Symonds Backs Trulli's Race Form

Pat Symonds, Renault's executive director of engineering, is backing driver Jarno Trulli to upset the odds and win the Monaco Grand Prix from pole position.

No driver has won the prestigious event from the head of the grid since Finland's Mika Hakkinen took victory on the tight streets of the principality for McLaren in 1998.

Trulli took his maiden pole position with a near-perfect lap and Symonds is backing the 29-year-old Italian to record his first-ever victory in Sunday's race.

"Monaco is a tactical race and it is important to be at the front of the grid," Symonds said. "It is a race where overtaking is difficult and you want to be as high as possible in qualifying. But you can't compromise on your strategy. It will be different from other races, but you can't gamble here.

"We've got pole and we believe we've will have a strong race. Jarno is quick in qualifying but he has also driven well in the races. If you look at his career he has been very good at Monaco. People who have put money on him doing well can be happy today."

Trulli's previous best qualifying performances came with four second places on the grid, including in Monaco in 2000, while his best race result has been second position in the 1999 European Grand Prix.