Monza: Italian Grand Prix preview - team quotes

With top speeds reaching 350km/h, and home to Ferrari ‘superfans’, the Tifosi, Monza is one of the most thrilling Formula One venues on the calendar. Historic and quick, the drivers love it. Along with senior team members, they discuss their prospects...

Jenson Button, Brawn GP
2008 Qualifying - 19th, 2008 Race - 15th
"Monza is a fantastic track and I love the passion that the Italian fans bring to the race weekend. The circuit is very different to most of the circuits that we race on as the car will be set up with the lowest levels of drag and downforce possible to take advantage of the long straights. It always takes a few laps to get used to and as we haven't tested at Monza this season, the practice sessions will be very important. Ascari is probably my favourite part of the track but also Parabolica where the challenge is to brake as late as possible, particularly in qualifying when you're on a quick lap. It's a circuit that should be reasonably good for our car if we get the handling right over the kerbs so we're feeling positive and excited about the challenge."

Rubens Barrichello, Brawn GP
2008 Qualifying - 16th, 2008 Race - 17th
"There's something very special about Monza and I have always loved racing there throughout my career. The setting in the park, the sound of the Tifosi, the speed of the circuit and the memories from my victories with Ferrari in 2002 and 2004 all make Monza one of the most exciting races of the year. It's the quickest circuit on the calendar and our car has the potential to be strong there. The power of our Mercedes-Benz engine will be really important in maximising speed on the long straights and our car is quite good under braking which you need to be aggressive and ride the kerbs effectively. It's been a season full of surprises so it's impossible to predict what the weekend will bring but I hope that we can have a good one."

Ross Brawn, Brawn GP team principal
"Visiting Monza during the Italian Grand Prix is a very special experience and one not to be missed for motorsport fans. It's one of those classic venues where the grandstands are always packed and the atmosphere is electric throughout the weekend. From a technical point of view, Monza should be a track where our car will work well although we do expect the KERS cars to have a significant advantage. The BGP 001 is good on both brakes and traction which are important at Monza and we have the benefit of the Mercedes-Benz engine on this power-sensitive circuit. With no in-season testing this year, we have not had the opportunity to test at the circuit prior to the race weekend so it will be interesting to see how quickly everyone can adapt to the unusually low downforce configuration with limited running. The aerodynamic efficiency of the car is crucial so we have a specific package designed to minimise drag levels and achieve the high top speeds required. Good engineering can make a significant difference at Monza so we'll be working hard to get the car set up well to allow our drivers to be aggressive over the kerbs."

Hirohide Hamashima, Bridgestone director of motorsport tyre development
"Monza has very high speed straights so there will be a lot of forces through the tyres as they rotate at up to 50 times per second. This means the tyre rubber can get very hot, even with the cooling effect of the wind on the long straights. At the end of the pit straight there is a heavy braking zone, so drivers have to be careful not to lock their brakes here. Low-downforce car set-ups are used at Monza, so proportionally more reliance is made on mechanical grip.

"As we saw in Spa the allocation of the medium and the soft compound tyres has the potential to provide interesting results. The medium compound is the softest of our higher temperature working range tyres and the soft is the hardest of our lower temperature working range tyres. This means that their overall performance can be very similar, however their characteristics are different. In Spa we saw that different tyres suited different car characteristics, set-ups and driver preference, so maybe it will be the same situation in Monza, however it is a more severe circuit so good tyre management is likely to be a bigger factor."

Nico Rosberg, Williams
2008 Qualifying - 5th, 2008 Race - 14th
“For sure, it is in the top five tracks in the world. I have quite few Italian friends and some of them are coming to the race. In terms of our prospects, of course the drag levels are similar to Spa and we had a tough time there, so there is a bit of a question mark, but I know they have been working hard at the factory - since the end of first practice in Belgium in fact!”

Kazuki Nakajima, Williams
2008 Qualifying - 18th, 2008 Race - 12th
“It’s a track that stands out all on its own, exciting and challenging to drive, but remember that although it is low drag like Spa, the circuit has suited our car mechanically in the past few years, so I am pretty hopeful we will go better than in Belgium.”

Fernando Alonso, Renault
2008 Qualifying - 8th, 2008 Race - 4th
“We have a competitive car but we haven't been able to show the true potential so far. We saw how quick the car was at the Nurburgring, Budapest and Valencia, but for various reasons we haven't scored the points that we should have. However, I always look forward, try to stay positive and will approach the rest of the season believing that we can finish the year strongly. At least we know that we have a car that is fast enough to get close to the podium, which will be my aim this weekend in Monza.

