Stepped noses and double-DRS out for 2013

The stepped noses seen on most of this season's Formula One cars - and deemed ugly by many - are very likely to disappear next year, thanks to a change in the FIA's technical regulations allowing teams to cover them with special fairings.

The revised rules, just published by Formula One racing's governing body, give details of the 'modesty panels,' which can be used to smooth the transition between the low nose and the high chassis. The fairings will not affect the car's aerodynamics or impact-protection properties.

Article 3.7.9 of the 2013 technical regulations refers to the new panels as "an optional, single piece, non-structural fairing of prescribed laminate (whose precise lay-up may be found in the Appendix to the regulations) which may not be more than 625mm above the reference plane at any point."

The rules have also been amended, as expected, to outlaw the double-DRS system pioneered this season by Mercedes, where the team use the DRS activation mechanism to trigger other aerodynamic changes on the car.

According to Article 3.18, the moveable rear wing "cannot be used to change the geometry of any duct, either directly or indirectly, other than the change to the distance between adjacent sections permitted by Article 3.10.2."

Bernie Ecclestone on Professor Sid Watkins

"What Sid Watkins did in the way of safety in Formula One was incredible. He gave his whole life to that cause, to make sure that it could be as safe as it possibly could be. We all owe him a debt of gratitude for his caring and commitment.

"When I invited him to join Formula One as its official doctor partway through the 1978 season, we discussed many aspects of safety and medical issues. We agreed that we needed a proper hospital at the track in the form of a fully equipped medical centre to stabilise injured drivers with immediate treatment, and a helicopter to transport them subsequently to specialist facilities, and that the helicopter pad had to be as close to that trackside hospital as possible.

"Sid carried all of those things through, and many more. After the accidents to Jochen Rindt and then Ronnie Peterson, I suggested that he should have a medical intervention car and that he should take responsibility for taking drivers into medical care.

"We always talked things through and worked together, and he then took care of all the medical things which I knew nothing about.

"I am pretty sure that he is irreplaceable. You only meet somebody of his calibre once in your lifetime."

Singapore preview quotes - HRT on Marina Bay

From one of Formula One's racing's oldest venues, the paddock moves to one of its newest, as the teams and drivers depart Europe for the heady nightlife of Singapore. With its spectacular backdrop and challenging layout, the Marina Bay Street Circuit has quickly established itself as one of the most popular venues on the calendar. Those involved in the 2012 Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix discuss their prospects…

Pedro de la Rosa, HRT
2011 Qualifying - n/a, 2011 Race - n/a
"I've never raced at Singapore but I know the circuit because of my simulator work as a test driver for McLaren. It's a spectacular track and probably the toughest circuit on the brakes in the entire championship besides being a very physically demanding race because of the heat and humidity. We should have a good performance as there are many slow corners and it is quite similar to Monaco. Besides, we've got an aero upgrade which should help us to cut down the gap to our rivals. I have to make the most of the practice session to adapt to the circuit but I'm up for the challenge."

Narain Karthikeyan, HRT
2011 Qualifying - n/a, 2011 Race - n/a
"Singapore has a spectacular atmosphere as the race takes place under artificial lighting. The Marina Bay Street Circuit is bumpy and very complicated. You can't make any mistakes as it is a street circuit. Besides, it's also very demanding physically because of the high temperatures and humidity. I arrive here extremely motivated and in good form after a good weekend in Italy and we've also brought upgrades which we hope will help us improve our race pace a little bit more."

Ma Qing Hua, HRT test driver
"I'm very happy to drive the F112 for a second time in a row and I really appreciate the opportunity HRT is giving me. It will be very exciting to drive a F1 around the streets of Singapore. It's a very demanding track for all of us, but it will be even more of a challenge for me as this is only the second time I will be driving the car at a race weekend. But I am looking forward to it and the laps that I added to my tally at the last Grand Prix in Monza have given me plenty of confidence. I have prepared myself in the simulator as well as doing some specific exercises to be used to driving at night. This is yet again another step in my career and I look forward to getting more experience at the wheel of a Formula One car as well as doing my best to help the team to prepare for the race."

