Ready to roll the dice in Monaco
Racing on the streets of Monte Carlo is a dream for many racing drivers and for Jazeman Jaafar it will become a reality next weekend when he takes to the track for the third round of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series. This is one of the supporting races of the most glamorous and popular Formula One event of the year, the 2013 FIA Formula One Monaco Grand Prix.
This iconic F1 venue will be buzzing with atmosphere, from the expensive yachts in the harbour to the adrenalin fuelled paddock. Jazeman is ready to soak it all up and put on a good performance for his debut on the streets of the principality.
The PETRONAS Talent Programme driver says of the upcoming weekend, “I am so excited about racing at Monaco. It’s one of the most challenging races for a driver with the walls so close and the tight, twisty turns through much of the lap. It is a low speed track, so it’s not about having a fast car; it’s about putting together smooth, efficient laps without any mistakes. Like all street tracks, there is no room for errors and any mistakes can prove to be very costly. Of course qualifying will be key here as well, as there are not many places to overtake, so the better the grid position the more chance there will be of a good finish.
“I have been to the Monaco Grand Prix with Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 team in previous years”, adds Jazeman, “so I know just what a great place it is, but also just how big a challenge it is for a driver to get the car working well. Setting the car up is not easy, with the bumpy nature of the track, the camber of it and the tight turns, particularly under braking at the exit of the tunnel, so I’ll be spending a lot of time with my engineer on this.”
Jazeman has been out in Monaco for a few days preparing for the weekend, saying, “ As there is very little running for this race I’ve been doing a couple of track walks with my engineers. I’ve walked it a number of times now, so I’m quite familiar with it as a pedestrian. However, I know it will be completely different in my race car. Every time we’ve been out to walk it or cycle it I’ve been filled with adrenalin for the challenge ahead of me. It really is a dream come true to be driving this track, I’m nervous, happy, emotional, excited, just can’t wait!”
The Monaco weekend differs from other Formula Renault 3.5 Series events, as there is just one race and very limited running during the weekend. A 45 minutes practice session on Thursday 23rd May kicks off the weekend, but with no running on Friday, qualifying takes place on Saturday with the field of cars split into two groups, with 25 minutes of running for each group. The race takes place on Sunday morning, 26th May, starting at 11.10 local time. The race will be shown on Eurosport. Check listings for details.