Historic Monza is ‘special’ race for drivers

Held at one of the most historic venues used in Formula One, the unique Autodromo Nazionale di Monza is set in a leafy royal park, north of Milan. “Monza has always been a very special event for me,” says Rubens Barrichello, “and I still have a lot of Italian fans who write to me with their support so it’s a weekend that I always really enjoy. I have actually won twice at Monza in 2004 and 2002 which are some of my favourite memories in Formula One."

Jenson Button is also looking forward to the high-speed Monza challenge: “The atmosphere is always great over the race weekend and the circuit has traditionally seen lots of exciting racing so hopefully it will be another good race for the fans. I had a podium finish here in 2004 and it is a track that I always enjoy because it’s such a mental challenge for the drivers."

Sporting Director Gil de Ferran knows both the challenges the drivers face and the heritage that surrounds the event. "For those who love Formula One, going to Monza is a special occasion,” he says. “The history surrounding the place is always evident and the atmosphere is fantastic. Both Jenson and Rubens have had good races there in the past, particularly Rubens who has won twice, and our car performed well at the test, all of which bodes well for the weekend.”

All eleven Formula One teams participated in the traditional Monza test this week following the five week summer testing break. The Honda Racing F1 Team conducted an intensive three-day programme with all four of its drivers working on the car set-up and tyre options for what will be the fastest circuit on the F1 calendar, where top speeds are likely to reach in excess of 340 kph.

“We did a lot of good work with Michelin at the Monza test this week in preparation as most of the track has been resurfaced so we needed to focus on the tyre choice carefully,” says Jenson. “We have a relatively good car around here so I think that we should be reasonably competitive in the race.”