Category: Previews

Monza Preview Quotes: Red Bull Racing

Preview Quotes from the Red Bull Racing Team ahead of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza this weekend.

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull

“Monza is the fastest circuit of the year. The track itself is in principle only made up of straights and chicanes. Because of this we reach the fastest top speed of the year at Monza, getting up to 330 km/h. The acceleration through the Parabolica is a balancing act – if you make the smallest error then you will slide straight into the gravel before you know it.

“This track brings back great memories for me, mainly from my first win there in 2008 with Toro Rosso. I can’t describe the feeling of standing on the top of the podium for the first time, and Monza was one of the best places to experience it because of the thousands of passionate fans that stand beneath, it gives you goose bumps.

Mark Webber, Red Bull

“I like Monza a lot because it’s very Formula One in terms of its history and its atmosphere. All of the greats have raced there and I have an affinity with Italians from my Minardi days. The track is one of a kind, it’s an incredibly fast circuit with high top speeds, so there’s a lot of heavy braking. Monza has never been that kind to me; I’ve had a few retirements and have never finished on the podium, so I want to get a good result there this year!

“The Tifosi really make the atmosphere of the weekend, they go ballistic and they’re very passionate about a certain red team. They will climb anything to get a good view: they sit in trees, on billboards and after the second Lesmo they sit on the old banking with their feet hanging over the barrier. Overall, Monza is one of the races that I recommend people go to.”

September 4, 2013
Weather Report for the 2013 Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix

Monza, the legendary Formula 1 circuit. The home of the Italian Grand Prix. “It really feels like you are going back to Formula One’s roots when you race there”, said Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. It is one of the most iconic Formula 1 circuits.

The weather tends to sunny and hot in Monza. It falls right at the end of the European Summer and it signals the end for the European season in Formula 1.

We expect the weather to be sunny and warm throughout the entire weekend. Temperatures will remain in the mid-to-high 20’s. There is a very slight chance of showers for the race on Sunday but we’re hoping it stays away.

September 4, 2013
Monza Preview Quotes: Lotus F1 Team

Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus
2012 Qualifying – 8th, 2012 Race – 5th
“It’s true that I have never won in Italy. For one reason or another things just haven’t worked out for me, but it doesn’t mean I can’t drive the track. Just because I have not won at a circuit in the past it doesn’t mean that I won’t win or get a good result there in the future. It is true that I have previously had some very competitive weekends there – once or twice I have been close to the win – but something has always gone wrong. Hopefully we will have a real chance to fight for that victory this time.

“Monza’s a historical place with a unique design where we achieve very high speeds. It’s a real challenge for everyone to be running so fast and a really good feeling in the car. It’s the home of the Tifosi and there will be a lot of Finnish fans there too. The atmosphere is just out of reach for every other Grand Prix. It’s great to go there with everything working well in your car and see how quickly you can go. It’s the place where we go really, really fast.

“Monza always gives a great challenge. It’s so different compared with the more modern circuits as the layout means the car needs to be set up differently. To go fast at Monza you need a car that is good aerodynamically, stable over the kerbs, and has a strong engine as we are using full throttle for most of the lap. I think we should be pretty good in those areas, but we won’t know exactly how good until we get out on track.

“It’s a unique circuit with the high speeds achieved there and everyone will be running the lowest level of downforce we see all year. Low downforce has not always been the best for our car, but the factory has been working hard to get more speed and stability for us with some changes to the car. Let’s wait and see how the car goes on Friday morning and then we’ll have a better idea of what can be achieved.”

Romain Grosjean, Lotus
2012 Qualifying – n/a, 2012 Race – n/a
“It’s a race I wasn’t allowed to contest last season and as a racing driver all you want to do is race, so I can’t wait to take to the track for the first time in practice on Friday morning. It’s a very historic venue; a beautiful circuit in a fantastic location and racing there is always great. It’s a special feeling when you are blasting through the park along the Monza straights, and there are so many really enthusiastic fans there. I have to admit, though, it’s not only the racing I’m looking forward to as Italian cuisine is superb. I’ll be visiting a couple of restaurants during my stay…

“For the designers, you need to have a car that’s very slippery through the air. Then for the engineers, you have to make the correct decision on gearing to make the most of the slippery car and engine power along the straights. For the driver in the car, there are a couple of heavy braking areas where you are slowing from the highest speeds of the year, so you have to be careful to get your braking right otherwise you can overshoot the corner. You see that quite a few times over the weekend.