Luis Perez-Sala, HRT team principal
"I don't personally know the Marina Bay Street Circuit but I'm really looking forward to getting to know it since everyone says it's one of the most beautiful races in the championship. But also because in Singapore we're incorporating the second major upgrade to the car of the season which we hope will help us take another step forward. Ma will step into the car once more for the first free practice session and the objective is for him to continue learning and improving as he did in Monza, where we were very happy with his work and performance. Pedro and Narain come on the back of a good race in Italy and we hope that with the upgrades they can get even closer to our rivals."

Formula one post-race press conference - Italy

Reproduced with kind permission of the FIA

Drivers: 1 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), 2 - Sergio Perez (Sauber), 3 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)

PODIUM INTERVIEWS - Conducted by Niki Lauda

Q: How is it to win the Italian Grand Prix in front of all these fans here?
Lewis Hamilton: It's been fantastic to win here; you've got the best crowd. I'm just so happy for my team; it was really a fantastic day.

Q: Now you're catching up on Fernando. You're 37 points behind. It's got to be a pleasure?
LH: Fernando is a two-time world champion, he's incredible. I'm very, very happy for him.

Q: Thank you. So, I take my hat off (to you), Sergio. You did an incredible job. I think you even surprised Fernando here. How did you work this fantastic race for yourself?
Sergio Perez: It was a great race for me, for my team. It's unbelievable to get a podium in Monza, with all these people. It's really, really special.

Q: What was the strategy? What tyres did you use?
SP: I went for prime and then I stopped very late in my first stint and then I had fresh tyres at the end. It's unbelievable, thank you very much.

Q: So, Fernando, it was a difficult race for you, from where came from, please explain.
Fernando Alonso: It was a difficult race starting from tenth. But we knew that we had maybe the quickest car maybe this weekend. We missed pole position yesterday but todaywe had the pace to recover positions, so it was good.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Lewis, isn't that just the best podium in the world, with all those people, what do you think? And you got out your best Italian as well.
LH: I tried - but you couldn't hear anything!

Q: That looked a fantastic win, virtually lights-to-flag, apart from during the pit stop. Trouble-free?
LH: It was pretty trouble-free - I don't think I had any problems throughout the race and the guys did a great job through the pitstop. And I got a good start for once, so very, very happy with that.

Q: Any issues with tyres at all? Was it fairly straightforward?
LH: Yes.

Q: And no problems mechanically or anything like that? Obviously your team-mate had a problem.
LH: Very, very unfortunate for Jenson, we were running 1-2 at the time and it would have been fantastic for the team to have won here and have first and second. I don't really know what went on with his car but it was very unfortunate.

Q: Were you told to do anything to your car?
LH: No.

Q: Sergio, how much did you enjoy that? It must have been amazing to be on those softer tyres and just be overtaking, overtaking?
SP: Yeah! It was really enjoyable. One of those races where you have the pace and you are the one attacking. It was very crucial moments during the race, especially during my first stint, to go that long and to be able to keep the pace was not easy at all. I did quite a lot of laps on those tyres. Then in the second stint we managed to go maximum attack and I was able to have good fighting with some drivers. It was just a great race.

Q: Kimi put a bit of resistance, didn't he?
SP: Yeah, but I mean Kimi's a very fair driver. He left enough room, not more than needed, and it was alright with all the drivers that I had the fight, they were all leaving good room, and it was a very enjoyable fight with all of them.

Q: How much do you worry that the tyres are suddenly going to drop off? Or are you confident all the way through?
SP: With the first stint I was a bit worried, especially with the data we had from Friday. I was a bit worried I was feeling some degradation from the tyres, so I was a bit worried that it was going to drop, that the tyre was going to drop but once I got until lap 20 it was looking really good. Before that I was in contact with the team every lap, trying to say that everything was fine. Every lap I asked them to stay in contact every lap, just in case we were in need to change the strategy.

