The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the best examples of Murray Walker's old adage, "to finish first, first you must finish."
The tight and twisty street circuit ia s formidable challenge in a modern Formula 1 car. A single mistake at any point can ruin a driver's entire weekend. So it's understandable that McLaren's Stoffel Vandoorne is putting safety first as he heads into the sixth race weekend of 2018.
“In Monaco, the whole race weekend is about staying out of trouble," said the 26-year-old Belgian. "You never really know what to expect there but that’s what makes this track so special.
"Monaco is typically a race of attrition. So while the aim is always to stay out of trouble as much as we can, it’s also to stay out of the barriers!
"Even if you’re not directly involved in an incident, the Safety Car can cause chaos in itself on a slow-speed track such as this, which can create more drama."
Vandoorne has been in the points in three of the first five races of 2018. However he failed to finish the Spanish Grand Prix because of a gearbox failure.
“Our first DNF of the year in Spain wasn’t the result we hoped for," he sighed. "But we’ve investigated and hope we won’t see any repeats of the same issue."
He made up for the disappointment with two days of in-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. That's significant, because parts of that track are similar to corners he'll be facing this weekend in Monaco.
“The test in Spain gave us some great information that we’re already putting to good use in Monaco," he agreed.
"Of course, it’s a very particular kind of track with different characteristics to others. But we can still adapt what we’ve learned and hopefully continue our step forward in performance."
McLaren sporting director Eric Boullier agreed with his young driver that Monaco could offer the team the opportunity to gain from the misfortunes of others - provided it could stay out of trouble itself.
"Monaco has its infamous reputation for good reason," he said. “This track divides those who can and those who can’t more than any other circuit we race at
"That’s what produces the exciting racing and crazy drama we all love about Monaco," he added. "It goes without saying that reliability is a key factor in Monaco.
"Since there tends to be a fair amount of drama, finishing the race with both cars intact is the first step.
"As for points, anything can happen and we’ll be battling hard as always. With reliability, a good strategy and two drivers that know this track well, it’s all to play for."
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