“It can be quite hot there sometimes and it can be hard on the tyres. Considering that this is where we seem to have an advantage with our car, let’s hope for both! You use the kerbs quite a bit, which looks good on the slow motion cameras but you certainly know about it in the car! Basically, it’s a pretty great track.”

Eric Boullier, Lotus team principal
“Monza’s a very different circuit from Spa and we have an equally different aerodynamic package for the car. The weather is usually better in Italy than we saw in Belgium this year so that could help us. We certainly expect better performance and results than we saw last time out.”

Alan Permane, Lotus trackside operations director
“There’s certainly nothing (about Monza) which jumps up and causes us any great concerns. You need an aerodynamically efficient car – which we have – and a powerful engine which Renault supplies us with. You also need a car that has good change of direction for the interruptions to the straights. Some of the challenges of Monza have diminished over time; an example being the kerbs which are not as aggressive as they once were. You still need to have the suspension sufficiently compliant to enable kerb usage, but it’s not as much of a consideration as before. (A longer chassis) is certainly something we have looked at with the lessons learnt this season and we could see a longer wheelbase configuration make an appearance in Monza.”

Photo by the Lotus F1 Twitter Team

September 3, 2013
Monza Preview Quotes: Sauber F1 Team

Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber

“Monza is a track with a lot of history and the only true high-speed circuit of the season. I still remember sealing my GP2 title there in 2009. After the race on Sunday morning I was the champion. Monza requires a low-downforce configuration, which can make the car quite tricky to drive when braking from 340 km/h down to speeds of about 60 km/h in the chicanes. It’s a very nice race with a good atmosphere in the Parco di Monza where a lot of passionate Italian fans cheer on the Scuderia Ferrari. I enjoy driving there, as it’s a simple layout but it’s not as easy as it looks. There are some technical bits and chicanes and you really have to master the kerbs.”

Esteban Gutierrez, Sauber

“Monza is a great track, and very different to Spa. It’s important to consider that. Coming from a track like Spa, we need to adapt to Monza in terms of driving style, strategy and set-up. It will be a crucial weekend, because stability in slow corners is important and, unfortunately, this is where we’ve been struggling. We have to focus on that and try to improve. My favourite part of the track is the Variante Ascari, a left-right-left combination. It’s very quick, you have to get the right line, react quickly to the kerbs and the bumps, and it’s fun. Our pace is good, but now we need to complement that with the right decisions. I have great memories of Monza, as I won the Formula BMW and GP3 titles there. I remember very well my pole position lap there in GP3, this point made the difference and I went on to win the championship, so it was very special.”

Tom McCullough, Sauber head of track engineering
“Monza is a unique challenge for the drivers and engineers as the circuit efficiency requires our lowest drag configuration of the season. The track is well known for its long straights. The majority of the grip-limited time comes from medium-speed cornering and two lower-speed chicanes. The track is pretty bumpy in some areas and you need to be able to use the kerbs, so the ride quality is also an important factor. The track tends to favour strategies with less stops because of the low fuel effect and the time you lose in the pit lane. We have some further developments to be tested. Again, Pirelli has selected the medium and hard tyre compounds. Coming from Spa we are confident we can fight for points in this final European race.”

