Monaco GP: Williams Racing Grand Prix Preview

Round five of the 2021 Formula One World Championship brings us to the streets of Monte Carlo for perhaps the most famous race of the year, the Monaco Grand Prix. Encapsulating the sport’s glamour, heritage and precision, Circuit de Monaco runs through the centre of the Principality, with landmarks such as The Monte Carlo Casino and Monaco Opera House just metres away from the track. The tight and twisting 3.337km circuit is highly unforgiving, providing the ultimate test of both driver and car’s ability. As Nelson Piquet remarked, “Monaco is like riding a bike around your living room”.

The event marks a landmark moment for Williams Racing, as the team becomes only the third in the sport’s history to participate in 750 Grands Prix. To celebrate the momentous achievement, the FW43B will carry the names of 100 fans on its halo, as well as a special 750 logo. Content will also be shared throughout the weekend, highlighting the people that have made the team such an iconic sporting brand.

Dave Robson, Head of Vehicle Performance:
Returning to the streets of Monte Carlo is a great moment in the season, and a sign that things are continuing to return to normal. Having not been here since 2019, we are desperate to get the cars out on to the tight and twisty track and to see how the circuit has evolved over the last two years. Coming from Barcelona, we couldn’t have a much bigger contrast in circuit style and layout, but the basic requirements from the car will be unchanged, with driver confidence crucial to success.

With only 60 minutes practice sessions, the track is likely to be busy and consequently completing high quality clean laps will be difficult. Testing new parts is very difficult in Monaco and so we will dedicate most of our track time to dialling in both the car and the drivers to the street circuit in preparation for the all-important qualifying session on Saturday.

Pirelli have naturally brought their softest compounds to this event and this will be the first time that we have raced with this combination in 2021. All the compounds should offer long life and low degradation, but the Hard tyre could prove a tricky compound to keep in its ideal working window.

We are looking forward to taking on the challenge of this famous street circuit and seeing how much performance we can find from the FW43B and the drivers. The whole team have been encouraged by our recent progress and are very keen to maintain the momentum here in Monte Carlo.

Nicholas Latifi:
I think it goes without saying that I’m extremely excited to race around the streets of Monaco in a Formula One car for the first time. I’ve driven there for many years in different categories, but I’m anticipating that in an F1 car it’s going to be something quite a bit more special! The race is such a spectacle and so prestigious, and it’s a track I like, so I’m super excited and looking forward to getting out there.

I’m also really pleased to be part of Williams’ 750th race celebrations throughout the Monaco weekend. It’s a huge achievement for the team and I’ll be proud to have the names of 100 of our supporters with me on the halo.

George Russell:
I’m really looking forward to Monaco. It was a shame to miss the race last year due to the reshuffled calendar as it’s one of the most exhilarating and thrilling laps of the season. It will be great to be back, and I can’t wait to get on track and have the overall Monaco experience. It’s also going to be a huge weekend for the team as we mark our 750th race, which is an incredible achievement and something I’m proud to be part of.