Q: Fernando, after qualifying tenth, I guess third place is good. Still a bit frustrated or not?
FA: No, no. Absolutely perfect Sunday for us. Obviously the win was out of reach after the problem yesterday. Starting tenth is not easy to think about victory, so if you cannot win, podium is next target. In all the simulations and all the predictions we had, it was never a podium finish, so basically it's much better than expected. Jenson was out of the race and the two Red Bulls… so perfect Sunday maybe.

Q: And you picked up a couple of places at the start…
FA: Yeah, the start was good. Obvious we didn't have maybe the best start but it was enough to overtake two or three cars, good first corner and then those two first laps were, I think, making the difference of our race. We overtook di Resta, Kimi, Michael very quickly. And that gave us the opportunity to follow Sebastian and the quick cars that were there in the first five positions. So, when you find yourself sixth after two or three laps, the race improves a lot.

Q: Then you had a bit of a moment with Sebastian, where you found yourself on the grass through the Curva Grande. What happened there?
FA: Nothing really to say.

Q: Do you think he didn't see you? Or what?
FA: [no audible answer]

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Adrian Huber - Agencia EFE) Fernando, yesterday you said it wasn't a good day but it would be OK in the worst case if both McLarens win. The day was even better because only one of them are front of you. Sergio was there. What can you say? You build up your lead in the Championship.
FA: Yeah, definitely. Yesterday was a disappointment day for us and especially for our fans. I think they were supporting us massively this weekend and we really had the opportunity to be on pole or in the first row and we missed it. So, we were sad for us and most of all for the fans. So, yeah, looking at the Championship, we say we need to concentrate who will be second. It was Vettel yesterday and we were happy for the McLarens to be strong this weekend. And yeah, the race went like a movie for us, like a dream.

Q: (Carlos Jalife - Fast mag) Sergio, you were sick the whole weekend, and how much did that cost you during qualifying and if you had started here up in front maybe you could have challenged Lewis for the win.
SP: It's always difficult for sure, I don't think we had the pace in qualifying, on a single lap, to be even close to gaining the front row or close to the top five. We were not quick at all, we were lacking too much speed on the straights and that was our problem. Yes, I've been sick all weekend. It's been difficult but it did not affect me at all, yesterday in qualifying I did not have the good lap. I was too close to Bruno Senna so I lost a lot of downforce - it was the reason why we qualified just out of the top ten. But more than that… maybe top ten was reachable but more than that, not. It helped us, in a way, to change the strategy. We risk, I don't know if we were the only one, or one of a few, to go for prime and it worked quite well. We were a bit worried about the warm up in the beginning but it worked quite OK.

Q: (Flavio Vanetti - Corriere della Sera) To Lewis, it's the third victory in a row for McLaren. Is it a clear message for Ferrari, looking at the Championship?
LH: I don't think so. I think Ferrari were as quick as us this weekend. At least as quick as us this weekend. I think if Fernando had better qualifying, I'm sure he would have been up there with me and made the race perhaps a little bit harder than it was. No, I think Ferrari seem like they're very, very quick and we need to stay on it to try to continue to compete with them.

Q: (Vincent Marre - Sport Zeitung) Question to Lewis, after hearing that Button was out, you have obviously drove a bit slower the last laps of the race. My question: have you paid attention to the engine range?
LH: No, you just try to… I was cruising. The last 20 laps I had a 14 second gap. At the time Felipe was behind and he, even though I was cruising, he was going slower than me and then I heard that Fernando had overtook, and it was Fernando who began to catch so then I pulled out a little bit more time and matched his time just to keep it relaxed and then this guy here [Pérez] started catching me at a second a lap. So probably the last four laps I started to push a little bit more, just to maintain a little bit more of the gap.

