Daniel Ricciardo says the build-up to this week's Monaco Grand Prix will likely feel very different than usual in the near "empty" Principality.
Formula 1 returns to Monte Carlo after a two-year absence following the cancellation of last year's event due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Automobile Club de Monaco was given the green light to open its showcase event to a limited number of spectators, with 7500 fans expected to populate the grandstands on Sunday.
Ricciardo, who won his last F1 race in Monte Carlo in 2018, reckons he'll miss part of the event's glitzy atmosphere and commotion.
"The track itself is so intense that I think that that will always be a 10 out of 10," he said. "So the in-car stuff will still have those highs.
"But the build up, when you're kind of walking through the crowd and then the fans to get pretty much into the pit lane and into the car, it's already kind of chaotic before you get there.
"So your heart rate's already up and then the circuit's going to do the rest for you. So maybe there'll be a little bit more of a calm before the storm."
While excited to tackle once again Monaco's uncompromising layout, Ricciardo said that he was keeping his enthusiasm in check.
“I am so excited to go there, but I am also a little bit scared to not get too excited, because it's that atmosphere and it’s the whole aura of the boats and everyone, and people on the track at the end of the day drinking and partying," the Aussie explained.
"I guess not having that, or to that level, will probably feel a little empty. But for the in-car stuff, I think we'll be okay."
Ricciardo's McLaren teammate Lando Norris agrees that the buzz in the Principality will likely be muted this year.
"I think it's the first street track we're going back to since covid," said the Briton.
"In some ways we got used to not many fans being there now, but when you go to Monaco, you know that 50 percent of the excitement is the everything else bar the actual going around the track.
"So we're kind of waiting to see. I'm sure it's not going to be as glorious and spectacular as normal, but it's certainly one of the best races."
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