly. And it will probably raise more questions than answers.
Whitmarsh said: “People get frustrated with these tyres.
“They're difficult, challenging, but they are contributing to an extraordinary season.
"There's no magic in trying to understand them. You have to work hard, look at the data, study it, try to effect and control, and deliver what you want to make sure you get the best out of them.
"We've some views and ideas. But as every race goes by perhaps we are left with a few more questions than we had at the beginning of the weekend.
"We're learning something but I don't think there is anyone here who convinces me they understand these tyres and knows how to confidently and comfortably exploit them on a regular basis.
"It has become an incredible feature of this championship. And inadvertently
or otherwise, it is creating the extraordinary season we are seeing."
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