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Europe Preview Quotes: McLaren

Kimi Raikkonen: "After such a great result in Monaco, I am really looking forward to racing again this coming weekend. The MP4-20 package is working really well and hopefully we will continue to be competitive in Germany. The Nurburgring has quite good grip and we use a medium downforce configuration as it has a mix of corners, straights and hairpins. It is totally different to Monaco in this way, and it is of course a lot faster, although it is not one of the quickest. It is a fun track to drive, and hopefully we will be able to put on an exciting race for the Mercedes-Benz home crowd."

Juan Pablo Montoya: "I can't wait to get back on track at the Nurburgring this weekend, and hopefully have a trouble free weekend to take advantage of the current performance of the car. This event is notorious for understeer, so there will be a focus on dialling it out during Friday's Free Practice sessions. Unlike Monaco there are a couple of overtaking opportunities at the Nurburgring, such as at the NGK Chicane and the hairpin in the Mercedes Arena. I am really looking forward to racing in front of the Mercedes-Benz fans and employees for the first time and enjoying their support."

Alex Wurz: "Because of the back-to-backs there has been no testing by Team McLaren Mercedes since the Monaco Grand Prix. The upcoming programme will see us return to the test track in the first week of June at Silverstone. As Juan Pablo mentioned, understeer is always present here, so in addition to tyre selection with Michelin, I will be working closely with the team on set-up work for the rest of the weekend."

Martin Whitmarsh, CEO Formula One: "The result in Monaco, and the race pace demonstrated by both Kimi and Juan Pablo, was very positive for the team and we are now looking to build on this at the Nurburgring. The European Grand Prix is the second race in a very intensive period for Formula One, with six Grands Prix in eight weeks. To give you an idea of the logistical effort required, all the Team McLaren Mercedes racing equipment was packed and left Monaco shortly after 22:00 on the Sunday night after the race. Upon arrival at the Nurburgring just after 13:00 on Monday afternoon, garage build began immediately and was completed later the same day. As the Monaco race took place just a couple of days ago, there will be no major new developments to MP4-20 for this race."

Norbert Haug, Vice President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: "The European Grand Prix is following the Monaco race within just one week's time. The Nurburgring race is one of two home Grands Prix for Mercedes-Benz. This track provides completely different challenges for the team compared to the street circuit of Monte Carlo. About 60 percent of the track is run under full throttle and the circuit features a mixture of fast and slow sections. It is especially demanding for the aerodynamic efficiency of the car as well as the engine. The spectators coming to the Nurburgring will not only attend an exciting race like Barcelona or Monte Carlo, they will also experience attractive entertainment programmes between practice sessions and races. Particularly the Mercedes- Benz display area behind the main grandstand has become a meeting point for Mercedes-Benz and motor sport fans of all colours. We will be happy to welcome everybody to live music, several competitions with valuable prizes and above all interview and autograph sessions with Mercedes-Benz DTM drivers as well as the Formula One drivers and members of the Team McLaren Mercedes team."

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