Q: (Fabrizio Corgnati - 422 race.com) To Sergio, do you think your overtaking on Fernando will hurt your chances to be in Ferrari next year?
SP: Ask him. I don't know. I'm sure… I'm not at all… I'm fighting for my team and will always fight for the team that I'm in. I will always give my maximum I can. And I will fight any driver, no matter if it's Fernando or Lewis, I will fight for my team to get the result - and I think every driver will do the same.

Q: (Frederic Ferret - L'Equipe) Lewis, you put an Italian flag on your helmet, you wanted this win, what does this mean now that you have it?
LH: Yeah, it's an incredible experience for me to come to Italy, a place that I love a lot. I've come here for many many years, since I was 13, met lots of great people here, really do genuinely love the people here and the culture and the food and the country itself. I put the flag on my helmet just as a sign of respect. This is a very historic circuit and when I was driving, I was thinking that all of the greats have won here so to finally get a win here is just the icing on the cake, and I hope that this is the start of something good in the future, coming here. I've not had the best results in the past, and hopefully in the future we will have a little bit more support here.

Q: (Leonid Novozhilov - F1Live) Lewis, what does it mean for you to win in Monza?
LH: I just answered that. It's very very special, very very special.

Q: (Andrea Cremonesi - La Gazzetta dello Sport) Sergio, is this your best race so far in Formula One, and how important has been to do it in Monza in front of the Ferrari guys as a Ferrari academy driver?
SP: I think it definitely is a very nice podium to be on here in Italy, because it's very special to see. It's a very special race which you don't feel anywhere else. So to have my first European podium in Formula One is very great and it's a very special place to have it. I think it was a fantastic race and I'm very pleased with the result.

Q: (Luigi Perna - La Gazzetta dello Sport) Fernando, were you surprised by Vettel's action; you seemed to be forced off to the left side of the corner at that moment? Were you scared that your race could be compromised at that point?
FA: I think it was compromised. I lost ten laps behind him so I lost whatever seconds there were at that moment after the incident, also the laps behind him. I'm sure the car is damaged because at 330kph you are jumping over the gravel. I don't think that the floor and everything - all the details that you take care of because the race - will be completely fine after those jumps.

Q: (Fulvio Solms - Corriere dello Sport) Fernando, do you think that the guy alongside you is going to be your main competitor in the championship?
FA: We'll see, we will see in the next couple of races and how the teams develop the parts. At the moment McLaren has won the last three Grands Prix and they are in top form. I think from Jerez they won in winter testing, who was the driver that I respect more and that was Lewis and we're still here, 11 or 12 races afterwards we are first and second in the championship. It will be tough until the end.

Q: (Livio Oricchio - O Estado de Sao Paulo) To Lewis and Fernando, Fernando, several times you have said that you love the Singapore circuit, it's perfect for your style and Lewis also loves to drive on street circuits. What do you project for the next race, now you're both fighting for the championship?
FA: Well, we'll see. I think it's a very nice race, very nice atmosphere in Singapore and not only for the race on Sunday. I think from the day you arrive, Wednesday or Thursday, it's a special weekend, you feel it. All the times and everything is out of the normal routine and I think you enjoy the change a little bit more and I think the circuit is quite interesting, very challenging. I think you enjoy driving there. Fans are always very close to us in that circuit as well and I think there will be a nice atmosphere, a nice fight. Personally I hope it will be a good test for us because there are a lot of new things that we will bring to Singapore, so let's hope we can fight for the win.
LH: I second what Fernando said. He's just given us the information, that Ferrari are going to be bringing lots of parts to the next race, so I will go back to my team and push them to...
FA: It's not only Singapore.
LH: But I really do enjoy racing with Fernando and I hope that we get to have lots more close battles.