Photo: Sauber F1 Team

September 3, 2013
Monza Preview Quotes: McLaren F1 Team

The McLaren F1 team give their preview quotes ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

Jenson Button, McLaren

“I’ve always loved Monza. I really enjoy circuits that have a bit of history to them, and Monza has that in abundance – it’s one of the greatest tracks on the calendar. The place is unique: ever since we lost the ‘old’ Hockenheim, this has been the only place on the calendar where you run a really super-low downforce configuration. And you can feel it – the car accelerates up to speed incredibly quickly, feels skittish and loose when you’re running flat-out, and can be tricky and unpredictable under braking. But that’s what makes the place a special kind of challenge, and I really enjoy that. When you have the car hooked up beneath you, you get into a special kind of rhythm around Monza: you’re going so fast that the whole lap just flows together. There’s nowhere quite like it. So it’s really appropriate that McLaren will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in the paddock over the Monza weekend. Both names are synonymous with motorsport history – you couldn’t imagine Formula One without them – so I’ll be hoping for a strong result to show the strength and depth that we have as a team.”

Sergio Perez, McLaren

“Monza is probably the most beautiful circuit in Formula One – it’s just so historic; from the moment you arrive, you can feel it’s just different from any other place we visit. In fact, I had one of my best races in Formula One at Monza last year – everything came right on Sunday afternoon, I looked after the tyres beautifully and overtook Fernando Alonso on my way to finishing second, which equals my best-ever result in the sport. That was a fantastic day.

“After the disappointment of Spa, where we had the pace to score points, I’m keen to get another shot. As in Hungary and Belgium, we don’t expect to have a car that’ll be capable of fighting right at the front, but I hope we’ll be scrapping for points positions. That’s always fun, because then it’s really down to the team and the driver to maximise every opportunity on the day. When you’re racing hard like that, a good lap in quali or a clever strategy in the race can make all the difference to your result – and that’s great to experience. So, as always, I’ll be looking to push on every lap.”

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“This year’s Italian Grand Prix will be a very special weekend for the whole Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team, as it’ll be the race where we celebrate our 50th anniversary – a landmark for any sporting organisation, let alone a Grand Prix team. Since the formation of Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Ltd in September 1963, and our Formula One debut at the 1966 Monaco Grand Prix, no F1 team has won more races (182) than McLaren – an incredible record.

“It’s appropriate that we’ll be marking the passage of time at a circuit that is both venerable and yet eternally evergreen: in terms of history, nothing really comes close to Monza in terms of capturing the spirits past of motor racing. Yet, it’s also the fastest racetrack in Formula One, a temple to raw speed, and a circuit that will always deserve its place on the calendar. It’s richly evocative, and a place that I love. We have some special events and surprises planned to mark our anniversary, but it’ll be Monza itself that will make the weekend unique.”

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

September 3, 2013
Italian Grand Prix Preview Quotes: Caterham F1 Team

Italian Grand Prix Preview Quotes from the Caterham F1 Team ahead of this weekend’s race at Monza.

Charles Pic, Caterham

“Monza’s a great place to race F1 cars. It’s so quick, the atmosphere is amazing (even though it’s almost only Ferrari supporters out there!) and it’s a track that has a lot of history, some of which you can see in the old banking on the way out of the track to remind you what it used to be like. It’s our last race in Europe this year and it would be good to finish the European season on a positive. We’d put in strong performances in the three practice sessions in Spa but we were unlucky, both with the call to the weighbridge in Q1 and the oil leak in the race so Monza gives us a chance to move straight on and put that bad luck behind us.

“I’m in the simulator at Leafield before we arrive in Monza, so we’ll have a chance to try a few setup options before we get to the track. We’ll be running the low-downforce package for this race and the main focus will be on finding a setup that gives us maximum straight-line speed and a car that we can really attack the kerbs with. That’s important for lap time, particularly in T3 and T7, as you need to be able to minimise the time in the corners by pushing the car over the kerbs, so having the right mechanical setup is crucial. We’ll also be working a lot on braking stability – brake wear and cooling are both pretty manageable at Monza, but it’s important to have a car that’s behaving consistently in the braking zones as that’s where you can make up, and lose, time.”

Giedo van der Garde, Caterham

“Our last European race of the season is Monza, another classic Grand Prix venue and a track where I’ve won in both Formula Renault 3.5 and in GP2. After the last couple of races I’ll go to Monza feeling positive about the next race and the rest of the season. The whole team had a lot of praise for what we did in Spa, particularly taking advantage of the conditions on Saturday, and it’s good to see people understanding that what we’re doing now is exactly what we said we would do this year – learn, improve and deliver the results we want. Fourteenth in Hungary and both qualifying and the race in Spa show how the package is coming on and it’s a good feeling for me and the whole team.

