Maldonado sets sights on first points

The Venezuelan outqualified his team-mate Rubens Barrichello and made it in to Q3 for the second time in a row on Saturday, and Maldonado, who has a reputation for always being fast on the street circuit in junior formula, believes that Monaco represents his best chance so far of finishing in the top 10.

"Every time I get in the car I feel better," he told AUTOSPORT. "I'm getting better and better with the team and more confident. I think I am doing my best every time I am on the track.

"The car is not the best in the field but we are pushing so hard to increase our performance and improve it.

"I love this track. Even in qualifying I was very consistent. I had very good laps. I am happy because I got 100 per cent out of the package again. The car looks a bit better, we are okay here. Finally here we have a great opportunity to be in the points."

Maldonado said that he very quickly found a rhythm through the weekend and added that his approach to driving on the street circuit had been similar to that he had taken in GP2.

"It's a bit different but more or less the same," he said. "The weight and balance of the car is the same, it requires the same driving style and it was great. I enjoyed it."

Maldonado felt that strategy would be key during the race.

"Our race will be all on the strategy," he said. "The team needs to work hard on that. I am very consistent here, I know the track very well and I will do my best.

"I think in the future I will be able to fight here for the victory, that would be a bit difficult this year because of the difference in the cars.

"But we are going in the right direction and we need to keep pushing in that direction. We are improving step-by-step, race-by-race. I feel really good in the team, so everything is working.

"Here is always an untypical race because anything can happen at the front or the rear of the field and safety cars are common. It's unusual. You need to be very concentrated."