Q: (Sylvia Arias - Parabrisas Argentina) Sergio, in Singapore, it looks good for you now because this race didn't look good for you and you did very well, whereas Singapore is a different track. What do you expect?
SP: I definitely expect to be better than here but here was a big surprise for us. I think the strategy made a very big difference for us, because we had the pace to be where we finished today. I think Singapore will definitely be a better one - I don't think the best for us but if we come here and look better, I think we can be competitive if you consider we lose half a second on the straights here so I think we can be quite competitive in Singapore.

Q: (Sylvia Arias - Parabrisas Argentina) Fernando, you said you were really lucky here, but how much does the car need to improve, because sometimes you cannot depend on being lucky?
FA: Yes, obviously I don't consider that we've been lucky. We've just been unlucky, even yesterday, compared with many of the others, and today someone broke some parts that is probably something that is not right, as we broke some parts yesterday that we need to investigate and it's our mistake. In Spa we've been unlucky because we didn't break any parts so we didn't make any mistakes, it was just a car landing on us, so I don't think that we are particularly lucky but it's true that we need to improve the car, to improve the performance a little bit, not this weekend because to be honest we had the fastest car with McLaren, so we were very happy to fight all the free practice, qualifying and now in the race for the top positions, and hopefully we can continue this in another track, because we know that Monza is a very unique layout, so if we continue like this we will be happy, and that's our aim.

Q: (Carlos Miguel - La Gaceta) Fernando, in your opinion what was the difference mbetween the movement of Vettel today and the movement you made in the same place last season? Was it more aggressive? What's your opinion?
FA: I think we need to see it on TV. Last year it was not penalised, this year it has been. I think there is a big difference for the people who understand this movement.

Q: (Adrian Huber - Agencia EFE) Checo/Sergio, this is your third podium after Malaysia and Canada; when and where do you think your first victory will come?
SP: I hope sooner rather than later. I want to win. I already have a second and a third, as you say. I want my first victory to come and I hope it can come before the end of the season.

Q: (Vincent Marre - Sport Zeitung) Fernando, when you were fighting against Vettel and you were on the grass, what were you thinking at that moment?
FA: Nothing. I tried to get off the grass and continue the race. I wanted to finish the race and not have another DNF because of an accident, just taking some margin, the same as when Sergio arrived a second quicker than us in the last part of the race: what can we do? We tried to defend the position a little bit but we cannot be crazy and try to do things that are impossible to do.

Q: (Peter Windsor - Clarksport Ltd) Fernando, very tight first corner here. From tenth on the grid what was your approach for the start and how did that first corner go for you?
FA: Actually I have a very open mind in terms of strategy for the first corner. I just wanted to see how the car started and how the first 200 meters went and after that decide. The start was good in the first 200 meters so after that the approach was aggressive. After you make a good start, you need to continue, and you cannot lose what you gain in the first 200 meters. We risked but it was close. As you said, very tight first corner here so it's very easy to lose your front nose or whatever. It was tight but it was good.

Qualifying - McLaren lock out front row with Hamilton pole

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button wrapped up the front row of the grid for the Italian Grand Prix, as Fernando Alonso met problems which left his Ferrari only 10th on the grid.

Alonso had set the pace in Q1 and Q2, but when it came to it he could not better 1m 25.678s on his second run in Q3 after a problem with his rear anti-roll bar.

Hamilton, meanwhile, had been biding his time and picking up pace all through, and his 1m 24.010s was almost two-tenths better than Alonso's Q1 time. Button was also getting quicker, and popped in a 1m 24.133s on his second run to displace an impressive Paul di Resta who had taken his Force India round in 1m 24.304s. Felipe Massa also pushed the Scot down, taking third in his Ferrari in 1m 24.247s.

Mercedes' challenge could only muster the fifth-fastest time, with Michael Schumacher acing team mate Nico Rosberg, 1m 24.540s to 1m 24.833s. Sebastian Vettel squeezed between them with 1m 24.802s for Red Bull.

