Monza holds the file for internet hosting probably the most Method 1 World Championship races, with this 12 months’s version the seventy fifth grand prix to be held on the “Temple of Pace.” Solely in 1980 was the Italian Grand Prix held elsewhere – at Imola, whereas Monza was upgraded – and with prime 10s in every of his final two visits with Williams, your information to the high-speed 3.6-mile observe is Williams racer Alex Albon.
“I first got here to Monza in 2012 and I’ve most likely raced right here yearly since, other than 2021. So, a good bit. My first ever race in single-seaters was at Monza. I had the largest crash of my life. My largest crash in motorsports was the primary race of my single-seater profession.
“Popping out of Ascari I clipped the again of one other automotive, rear wheel. After which I mainly did a backwards somersault. Landed on my nostril, after which landed and rolled about 4 or 5 instances extra. So, a superb begin to my profession!
“It is modified just a little bit since then, however extra in the best way they resurfaced it final 12 months. They usually even have modified Parabolica a good bit. It clearly went to some extent the place it had a full run-off space. And now it is form of are available in between just a little bit.
“I might say I most likely most favored it once I first drove it. When it was form of the old fashioned curbs, no run-off areas and whatnot.
“Braking factors are actually tough. One of many bizarre issues about this observe is the tire compounds are tender, you run very low rear wing, very low downforce, and it’s a scorching observe usually. So, regardless that there’s solely seven correct corners, the lap time and getting the tires to final the lap is admittedly tough.
“The deg right here is very large. It is all straights, you’d assume the tires can be cool, however they are not. So, it’s a problem. The steadiness between driving the curbs properly. And specializing in downforce to operating a low and stiff automotive or a bit increased and softer automotive. The trade-off is sort of necessary.
“Sadly, that is turn into much less of a factor as soon as they resurfaced it. These days, the automobiles are operating a bit stiffer and a bit decrease than they have been a few years in the past. It is simpler in that sense.
“It feels unusual coming right here operating low downforce in comparison with different tracks. You all the time come into FP1 right here and complain, ‘The automotive is horrible. No grip.’ And then you definitely simply regulate to it because the weekend goes on.
“It is unusual. For instance, DRS barely does something round this observe. I feel you acquire a tenth to Flip 1 whenever you use DRS to when you do not. There are bizarre quirks across the observe.
“From an engineering setup perspective, it isn’t straightforward. You may have low-speed corners after which every thing else is a fourth- or a fifth-gear nook. It isn’t even low and medium. You’ve got received low velocity and then you definitely’ve received medium/excessive velocity.
“You’re nearly all the time balancing the 2. You’ll be able to’t have a automotive that is simply good in low velocity and excessive velocity. It’s a must to make a commerce within the center someplace. You do this lots by way of competitor evaluation and taking a look at the place your rivals are. Giving up just a little bit right here for just a little bit there.
The mix of high-and low-speed sections makes setup a compromise at Monza. Lars Baron/Getty Photographs
“You mainly need lots of entrance finish for Flip 1 and a pair of, and Flip 4 and 5, as a result of they’re direction-change corners. In these low-speed chicanes, you want the entrance to show it. Carry the minimal velocity and get straight on exit.
“Whenever you take a look at Parabolica or the Lesmos, it is good to have stability in these lengthy, mixed corners. You wish to carry the minimal velocity and get on throttle and never energize the rear an excessive amount of. Then you definitely’re preventing – it sort of feels such as you’re spinning plates just a little bit, making an attempt to get each.
“When it comes to a driving observe, I feel it is truly a bit overrated in that sense. As a result of it is so cease and begin, it isn’t received the movement of a Spa or Zandvoort that we have simply come from.
“There’s lots of pondering time in between straights, which is fascinating. It is a problem in itself as a result of it’s kind of like golf. You’ll be able to overthink it, underthink it, all these form of issues. I simply assume there’s higher tracks on the market!”
AT A GLANCE
Race distance: 53 laps/190.8 miles
2024 pole time: 1m19.327s (Lando Norris, McLaren-Mercedes)
2024 winner: Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Pirelli tire allotment: There is no such thing as a change in compounds in comparison with final 12 months, when the observe had simply been resurfaced for the Italian Grand Prix on the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza. The C3 is the Arduous, the C4 Medium and the C5 Delicate. Twelve months on, inevitably the floor may have aged, however it’s unlikely to have any vital impact on the vary of attainable methods at this circuit, the place automobiles run within the lowest aerodynamic downforce configuration of the season.
It’s probably that the preferred selections for the race itself would be the Arduous and Medium. One can assume that the extent of graining might be decrease than final 12 months because the observe will now be bedded in. Time misplaced within the pit lane for a tire change is among the many longest of the season, so groups will attempt to run as lengthy a stint as attainable, preserving degradation underneath management, with the purpose of solely altering tires as soon as.
PIRELLI ITALIAN GRAND PRIX WEEKEND SCHEDULE (all instances ET):
Friday, September 5
7:25am – 8:30am – First Apply, ESPNU
10:55am – 12:00pm – Second Apply, ESPN2
Saturday, September 6
6:25am – 7:30am – Third Apply, ESPN2
9:55am – 11:00am – Qualifying, ESPN2
Sunday, September 7
8:55am – 11:00am – Italian Grand Prix (53 laps or 120 minutes), ESPN2
