"Monza is a track I’ve won at in the past. It’s a unique challenge because it’s extremely low downforce, yet relatively high minimum speed because of places like Parabolica and the Lesmos. The first chicane, obviously, and the second chicane are the only real places in the whole lap that kill the speed, so it really is a circuit of momentum, a circuit of efficiency and top speed, but also because of those two chicanes you need a car that has good stopping power and good traction. A small mistake there will cost you a lot of lap time because of the length of the straight there.
The key things on a good lap are the braking into the first chicane. Too early and you lose two-tenths, too late and you lose half a second. Likewise at the second chicane, which is more dictated by kerb strikes. The Lesmos are dictated more by the level of efficiency; it’s not really a big driver challenge.
The entry to the Ascari chicane is very high speed. You see a lot of kerb-strikes there also and the exit is very like threading a needle at very high speed as you come through the right-hander and then the left.
GEPA pictures/Red Bull Photofiles
Then Parabolica at the end of the lap. It requires very late braking and a very high speed entry, right on the edge of grip as you hug the exit for the run down the start-finish straight.
It’s steeped in history. The old banking which they used to use is still there and it’s worth a walk out to see how steep it really is. And of course the Italian fans are incredibly passionate – as passionate about Monza as they are about women.
They have a wonderful appreciation for motorsport and it’s a very tangible thing. As a driver you definitely feel the atmosphere. I was leading in 1998 and I blew up at the second chicane, the abuse I got because I was not driving a Ferrari…"
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