It didn't come together for Kimi Raikkonen and Lotus, as the Finn managed only 1m 24.855s for eighth. Kamui Kobayashi was ninth for Sauber 1m 25.109s, and a very unhappy Alonso 10th.

With Di Resta's five-place penalty for a gearbox change, the top 10 grid order will be: Hamilton, Button; Massa, Schumacher; Vettel, Rosberg; Raikkonen, Kobayashi; Di Resta, Alonso.

A late lap in Q2 just kept Vettel in Q3 after he'd momentarily been bumped by Kobayashi, so that left Red Bull's Mark Webber stuck in 11th place on 1m 24.809s from Williams' Pastor Maldonado in 12th on 1m 24.820s, Sauber's Sergio Perez on 1m 24.901s, Williams' Bruno Senna on 1m 25.042s, Toro Rosso's Daniel Ricciardo on 1m 25.312s, Lotus's Jerome D'Ambrosio on 1m 25.408s, and Jean-Eric Vergne on 1m 25.441s in the second Toro Rosso.

Force India's qualifying had begun to become unravelled when Nico Hulkenberg's VJM05 stopped with a fuel-pressure issue before he had even done a timed lap, leaving him 24th.

As Alonso set the pace with 1m 24.175s, Heikki Kovalainen took his customary 18th place for Caterham with 1m 26.382s ahead of team mate Vitaly Petrov on 1m 26.887s. Then came the evenly-matched Marussia duo, with Timo Glock on 1m 27.039s and Charles Pic on 1m 27.073s. Narain Karthikeyan got close on 1m 27.441s to oust HRT team mate Pedro de la Rosa on 1m 27.629s ahead of his 100th Grand Prix start.

With Maldonado's two five-place penalties from Spa applied, the grid order from the sixth row downwards will be: Webber, Perez; Senna, Ricciardo; D'Ambrosio, Vergne; Kovalainen, Petrov; Glock, Pic; Karthikeyan, Maldonado; De la Rosa, Hulkenberg.

Friday practice on Monza - Selected team and driver quotes

It was hard to tell which team held the advantage around Monza on Friday. The morning session was dominated by Mercedes' Michael Schumacher, but in the afternoon Lewis Hamilton was quickest for McLaren. The drivers and senior team personnel report on the early running in Italy...

McLaren
Lewis Hamilton, P1 - 1:25.944, 6th; P2 - 1:25.290, 1st
"Monza is a beautiful circuit and the whole place has such great history - you really feel it as soon as you drive through the gates. And, of course, it's an absolutely stunning place on which to drive - the speeds are incredible and, when you get the flow right, it feels simply amazing. It's very, very quick. It's somewhat deceptive, too: a map of the track makes it look quite simple, but it's actually incredibly technical. It's also bumpy, which means it's incredibly difficult to nail those final thousandths on a quick lap. And that's really what today has been all about: we're trying to fine-tune the balance and find the tiniest amounts of time. It's extremely tight. Overall, today has been quite productive, and everything has gone smoothly. Hopefully, we're not in a bad position, although there are still things we can improve on the car for tomorrow."

Jenson Button, P1 - 1:25.723, 2nd; P2 - 1:25.328, 2nd
"Monza is so different from anywhere else we drive. The straight-line speeds are incredibly high - in fact there are four points around the track where we hit 200mph (322km/h). It's been satisfying to get some dry running under our belts today, because we were able to gather a lot of useful information. We tried a few different directions with set-up this afternoon – and some were better than others - but we'll decide what works best before FP3 tomorrow and we'll make the necessary tweaks to get the balance right. I'm pretty comfortable with the car; you always want more, but we've done a reasonably good job today. Looking at the data, there are quite a few teams out there that look quick too: it's very close and that's going to make it an interesting race."

