Italy's Autodromo Nazionale Monza fully deserves its label as motorsport's Temple of Speed, as however fast an F1 car is designed to go, it has the potential to reach or even exceed its top speed capabilities at the legendary venue.
Low drag configurations – ranging from skinny rear wings to complete circuit-specific packages –
are of course on display this weekend among F1’s teams.
However, it’s not all about maximum velocity as simply trimming a car’s aero will inevitably reduce the downforce necessary to keep a design on its rails around Monza’s all-important fast sweeps.
Bragging rights were bestowed upon Fernando Alonso for being the fastest driver to breeze through the speed trap, the Aston Martin charger clocking in at a cool 353.5 km/h.
But Alonso’s top speed only delivered a P11 to the Spaniard in qualifying.
Conversely, Lando Norris was only twelfth fastest on the straights, but his outstanding pole tells us all we need to know about McLaren’s grip and aero efficiency, especially in Monza’s second sector, a fact also backed up by Oscar Piastri’s runner-up spot in qualifying.
Over at Red Bull, while the team mounted a dedicated low-drag rear wing on its RB20, this appeared not only to do little for the car’s top speed but to wreak havoc on its balance, with Max Verstappen among the laggards on the straights and concluding qualifying a lowly P7.
Looking ahead, the remarkably tight spread among the leaders points to a thrilling afternoon of racing at Monza. But strategy will be paramount.
As a track where the time needed for a pit stop is one of the longest of the year, a one-stop strategy relying on the medium and hard compounds is quickest, on paper.
Teams have taken the time to evaluate the effect Monza’s new surface might have on tyre behaviour over a long run, both in terms of performance and of degradation. But there’s still a fair degree of uncertainty regarding how the new tarmac might induce wear and graining.
On Friday, Mercedes’ George Russell was quickest on the medium rubber during the long run simulations, so the Briton who will start his race from third on the grid is definitely a candidate for top spoils.
But then again, let’s see how the front-runners – and especially McLaren’s dueling duo – funnel through the first corner.
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