Monte Carlo(Monaco): Kimi Raikkonen hopes to pull off a double this weekend.
A victory at the Monaco Grand Prix would be his second straight in Formula One's most prestigious race, an apt way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of McLaren-Mercedes' first race in F1.
It won't be easy. No driver has won two in a row on the quirky street course since Michael Schumacher did it in '94 and '95.
"To lay the foundation for a good result you have to perform well in qualifying," Raikkonen said. "In Monaco overtaking is almost impossible as the track is so twisty and narrow. Because of this, I am sure we will see some interesting strategies from all the teams. You need to be precise."
Raikkonen won last year on the 3.34-kilometer (2.076-mile) circuit, claiming an easy victory from the pole.
Defending series champion Fernando
Alonso has won three of the six races this season, with two victories for seven-time champion Schumacher and one for Alonso's Renault teammate Giancarlo Fisichella.
Alonso has a solid lead in this season's standings, 54-39 over Schumacher and the pair have taken the first two places in the last three races.
Alonso has never won at Monaco, and his best finish was a modest fourth last year. Schumacher has not won at Monte Carlo since 2001 and remains stuck on five victories.
"I didn't know it was that long ago," Schumacher acknowledged. "I couldn't care what happens in the past. I just care what happens this year.
"It will be easier this year rather than last year. Last year it was clear we were not competitive. This year we have a good chance."
A sixth win here would match the late Ayrton Senna. But to do it, Schumacher will have to overcome a string of bad luck.
Seventh last year in 2004, Schumacher was involved in a crash with Juan Pablo Montoya while he was swerving back and forth, warming his tires behind a safety car. He finished third in 2003, which came in the middle of four wins over five races.
In 2002, when Ferrari dominated, he had a four-race winning streak stopped on this course.
The course is unpredictable, and Schumacher and Alonso know it.
"You need a little more luck than normal," Alonso said. "Sometimes if you are off in qualifying or in the race, you go into the grass, tires on the outside or on the curb. Here you cannot do any mistake. You go into the wall and your race is finished. You have to be a little bit lucky on that."
Schumacher added: "It is very difficult to make a clear judgment because of a character type circuit like Monte Carlo. We have not been testing (here), we have not been racing so it is impossible to judge at the moment."
The race is unusual in many aspects. The first practice is on Thursday, the traditional Ascension Day holiday. Then there's a day off before another practice and qualifying on Saturday.
"Qualifying obviously has its importance but it will not be the main factor," Schumacher said. "Strategy and a good car performance are vital."
And he repeated the need for precision.
"It is one of the highlights but at the same time it is one of the biggest concerns," Schumacher said. "It is great excitement but (you need) a lot of care."
Alonso hopes to continue his streak. He has been first or second in all six races and has taken the pole position in the last two.
He too is concerned about qualifying, especially with the new system of knockout rounds in the first two 15-minute sessions. A bad turn or a split-second of indecision can send a car into a barrier and take it out of the trials.
"I think everybody will be a little bit worried about qualifying. Already in Monaco, you normally have a lot of traffic in every session," Alonso said.
"I think the first 15 minutes will be hardest because one yellow flag, or if the guy in front has problems, then you could be out.
"So we need to be careful, and for sure we will have a different strategy to make sure we get into the top 10."
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