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
"There's always a special magic in the air when the Formula 1 circus arrives in Monza – and today felt no different. Managing the perfect trade-off between drag and downforce is always a tricky balancing act here, and, while we've still to perfect the set-up we'll choose to run for the remainder of the weekend, we're pleased with the good progress we've made so far, and the useful amount of data we've successfully gathered. Inevitably, our focus now turns to that data, and processing it in order to make the wisest changes for tomorrow. Both Lewis and Jenson were pleased with their cars, but it's satisfying that both also feel they can extract more from the package. Nevertheless, we're mindful that the competition is snapping at our heels, and that there are a number of teams which could emerge tomorrow as favourites for victory. Additionally, moving away from what happened on track here today, and speaking more generally, it's worth noting that Jenson's victory in Belgium was our second win on the trot, Lewis having triumphed in Hungary. That's satisfying for a number of reasons - first because, in achieving that feat, we became the first team to have won two grands prix successively so far this season, and, second, because we accomplished that milestone on two circuits, Hungaroring and Spa-Francorchamps, whose comparative downforce set-up characteristics differ very markedly. So it would appear that our car is not only quick, but also quick on a wide variety of circuits. And that augurs well not only for our prospects of victory here at super-fast Monza, where you may be well sure we'll be aiming for a hat-trick of successive wins, but also for the remainder of the season."

Ferrari
Fernando Alonso, P1 - 1:25.800, 4th; P2 - 1:25.348, 3rd
"Today almost everything happened, with various mechanical problems and we did not manage to test everything we wanted, but all the parts that failed can be changed and thanks to Felipe we have all the information we need to do well in qualifying and the race. Even if today was complicated, it was still positive: it's good that everything happened today, because we must try and avoid any problems tomorrow and Sunday. I am optimistic about the car balance, which we did not have to change between FP1 and 2. I expect we will see different strategies in qualifying because there seems to be very little difference between the Medium and Hard tyres. In the race we will have to use both and so in the end it balances out. Compared to Spa, here we are on the pace, maybe we have a bit more downforce and make up a bit of time at the two Lesmos and the second chicane, while we are losing out in the first sector with the two long straights. We will analyse these details this evening and tomorrow we will try and improve also in terms of top speed, which was probably our weak point today."

Felipe Massa, P1 - 1:25.861, 5th; P2 - 1:25.430, 4th
"A very positive day because I managed to make the most of the track time, completing all the programme we had planned for this Friday. I did a lot of laps on both types of tyre, in the morning and the afternoon, including a long run to evaluate the handling as well as possible. At the moment, there doesn't seem to be much difference between the two compounds in terms of performance, as we could also see from the other drivers' times, but we will have to see how it goes tomorrow, because the difference could become greater as the track conditions improve, which will be an important factor for qualifying and the race. I am also pleased with my lap times, as I was always up there with the quickest cars in both sessions. We will be trying to improve the car set-up still further tomorrow, but I am confident for the rest of the weekend. I am very pleased to be here in Monza in front of our fans and I really hope that this positive day is the right start to get a great result for them!"

Pat Fry, Ferrari chassis director
"The mechanics definitely did not have time to get bored today! We had various reliability problems on Fernando's car that meant he was unable to get through his planned programme. It's very unusual for us to have three problems in three separate areas - engine, brakes and gearbox - on the same day, therefore we will have to look very closely at what happened, to ensure it doesn't happen again. As far as the gearbox and engine are concerned, they were units we were not planning to use in the race, so we will not incur any penalties tomorrow. For his part, Felipe managed to do a lot of kilometres and gathered important data for the team, both on the different aerodynamic configurations and on the behaviour of the two compounds - hard and medium - which Pirelli has chosen for this race. From what we could see, the field is very close and adopting the right level of aero downforce will be a key factor in qualifying and the race. As for the tyres, it's hard to say from what we saw today which performs better: we still have an hour of free practice tomorrow to learn more."

