"There's nothing better than driving at Monaco," says Jenson
Friday 27 May 2016 16:57, UK
Jenson Button says he will never get bored of the unique test of skill and concentration presented by Monaco's iconic circuit.
While the circuit has gained an unwelcome reputation for producing processional racing, the drivers themselves remain adamant that the legendary circuit - arguably the most famous in motorsport - continues to represent the ultimate challenge for man and his machine.
Earlier this week, Lewis Hamilton described a lap of the revered 3.4km circuit as "one of the purest thrills you can have in a racing car" while championship leader Nico Rosberg said Monaco was "the most legendary, exciting and challenging event on the calendar - the ultimate driver's track."
Those sentiments were echoed by Button - like Hamilton and Rosberg, a Monaco resident - as he prepares for his 17th race at the unique setting.
"I really enjoy it. When you have a good car underneath you, and the balance is right which you are confident with under braking, there is nothing better than driving around Monaco. It doesn't matter what you're in - or at the front, the middle or the back - the whole way round you are pushing the limits," said Button.
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"You are always trying to find that extra thousandth of a second. It's a very special place and a special grand prix. We will never get bored of it and it's also very special that it has never changed - and probably will never change."
But while Button added "a lot of other circuits can learn from this place", the Englishman was, ironically, the victim in a freak incident during Thursday practice when a loose drain became dislodged and clattered into his McLaren, wrecking the front-wing. It was, nevertheless, an accident which could have had a far worse outcome.
"It was an incident that we definitely don't want to see again. We were lucky in a way that it only damaged the car," said the former world champion.
According to team-mate Fernando Alonso, the incident has reinforced the case for introducing a form of canopy protection in F1 next year.
"Maybe sometimes it's a drain that comes away, sometimes it's a bird, sometimes it's a mechanical part from another car that can hit yourself," Alonso told Sky Sports News HQ. "So this is another reason to come back to the canopy idea. Let's make sure that between all of us, the sport in general, we minimise the risk that will be always there."
Watch the Monaco GP live on Sky Sports F1. The race starts at 1pm on Sunday, with build-up underway at 11.30am. Or watch the race without a contract for £6.99 on NOW TV.