“Moving on to Monza – it’s a track that could suit us in the fight with our nearest competitors. It’s often hot and it’s the quickest track of the year, one where we run very low-downforce settings and that should suit our car. Last year the team was pretty competitive and we’ll aim to make sure we are again. If it’s not hot and we have anything like the conditions we did in Spa then we’ve shown we can take advantage of unpredictable weather, and even though another P3 in Q1 might be unlikely, we still know we can be bold and aggressive when there’s a chance to surprise a few people. Maybe our next chance will be Monza – if not I’m sure there will be other races this year when we can show what we can do.”

Photo by Caterham Twitter Team

September 3, 2013
Broadcast Times for the Formula 1 Gran Premio D’Italia 2013 – Monza

We are at the legendary Autodromo Nazionale Monza for round 12 of the Formula 1 World Championship. A favourite for some of the drivers, a favourite for some of the fans, but most importantly, its the home of the Tifosi.

Below are the broadcast times for the Italian Grand Prix in Monza (GMT+2).

Free Practice 1: Friday 10:00

Free Practice 2: Friday 14:00

Free Practice 3: Saturday 11:00

Qualifying: Saturday 14:00

Race: Sunday 14:00

You can catch our live coverage of qualifying and the race on Twitter (@F1_madness) and we will have periodic updates throughout the free practice sessions.

September 3, 2013
Belgian Grand Prix Preview Quotes – Caterham F1 Team

Caterham F1 team preview quotes ahead of the Belgian GP at Spa.

Charles Pic, Caterham
“I’ve had a great holiday with my family in France and it’s always good to recharge, particularly with seven of the races in the second half of the season being flyaways, but now I’m ready to get back to racing.

“The second to last European race of the season at Spa is one of the classic Grands Prix and there’s a lot of history about the track, particularly when you look back at what it used to be like! These days it’s obviously much shorter, and safer, but it’s still a very good challenge in an F1 car, whatever the weather is like! The main technical focus on Friday and Saturday morning is getting the balance right between the outright speed you need for the high speed sections, like the run to Les Combes, and the downforce you need to push in sector two, particularly through corners like Pouhon which is very quick when you have the car set up well. Get the balance right and a quick lap of Spa is a very satisfying feeling – for the drivers inside the cockpit and the fans watching the cars through corners like Eau Rouge, it’s what F1 is all about!”

Giedo van der Garde, Caterham
“I’ve had a pretty busy August break, spending some time down in Valencia with my physio to keep up the training programme, and then off to Italy for a few days of holiday completely away from motor racing, but now it’s back to work at Spa.

“Honestly, I’ve been excited about racing in F1 at Spa ever since the start of the season, actually probably for all my life! As there isn’t a Dutch Grand Prix these days the Belgian GP is the closest I have to a home race and I know there’s going to be a lot of orange flags around the track, and a lot of support for me and the team all weekend. I know we’re not going to be in a position to fight at the front of the grid, but we’ll still be pushing as hard as possible to beat our nearest rivals, and after the last race in Hungary I’m confident we can start the second half of the season in a positive way and put on a good show for all the fans who’ll make the trip to Spa. I can’t wait!”

Photo by MyCaterham Twitter Team.

August 22, 2013
Belgian GP Spa Preview Quotes – Ferrari

Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa share the sentiments of almost all the other drivers on the grid – Spa-Francorchamps is one of their absolute favourite circuits.

Here are the Ferrari team’s preview quotes ahead of the Belgian GP.

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari
“Spa is a very special circuit that always gets your adrenalin pumping, what with the way the track rises and falls and the very quick corners, which all go to make it a really fantastic experience for a driver. One lap of Spa is like 20 at any other track, in terms of the excitement and adrenalin it generates.

