Jarno, do you view Monaco as a special race?
Yes and no. Winning the race in 2004 has been the highlight of my career and Monte Carlo always has a special atmosphere. There are the boats and the glamour and the history of the place. The Monaco weekend always has a 'feelgood' factor but there are the same meetings, technical debriefs and PR/marketing commitments as at any other race. You have to approach it in the same professional manner.

You always seem to go especially well in Monte Carlo. Why is that?
I like circuits where the driver's contribution is as important if not more important than the car. Obviously you always need a good car but I think Monte Carlo is one of those places where the driver can really make a difference.

What special qualities do you need in Monaco?
I'd say that two of the most important factors are precision and concentration. There is absolutely no margin for error at all. There are so many places where you can clip a barrier or put yourself out of the race with just a tiny error. It is a challenge and I really enjoy it. It is the circuit with the slowest average speed on the calendar but that's not the impression you get from the cockpit because the buildings are all so close. It is the same with the spectators - they always have a much bigger sensation of the speeds we are doing than when we are racing on a circuit with few visual reference points.

What do you remember about your win in 2004?
It was a great day for me and I will always cherish the memory. It is always special for a driver to win his first Grand Prix and to do it in Monaco was fantastic. The way I won it - taking pole position and leading from the front - was also very satisfying. I think Monaco has a special meaning to just about every driver and that was a fabulous day for me. I was always confident and knew that I could win races, but it is nice to prove it!

Is qualifying more important in Monaco than at other races?
Yes, because it is so difficult to pass. I'd say that Monaco and Hungary are the two races where qualifying is particularly important. In Monaco you can be three or four seconds a lap faster then the car in front and it is still almost impossible to pass unless the driver makes a mistake. You see so many times that the place a driver qualifies in Monaco is most likely where he finishes. If you want to be able to extract the maximum potential from the car in the race, you really need to qualify at or near the front.

Was it special to meet the Rainiers?
It was a tremendous feeling to be on the podium in Monaco and the presence of the royal family there and at the post-race dinner just adds to the special flavour that the race has. It brings home to you the history and the standing of the race.