Kubica: Start critical to victory hopes

With overtaking almost impossible around the tight Monte Carlo streets, Kubica knows his best hope of a triumph will be on getting the jump on pole position man Mark Webber on the run into the first corner.

"Everything will depend on the start," he said. "We had good starts at the beginning of the season but lately unfortunately our starts were not mega, so we hope for a good start.

"Then, after that, you have to keep your concentration, watch out for the tyres and make sure you come in for your pitstop at the right moment so you go out in the right position in traffic."

Kubica says his target for the race is simply a podium finish - after admitting that the team has surpassed expectations already this weekend.

When asked how close he felt to a surprise victory, he said: "Not closer than I was on Thursday, because in the end victory is when you are crossing the chequered flag.

"So far we qualified second, which was a great achievement for us. The gap to pole was pretty big but we have to be happy with our performance. Five months ago nobody would have bet even one pound on us, and it is a good feeling for all the guys who have worked so hard on the car."

Kubica thinks Renault's better than expected showing in Monaco is the result of the R30 being well suited to the track, and the fact that the driver can make more of a difference.

"We knew this track would suit better our car," he said. "We have very good areas on the car that are promoted by this kind of track. I am pleased Renault gave me such an easy car to drive, and it helps on race tracks driving close to the walls because the car is quite comfortable to drive and I feel confident in it. That helps for my confidence and my driving.

"When you have barriers it is normal you take a bit of margin, but who is taking more margin and who is taking less margin I think is making the difference.

"On the race tracks with a lot of run-off, if you make a mistake or go 5km/h faster into a corner, there is run-off area, you lose half a second and that is it.

"Here you most probably pay a much bigger price with no wheels or something like that, which happened to Vitaly [Petrov] and Fernando [Alonso] on Saturday. You have to be on the limit but never above."