“The most demanding corner is definitely the final chicane before the finish line, because you approach it at around 330 km/h but then you have to tackle this very, very slow chicane with very little grip, because at Spa you set up the car with very little downforce. It’s here that positions change a lot during the race and it’s also important as it marks the entrance to the pit lane, which is very narrow.

“Eau Rouge is an uphill corner taken in seventh gear at over 300 km/h. Even if you take it flat out these days in a modern Formula One car, your body still experiences more compression than at any other corner in the whole championship and that’s what makes it special.

“For the best set-up at Spa you need to make a significant aerodynamic compromise, because the first and third sectors are made up entirely of long straights, where you want the minimum downforce, in order to have as much speed as possible and then there’s the middle sector which has plenty of corners where you want the maximum aerodynamic downforce. So finding the right balance is always very complex at Spa, which means this is the aspect that we will prioritise in free practice.

“Spa is considered to be a very complete circuit which provides a real challenge for both the driver and the team. Therefore, it’s one of those races, along with Monaco and Monza and the other famous tracks with a great reputation, which gives them some added worth, as all the big names have won here in the past, so hopefully this year, we can put our name there. But at the end of the day, it’s still 25 points for the win, just like any other round.

“I did well in 2005 when I came second and also back in Formula 3000. So far, I’ve never been in with a real chance of fighting for the win and I’ve often retired at Spa, usually for reasons of plain bad luck or with technical problems or down to my own mistakes. So it would be great to make up for that this year, picking up all those lost points.”

Felipe Massa, Ferrari
“Spa is fantastic, something of a dream for all drivers to race there, especially in a Formula One car. There’s so much history there and it’s a wonderful challenge with all the climbs and drops and changes of direction, which all add up to make driving there a true pleasure.

“In a modern F1 car, with all the technology and the aerodynamics and the downforce, although Eau Rouge looks like a corner, you actually drive it as though it was a straight, taking it flat out every lap. So actually, the part (of the track) I think is the most fun is towards the end of the second sector and the start of the last one, where there are so many fast corners and changes of direction. The most demanding section comes after the climb from Eau Rouge, when you get a straight followed by all those downhill chicanes because the slightest mistake here costs you a lot of time over the lap.

“Everyone wants to win here. I love the circuit and I hope there are more Spa wins to come in my career. It means a lot because of its history.”

Photo by Ferrari F1 Twitter team

August 22, 2013
Belgian Grand Prix Preview Quotes – Force India

The Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps lies ahead and almost every driver says this is one of their favourite tracks of the season. Here are the preview quotes from the Force India team as they look ahead to the Belgian Grand Prix.

Paul di Resta, Force India
“(The summer break) was very good! I had the chance to put in a bit of training, relax and spend time with my family and friends at home. It was important to make sure I come back stronger for this second part of the season. It’s going to be a very important period and I wanted to make sure I can face it in the best condition and with my batteries fully charged.

“We need to get the car working for us like before. In Budapest it was difficult to drive, but sometimes you get those tough weekends. Since then we have regrouped and analysed the previous races properly and hopefully this weekend will be a fresh start. We usually do well at the Belgian Grand Prix and everyone is determined to get back to the situation we had at the start of the year when we seemed to be punching above our weight.”

Adrian Sutil, Force India
“I think Spa is the favourite for most drivers. It’s a real pleasure to drive there and I’ve had some good results. The high-speed corners are a really nice challenge and there are lots of overtaking opportunities. Plus, there is always the unknown of the weather and a good chance of rain.

“It is important we regain the speed we showed earlier in the year. We are going towards some tracks that should suit our car better and it’s important that we get back to scoring points at every race. I am ready to do my part by taking the opportunities when they appear and helping the team move forward. I have good memories of Spa and I would like to add some more.”

Dr Vijay Mallya, Force India team principal
“Spa is a track that we love! As I have said, the car has to be competitive on all tracks, but if I concede that Hungary was not ideally suited to us, by the same token Spa and Monza have traditionally been our stronger tracks. So that gives me a little bit of a morale boost in saying that once we are on top of the game, we should restore our competitive position.”

Photo by the Force India Twitter Team

August 22, 2013