Toto Wolff: Monaco remains one of the most prestigious races on the calendar. There is so much history and ceremony around the event, but none of that changes our task. We need to build through practice and be in a position to deliver when it matters.

Qualifying in Monaco is always thrilling. With this new generation of smaller, more nimble cars, the challenge should be even more pronounced. To be in with a chance of victory on Sunday, you need to have a good Saturday. It will be an impressive spectacle and one we are looking forward to.

We head into the weekend without any assumptions though. Monaco is a circuit different to any other on the calendar. A car that has been competitive elsewhere is not guaranteed to be strong here. The margins are small, the consequences are high, and previous performance does not always translate. We will need to be at our best throughout if we are to continue our recent form.

Third Driver Insight with Frederik Vesti: Monaco is one of the most prestigious races on the calendar. It's the one most drivers would choose to win if given the opportunity. I had the chance to take victory here in F2 so it holds a special place in my heart.

What it takes to be fast in Monaco is commitment, precision and total focus, with constant judgement between risk and reward at every corner. You have to drive in a way that feels almost like you're about to crash, especially in qualifying, because you need to be right on the limit to extract the maximum from the car. That's what makes it such a thrill.

Then there's the atmosphere: the boats, the harbour, the elevation changes. There's so much happening, it can feel chaotic, but that's exactly what makes it such a unique and exciting weekend.

In the race, overtaking is extremely difficult, so there's a huge emphasis on qualifying. If you do a strong job on Saturday, it sets you up for a successful race. As a team, we're focused on making the most of the weekend. I can't wait for it!

Stats & Facts

• The FIA has decided there will be no Straight Mode (SM) this weekend in Monaco due to the short straights and lack of run-off.

• The race sees the highest lap count of any event with 78 laps of the circuit forming the Monaco Grand Prix. It is the only race that does not adhere to the FIA's mandated 305 km minimum distance, measuring 260.286 km.

• A tighter and narrower pitlane than most F1 tracks means Monaco has a pitlane speed of 60 km/h, rather than the usual 80 km/h.

• Monaco, along with Jeddah, has the most number of right hand turns on the F1 calendar with 11.

• The first-ever Monaco Grand Prix was organised in 1929 by Antony Noghès. The final corner of the circuit is named in his honour.

• The 1996 event holds the record for the F1 race with the fewest finishers. Only podium scorers Olivier Panis, David Coulthard, and Johnny Herbert finished the race.

• Brazilian legend Ayrton Senna took five successive victories at the track between 1989 and 1993, a joint F1 record for consecutive wins at the same Grand Prix, equalled by Lewis Hamilton at the Spanish Grand Prix (2017-2021).

• With three victories around the streets of the principality, Lewis Hamilton is the most successful driver on the current grid at the Monaco Grand Prix (2008, 2016, and 2019). Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen have two wins; Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris have one.