Lotus F1 Team
Lotus driver Romain Grosjean says having confidence is key to achieving a strong weekend at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Grosjean, who collected Lotus's first points of 2014 in Spain last weekend, has never finished in Monaco after crashing out of the races in 2012 and 2013.
The French driver, who regards the race as an 'unofficial French Grand Prix' says the changes made to the cars in 2014 will provide a different approach for the drivers.
"It will be a challenge," he said. "There will be less grip than in the past, so we will have to be careful with the right foot. In terms of mapping, torque, energy and fuel saving I actually think it will be easier than most tracks because the race distance is shorter so we shouldn’t have to worry too much.
"Of course we’ll need the best drivability possible around the tricky sections, but the most important thing in Monaco is to trust your car and have confidence in it."
Grosjean believes the reduced emphasis on engine power around the streets of Monte Carlo should aid Lotus but warned that the characteristics of the corners have not always suited cars produced by the Enstone based team.
"The emphasis at Monaco is on low speed corners, which is not our greatest strength, but the team worked with Monaco in mind during the Barcelona test," he said.
"Bumpy straights and a low grip surface are the other main Monaco characteristics and how well you adapt to them can make or break your weekend.
"We’ll do our best with set-up and of course Monaco is less engine dependent than most circuits, which is better for us. It was nice not only to score points in Barcelona, but also to be fifth on the grid in qualifying - if we can do that again in Monaco it’ll be very good for us."
