Welcome to the ‘temple of speed’.
The Italian Grand Prix is here and that can only mean one thing: Monza. A circuit that’s as famous for its unapologetically partisan crowd as it is for its high-speed hijinks. But while the latter is assured, the former will be missing with the race forced to take place behind closed doors in what has been the strangest of years. Fear not though, for the winds of change will never extinguish Monza’s magic: its irresistible charms will reach into your very being this weekend to stir your soul once more.
In our latest race preview, get the thoughts of Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris and McLaren F1 Team Principal Andreas Seidl, and discover what to watch out for as F1 goes full throttle in Italy.
How to follow
| Round | 8 |
| Where | Autodromo Nazionale Monza |
| When | 4 – 6 September |
| Start time | 15:10 local, 14:10 BST, 09:10 EDT |
| Follow | TEAMStream and the McLaren App for exclusive commentary and insight |
What they say
“After the race in Barcelona I was hoping for another clean weekend at Spa, but unfortunately I couldn’t even start the race on Sunday. It’s very frustrating to look back and see all the points I’ve missed this season due to different problems, but I prefer to look forward and invest all my energy in the challenges and races ahead. I’m feeling good in the car and I’m sure my luck will eventually turn around if we keep focused and keep working hard.
“Luckily, I don’t have long to wait to get back in the car, as we head straight to Monza for the start of an Italian double-header. The high-speed characteristics of the circuit usually offer opportunities to overtake, especially into the first chicane, so we should be in for an exciting race. I’ve been working alongside the team these past few days to make sure we can maximise the performance of the car.”
“We’ve had a positive start to this triple-header and now we head to Italy where we’ll try to keep up that momentum. The competition is extremely tight in both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships, so we know that missing opportunities for points can have a big impact on those standings. We’ll be doing everything we can to build on P3 and P6 respectively. Monza is one of the more exciting circuits on the calendar with plenty of opportunities to battle for position, and I’m looking forward to getting out on track come FP1.”
“We move on to Monza with the mixed emotions of the Belgian Grand Prix put behind us, ready to fight again at the ‘temple of speed’. As ever with these triple-headers, a lot of pressure is placed on the team to make sure we’re prepared for the next race. The unique high-speed Monza circuit, will make it necessary to bring a low-downforce package again. It’s up to us in the race team to extract the maximum performance from the car in what will be a tight battle for strong points finishes.
“We’ll also carry a special tribute on the car this weekend to Ray Rowe, who is set to retire from the team after an incredible 55 years of service. ‘Tex’, as he’s fondly known in the team, joined with Bruce in 1965 and has worked in a variety of roles, including helping Bruce prepare for our first grand prix in 1966. We wish Tex a happy and healthy retirement.
“The intensity in the midfield is keeping us sharply focused on the task at hand. We’re aware that one bad race can drop a team from third in the Constructors’ Championship to sixth, so our strategy, operations and performance need to be at consistently high levels. With the narrow performance gap between four or five teams, we should be in for an exciting and enjoyable race.”
What the stats say
Despite being a circuit that provides plenty of opportunity for overtaking, qualifying matters here. Statistically, pole position at Monza is more important than at Monaco – the winner of the Italian Grand Prix has started from pole in 15 of the last 21 races at Monza.
McLaren has enjoyed 10 wins at ‘La Pista Magica’, most recently in 2012. Carlos has also stood on the top step of the podium here – during his title-winning Formula Renault 3.5 campaign in 2014. He has one point-scoring success to his name at this track in F1, although you can’t help but feel that should be two. He looked nailed on for P6 last year, only for a loose right-front wheel to scupper his chances. Like Carlos, Lando has tasted victory at Monza in junior single-seaters with a win in F3. And his sole F1 start at Monza saw him fight back from P16 on the grid – due to an engine change penalty – to finish in the final points paying position.
What to watch out for
Skinny wings! No, it’s not the latest offering from that place that sells fried chicken which, until recently, was advertised as ‘finger lickin’ good’. As teams seek to hit top speed with their cars, nowhere is there a more concerted effort to reduce drag than at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza. Its abundance of straights sees drivers at full throttle for much of the lap, which puts a premium on straightline speed. Wings aren’t clipped, but they are certainly trimmed and additional bodywork furnishings – flips and flicks – are greatly reduced.
Of course, shedding all this downforce does have consequences. Cars can become more skittish and nervous, especially under braking, so there’s a balance to be struck to ensure there’s still enough downforce to ensure stability. Drivers out-braking themselves and sailing straight on at Turn One is quite a common sight at Monza and, naturally, this long braking zone at the end of the main straight presents a prime opportunity for overtaking.
But the key to pulling off a move into Turn One starts the best part of a mile earlier at the Curva Parabolica. No other corner evokes memories of Monza’s historic, high-speed, banked oval – the stage for Italian Grands Prix in the ‘50s and early ‘60s – quite like this long, fast right-hander. A good exit out of here is essential to catch a tow to set up a pass – fail to nail it and you’re paying for it all the way down the straight.
Speaking of catching a tow, expect that to be talking point throughout the weekend – even more than was the case at Spa – and particularly in qualifying, when teams and drivers will vie for track position that can give them a chance to take advantage of a slipstream. And don’t be surprised to see drivers helping their respective team-mates out by giving them a tow, in the expectation that the favour will be swiftly returned!
What to wear
One of the things that anyone who has been to a grand prix will talk about is the noise, so it makes sense to treat your ears to the very best when it comes to all things audio – especially when going to the track to experience the action just isn’t possible right now. The Klipsch T5 II True Wireless Sport McLaren Edition Earphones have just landed on the McLaren Store and are sure to make your at-home grand prix experience even more sonically sumptuous.
Not only that, but we’ve worked with our partner Klipsch to ensure these sleek earphones can withstand the harshest and loudest environments on the planet. That means you can use them pretty much whenever, wherever. So that could be listening to Carlos’ rendition of ‘Smooth Operator’ while blow-drying your hair, or headbanging till your heart’s content to Martin Solveig’s ‘Hello’ à la Lando at last year’s French Grand Prix.