Stefano and Lello looking for more wins at Monza
The temple of Italian motorsport, Monza, is the venue for this weekend’s GP2 Series races, round nine of the 2014 Championship and the Racing Engineering team and their two drivers, Raffaele Marciello and Stefano Coletti, are looking forward to the challenges of this famous circuit. For Lello, after his tremendous race win at the last round at Spa Francorchamps, it will be a chance for the young Italian to race in front of his home fans, while Stefano will be looking for more wins and points to move up the Championship table where he is one of four drivers battling for third position.
The Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy is an exciting 5.793km circuit, built nearly ninety years ago, it has been the venue of the Italian Grand Prix for every race since 1922 (except for 1980). Famed for its long straights and legendary high speed corners such as the Curva Parabolica, Curva di Lesmo and Variante Ascari, Monza has been the site of some of the closest finishes in the history of Grand Prix racing.
Pirelli will be providing the same compounds as those made for Spa two weeks ago: P Zero Orange hard and P Zero White medium. The Monza circuit asks a lot from the tyres with the first chicane requiring heavy braking, the Variante Ascari and its rapid changes of direction and the famous Parabolica: a long and open corner that generates high lateral forces.
Timetable:Practice: Fri 05 Sep 2014, 12:00 (GMT+2)Qualifying Session: Fri 05 Sep 2014, 15:55 (GMT+2)Race 1: Sat 06 Sep 2014, 15:40 (GMT+2)Race 2: Sun 07 Sep 2014, 10:35 (GMT+2)
RoundLength of lap:5.769 km2013 best Racing Engineering: P2 in Qualifying – P1 in R1 – P3 in R2Tyre Wear:LowBrake Wear:HighDownforce:LowThrottle Average:76%Fastest turn:Curva GrandeHardest Braking Point:First Chicane T1 (Rettifilo)Gear shifts per lap:30Top Speed:320 km/hAverage Speed (Qualifying) 2013: 227.226 km/hAverage Speed (Race) 2013: 221.616 km/hPole Position Time 2013: 1:31.788
Facts1. The Italians call Monza “La Pista Miagica” or “the magical track”, a name as evocative as the circuit itself.
2. Temple of Speed. Monza has the highest open throttle time of the year with 76% full throttle over a lap.
3. Because of the high percentage of the lap is spent at full throttle there is increased fuel consumption compared to other tracks.
4. Monza is the hardest track on brakes and engines, and the downforce and drag levels run are the lowest of the year.
5. The leading edges of kerbs at the apex of Turn 1 and 4 have been extended and will be less angled than previously to avoid the possibility of the cars being launched when unexpectedly crossing them.
6. The breaking point for the first corner is critical, an area prone to crashes on the first lap after the start due to hard breaking at the front of the field while the rear of the field is still accelerating on full throttle, which can cause a concertina effect and accidents.
7. Fabio Leimer had a great weekend in 2013 in GP2 with Racing Engineering taking the win in the Saturday Feature Race and finishing 4th in the Sunday Sprint Race.
8. The longest flat out, full throttle section of the circuit is 1520 metres long.
9. The exceptionally heavy longitudinal forces under breaking due to the high-speed straights can cause blistering on the tyres resulting in a loss of grip.
10. In 2014 the gravel area outside the infamous Parabolica corner was removed and replaced by tarmac to improve safety. This will reduce the challenge and risk for the drivers, the impact on the driving line and track limits is yet to be seen.Facts1. F1 top speed peaking at over 340kph down the pit straight just before the first chicane, whereas in GP2 the top speed goes up to 320 km/h.
2. In Monza, although the top speed of a GP2 car is very high, the lap time of a GP2 is 8’3 seconds slower than an F1 (comparing pole position times).
3. Pole position in F1 was set in 2013 at 1:23.775 – Pole position in GP2 was set in 2013 at 1:31.788.
4. The average speed in F1 is 250km/h in F1 and 227 km/h in GP2.5. F1 throttle usage is 74% vs 76% of the lap that the engine spends at full throttle in GP2.
6. F1 drivers will change gear 40 times per lap against 30 times that a GP2 driver will have to do.
7. Race distance is not so different: F1 go around the circuit for 53 laps and GP2 do a total of 51 laps in two days- 30 laps in Feature Race and 21 in the Sprint Race.