“It's a special track and the fastest of the year so we run the car with a special low downforce package which means the car feels very strange and light because you miss a bit of grip in the corners. In the past we used to test at Monza before the race as you need a special set-up with the car, but obviously we can't do that now which means we have a lot of work to do on Friday to find a good balance. You need a car that has good straight-line speed, is stable under braking and can use the curbs in the chicanes.”

Romain Grosjean, Renault
2008 Qualifying - N/A, 2008 Race - N/A
“Monza's another classic track and I'm really looking forward to driving there. I've had good results there in the past and I know the track well so I can concentrate on finding a good balance with the car with low downforce. We will be using KERS this weekend so I will need to get used to that during free practice on Friday as I've not used it before, but it should give us an advantage, especially at the start of the race.

“My aim is to do better than I did in Spa so I need to make it through to at least Q2, get a good grid position and finish the race. At the moment I am still learning about Formula One and I will continue to use every opportunity and every lap to improve as a driver and help the team. I'm continuing to build a good relationship with my engineers, which of course plays an important role in getting the most from the car.”

Pat Symonds, Renault executive director of engineering
“The car should perform well there. We will use a totally different low downforce aero package, which has between 10 and 15 percent less downforce than the package we ran at Spa. Monza is very much about braking; traction; change of direction in chicanes and although it's a high-speed track there are no real high-speed corners. Overall I think that the R29 is performing well on all types of track and Monza should be no exception.”

Jarno Trulli, Toyota
2008 Qualifying - 7th, 2008 Race - 13th
"It is always a great occasion for me to be racing in front of the Italian fans and I really love the atmosphere at Monza. Of course, this is a home race for me so I have a lot of supporters in the grandstands and I really enjoy competing in front of such passionate fans. It would mean a lot to me to achieve a strong result in this race and I will be doing everything I can to do that. It was very encouraging in Belgium to start on the front row and hopefully this is a sign that we are now able to get the full potential out of the car in qualifying. I was unlucky in the race but I enjoyed the chance to fight at the front and I hope to be able to do that again in Italy. Our car looked quite strong at Spa and there will be a few changes for this weekend too; I am sure the competition will be very tight but we have the chance to get back in the points. Monza would be the perfect place to return to form so I am ready for the challenge."

Timo Glock, Toyota
2008 Qualifying - 9th, 2008 Race - 11th
"Monza is all about speed but my memories of the track are of the rain last year because the whole weekend was wet. We got it right in qualifying and looked really strong for the race, but the conditions changed at the worst possible time so we missed the podium. The atmosphere is always incredible at Monza and it is a special experience to race there in front of such passionate fans. Every Formula One driver loves driving fast so Monza is obviously a fun place to race because it is all long straights broken up by chicanes, and the Lesmo corners are really exciting. Our car was competitive in Spa so it was a pity things didn't go well in the race, although it was a promising sign to see how well we qualified. Our target is again to be both in the top eight on Saturday because this gives us the best chance of getting the kind of result our car is capable of. I'm raring to go for this weekend and I'm determined to give the team a result to celebrate."

Pascal Vasselon, Toyota senior general manager chassis
"In the past we always prepared a complete specific aerodynamic package for Monza but it is a little different this year. Considering the reduced downforce levels, as well as their proximity on the calendar, we will use a similar package to Spa because these are now the only two tracks requiring significantly reduced drag compared to our baseline configuration. As Monza remains the most demanding in terms of top speed we will have updates to our front and rear wings and we expect to be competitive again. But Monza is different to Spa because of the chicanes, which generate greater braking energy and require good braking stability. We will have a heavy-duty brake configuration with improved cooling so that the excessive wear Jarno suffered in the race at Spa should not be repeated. Our package performed well in Belgium and we were unfortunate that other circumstances prevented us from fighting for the podium. But that's what racing is about and we will fight hard again this weekend."

Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber
2008 Qualifying - 11th, 2008 Race - 3rd
"The Monza track is a very special one. As it is the quickest track on the calendar, the car's downforce level will be reduced even more compared to Spa-Francorchamps. Traditionally our cars are quite quick on low-downforce tracks and our performance was already good at Spa. I have a good feeling for Monza and I am looking forward to the race as I expect a lot of Italian fans to show up there."

Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber
2008 Qualifying - 10th, 2008 Race - 5th
"The speed we had at Spa-Francorchamps with lower downforce gives us hope that we could do even better at Monza with even less downforce. However, the cars equipped with KERS will probably have a considerable advantage over the long straights of this high-speed circuit. I really like the atmosphere at the Italian Grand Prix. As well as all the Italians at the track, a lot of fans will also come over from Switzerland to support us."

Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director
"As the ultimate power circuit, Monza has always provided BMW with a very special challenge. One of our highlights at the track came during the era of the V10 engines in qualifying for the 2002 race, when a BMW engine broke through the 19,000 rpm barrier and the car set a new record average speed for F1 of 259.827 km/h on its way to pole position. Now, even more than before, the main priority lies in maximising reliability, as each driver is only permitted eight engines for the duration of the season. This is an issue at Monza in particular, even though the maximum engine speed is now limited to 18,000 rpm. This circuit commands the respect of drivers and engineers alike in many different ways.

"We are aiming to build on our good results from Spa-Francorchamps - where we were competing at the front of the field for the first time in a long while - in the final race in Europe. Our strong performance in Belgium gave the whole team an extra shot of motivation for the next races, and we are confident that we are getting back into the fast lane once again."

Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber head of engineering
"The result at Spa-Francorchamps represented confirmation for the whole team. It was important for all involved to see that our huge efforts over the preceding weeks had paid off. Of course we want to take this upturn in form with us to Italy and post another strong result at Monza. This is the last genuine high-speed track left on the calendar. The four long straights mean that keeping the drag level low is crucial, so we run the cars with less downforce here than anywhere else during the season. This involves using a modified front wing and a new and extremely small rear wing. An additional challenge for the drivers and engineers is to give the cars a mechanical set-up which ensures good braking stability and allows the kerbs to be taken aggressively, as this is absolutely essential in setting a fast lap time here. I'm very much looking forward to the race, as there's always a very special atmosphere at Monza."

Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 15th, 2008 Race -7th
“Since we no longer test at Monza before the Santander Italian Grand Prix, it will take the drivers a bit of acclimatisation to get used to running in low downforce at this high-speed circuit. It’s a real challenge to get the set-up right because there’s never an ideal compromise between speed along the straight and through the corners. It’s never easy to keep the car on the track because it slides all the time: at most tracks, you feel like the downforce is sticking you to the track at high speeds - but not at Monza, it’s like you are skating across the surface. But it’s a fantastic circuit - our car has traditionally gone well there so I am looking forward to another competitive weekend.”

Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 2nd, 2008 Race - 2nd
“I’ve scored points in the last four races and can see no reason why we shouldn’t be contenders for more points at Monza next weekend. I love the place: I’ve won there in GP2, finished in the points in both my Formula One outings and I think our car will be reasonably well suited to the circuit. Like every team, we’ll be running a special low-downforce aero package in Italy - but we’ll also have the benefit of using KERS along the straights, which should give us a greater advantage over a single lap, especially in qualifying, where it will be extremely valuable. It should be fun!”

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“Monza is a venue where the team has traditionally gone well and we love racing on a racetrack that’s so steeped in Formula One history. The unique high-speed nature of the track places unique demands on the cars and, like every team, we’ll arrive at the circuit with a bespoke high-speed aerodynamic package. It will be another interesting test for MP4-24 as we continue to develop the car - it will be useful to understand how it works in a low-downforce set-up. Of course, Monza is notable for being a power circuit, and, with KERS, we should see some incredible speeds - particularly during qualifying when the drivers will double-deploy KERS along the start/finish straight.”

Norbert Haug, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Vice-President
“Together with Monaco, Monza is the most untypical Formula One track. But, whilst Monaco is a street course with the lowest average speeds, Monza is a high-speed circuit at more than 250km/h average whilst the top speed in the dry will probably exceed 350km/h this year. We have good memories of this special race in the ‘Royal Park’ and won two of the last four Grands Prix there. During the forthcoming race, we will possibly see the closest field in Formula one history. Spa has shown that the current Formula One is good for big surprises, and Monza will possibly underline this again. Our target is to continue our upward trend there. However, after Lewis’s win and second place at Budapest and Valencia, we have not been where we wanted to be even after Heikki managed to come home sixth from 15th on the grid. What remains positive: Although Lewis had an accident and therefore already retired on lap one which was not his own fault, no other team scored more points during the last four races than Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. In the remaining five races we will build on this with a healthy ambition - without seeing us being the favourites for Monza. There will be at least a handful of them which is first class for the sport.”


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