Posted on 2nd September 2015
2015 Track Preview; Italian Grand Prix, Monza
As head into Ferrari's and Pirelli's home race at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza this weekend; the circuit which is known as the 'temple of speed' that features some of the fastest straights on the F1 calendar, prompting the cars to run a specific low-drag aerodynamic set-up.
Pirelli have selected the P Zero White medium and P Zero Yellow soft tyres have been chosen for the Italian Grand Prix (just like last season); which are versatile compounds that are able to balance the unique demands of performance and durability that Monza always requires.
With high-energy loads of up to 4.5g going through the tyres and some big impacts with the famous kerbs, the tyre compound and structure is challenged throughout the whole lap.
The cars run low downforce at Monza and that actually increases the work for the tyres considerably under acceleration and braking, because with less force pushing down on top of the car; it's the tyres that are providing all the mechanical grip for the driver in the cockpit. Allied to the kerbs at Monza, this provides the Pirelli tyres with a wide-ranging all-round challenge, requiring consistent durability and performance. Conclusions from the technical analysis will be presented at Monzaâ€.
With a fast circuit like Monza tends to be more demanding on tyres than a slow circuit, as all the forces at work encourage heat build-up, particularly on the shoulder of the tyre. There are significant lateral energy demands at Monza, due to long corners such as Parabolica, as well as big longitudinal demands, because of all the traction and braking.
As I have mentioned previously, with a low downforce set-up being used at Monza this weekend; the drivers need to take care of the rear tyres in particular, in order not to provoke wheelspin under acceleration. However, the other side to this is increased maximum speed, in the region of 360kph.
But Monza is always one of the highlights of the season, with an incredible history and atmosphere and also many Ferrari fans (the tifosi) attending the weekend wanting to see their team achieve the best possible result at their home race.
Here are the facts and figures heading into the Italian Grand Prix this weekend
Facts and Figures:-
• Italy has hosted the Grand Prix since 1950.
• Michael Schumacher is the most successful driver at the track with five wins.
• Sebastian Vettel is the most successful driver currently to win the Grand Prix with three wins.
• Ferrari is the most successful constructor to win the Grand Prix with nineteen wins.
• Race distance: 306.72km (190.59 miles)
• Number of turns:11
• Top speed: 339kph
• Lap record: Rubens Barrichello- Ferrari (2004)- 1.21.046
Winners from the last five Italian Grand Prix:-
• 2010-Fernando Alonso
• 2011-Sebastian Vettel
• 2012-Lewis Hamilton
• 2013-Sebastian Vettel
• 2014- Lewis Hamilton
My five things to look out for this weekend
1. Tyre and brake performance- With the track being hard on tyres and also on the performance of the brakes due to the characteristics of the Monza circuit; we could see teams and drivers struggling to get the Pirelli compounds lasting throughout the course of the weekend and also maintain high levels of concentration in the race. Will this impact anyone's race on Sunday as a result?
2. Pirelli's investigations from the Belgian Grand Prix- With Pirelli finally releasing their investigations into what caused Sebastian Vettel's tyre failure at the Belgian Grand Prix two weeks ago; all eyes will be upon the tyre manufacturer this weekend to see if they have improved and modified their tyres as a result of this this weekend at Monza and actually finding out what the cause actually was.
3. Renault announcing their future plans in F1- With rumours speculating that Renault are in final negotiations with the Lotus F1 team to buy the team outright; will we hear the news that everyone is expecting this weekend or not?
4. Performance of Ferrari- With Ferrari already achieving two Grand Prix wins this season with Sebastian Vettel alongside a proposed engine upgrade heading into this weekend; will this translate into competitive performances for Ferrari and their driver line up of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen this weekend?
5. Performance of the Mercedes drivers- With Mercedes having dominated in Australia, having a “damage limitation†weekends in Malaysia and Hungary and winning in China, Bahrain, Spain, Monaco, Canada, Austria, Silverstone and Spa; Mercedes are clearly still the favourites to retain both of their championships this season and winning at Monza this weekend. But the real question is; will anyone be able to pose a challenge over the course of the weekend once again and be able to take the lead of the Driver's Championship away from Hamilton?
Sky Sports F1 are showing uninterrupted coverage of every Practice session, Qualifying and race for the Grand Prix (and every race of the season) and the BBC also are showing coverage, details for both are below:-
• Sky Sports F1:- Friday (Practice 1 and 2) 8.45am and 12.45pm [Replays throughout Thursday and Friday], Saturday (Practice 3 and Qualifying) 9.45am and 12.00pm [Replays throughout Saturday], Sunday (Race) 11.30am
• BBC– Saturday (Qualifying highlights) 5.00pm, Sunday (Race Highlights) 5.05pm.
Sarah Jones- @jonesy_laaa
