19 May: Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday Practice Report - Red Bull Racing
David
Coulthard: Chassis Number: 3 Best Time 1st Session: 1:18.669, 9th, Laps: 15 Best Time 2nd Session: 1:16.184, 3rd, Laps: 21 “We’ve
been working through everything today, evaluating where we are with the tyres and set-up. Obviously, today’s practise is the first
stage of a long weekend, but things feel good. It’s difficult to predict where we will qualify, as it’s hard to know what the
other teams are doing with their fuel strategy. However, Monaco is one of those events that can throw up a slightly unusual result.
Maybe it’s possible to move slightly further up the field, we’ll just have to wait and see.“
Tonio Liuzzi:
Chassis Number: 1 Best Time 1st Session: 1:19.844, 15th, Laps: 21 Best Time 2nd Session: 1:16.640, 7th, Laps: 27 “I think
my times were quite good for the first day and we seem to be in good shape. We’ve been working hard on the car to get it ready for
qualifying, as it’s so important here in Monaco. On this circuit you can’t really pass so much. I felt more comfortable during
the second session and was happy with my lap times. We tried a few different set-ups and worked a little on the rear of the car, but
the most important thing was to adjust to the changing levels of grip. As the session went on, there was more rubber on the track
and the road surface changed with every lap. You have to be pretty careful here, even more so than normal.”
Christian
Klien: Chassis Number: 2 Best Time 1st Session: 1:17.511, 3rd, Laps: 21 Best Time 2nd Session: 1:18.815, 17th, Laps: 23 “Everything
went well during the first session. However, during the second one I had a problem with the traction control. I noticed it from the
second lap onwards and, as a result, had a spin in Turn four, crashed into the barrier and damaged the nose. We tried to fix the
problem with the traction control and went back out, but still it didn’t work so well. Despite the problem, we were quite quick
with the lap times. It’s a drivers’ circuit here.”
Günther Steiner, Technical Director: “We have to work on
the balance of both cars a little more, as Tonio and David are still not 100 per cent happy. Christian’s car had a problem with a
sensor, which prevented the traction control from working properly and resulted in his contact with the barrier. We will now analyse
all the data we have gathered on tyre performance, to ensure we make the right choice for the weekend.”
