Hulkenberg relishing chance to race in his 'back yard'

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Nico Hulkenberg is looking forward to next week's Monaco Grand Prix, which takes place almost literally in his back yard.

"There is no track like Monaco, it’s the highlight of the year," said the Renault driver. "It’s unique and special in every aspect and I massively look forward to it.

"It is probably the most glamorous Grand Prix on the calendar," he added. "There is no place like it to give you a buzz and a sensation of speed.

"Physically it is not the most demanding track, but you have to really concentrate and be very precise," he continued. "An error puts you in the wall and ends your race.

"As a driver it is about confidence," he explained. "You have to build it up step by step, session by session. The last thing you want to do is touch a wall as that will take all your confidence away.

"In qualifying you peak and take more risks and get closer to the barriers and really get on the limits. But it is a street circuit, we know what they entail. You have to be sensible and totally focused on the task."

Hulkenberg: 'We were there at every opportunity!'

Hulkenberg is buoyed by his success in Spain, which saw him finish in a season-best sixth place. The 29-year-old believes that he will be able to build on that momentum in Monaco.

"I am looking forward to race day and obviously I’m aiming for a good result," he said. "The track should suit us, especially with the supersoft and ultrasoft tyres.

"In recent years I have done well, so hopefully we can have another strong performance.

"Last year I performed there quite well and with the new cars it will feel even quicker.

"Overtaking is hard but it is a thrilling race and a huge challenge. I really love racing at Monaco."

And whatever happens over the weekend, at least Hulkenberg won't have far to go after the day is done.

"It is kind of weird to go home every night between sessions," he said. "It is
a nice change-up to the normal routine."

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.