Mercedes
Nico Rosberg, P1 - 1:25.762, 3rd; P2 - 1:25.446, 5th
"That was definitely a better start for us than in Spa. We were able to complete a lot of laps today and it seems that we have a good pace on high and low fuel levels. As always, it's difficult to say where we are compared to the others but I hope we can score some good points this weekend. It was great fun to drive on this amazing track, and I always like the special atmosphere here. Yesterday I went out on the old Monza track with a scooter which is great to see."

Michael Schumacher, P1 - 1:25.422, 1st; P2 - 1:26.094, 10th
"I am quite happy with the practice sessions as we achieved a lot of reasonable work with regards to long runs which was our main focus today. We have a different aero package for Monza which seems to work well so it seems to be looking better than in the last races. During the sessions, we made progress as well so I am curious to have a look at the data we collected and learn the full picture. It's always nice to be back in Monza as I am still so warmly welcomed by all the tifosi. As I said earlier, I would like to say thank you for that and hope we can put on a good show tomorrow and in the race on Sunday."

Ross Brawn, Mercedes team principal
"We've had a pretty good day and both Nico and Michael were reasonably happy with the balance of the car by the end of the second session this afternoon. We completed our planned programme, and have all the information and data that we needed on the different tyres and fuel levels, so now we will have a look and make our plans for tomorrow."

Norbert Haug, vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
"A positive start to the weekend on this traditional high-speed track. Nico and Michael posted consistent lap times during their long runs in race trim on both Pirelli tyres. We seem to have a reasonable base to work from tomorrow."

Lotus
Kimi Raikkonen, P1 - 1:26.046, 7th; P2 - 1:25.504, 6th
"It was an okay day. We tried a few different things with no issues and I'm happy with the car. Our long run pace was not too bad and we weren't too far away from the fastest lap set today either. There aren't many corners here, but running with low downforce means the grip is not as good under braking and cornering through the chicanes. It's not easy to get the perfect lap here but maybe we can improve tomorrow; we shall see."

Jerome D'Ambrosio, P1 - 1:27.180, 15th; P2 - 1:26.157, 12th
"Today went pretty well overall and it feels good to be back in the car. It's not an easy task stepping in at the last minute; there's a lot to take in and with a low-downforce track like Monza it can be quite tricky to find the limit, but we completed a busy schedule and put in a lot of laps which is a good start. It's difficult to say where we are right now, but we made steady progress between the two sessions and my aim for tomorrow is to take another step forwards and see where we go from there. So far so good."

Alan Permane, Lotus trackside operations director
"It's nice to have a straight-forward Friday with dry running; it's our first for a while! The lower downforce here means we focused on the various compromises; getting the car to work in the corners, balancing the need for a soft car to ride the kerbs versus a stiff car to enable high speed change of direction and so on. We feel we've made good progress with the running we've had. Jerome has done a great job; chipping away at the time difference between him and Kimi without any problems while absorbing all the procedures and information we've thrown at him."

Force India
Paul di Resta, P2 - 1:25.546, 7th
"A pretty standard afternoon session for me and I seemed to get in the groove quite quickly. The preparation we had done in the simulator was useful and the baseline set-up was not very far away from where we needed to be. We improved the car with each run so there's plenty of data to go through tonight to improve our performance before qualifying."

Nico Hulkenberg, P1 - 1:26.518, 12th; P2 - 1:25.547, 8th
"It was nice to have a dry and straightforward Friday for a change so that we could get through our programme and complete some long runs. Overall we look in reasonable shape, although I'm not totally happy with the set-up yet. We learned a lot about the tyres and both the hard and medium are working well here. The other big decision to make tonight is what downforce levels we will use over the weekend."

Jules Bianchi, P1 - 1:27.192, 16th
"I'm very happy with how things went today. I felt very comfortable in the car and had the confidence to really push and make the most of the programme. There was a lot of traffic on my first run, but the other two runs were better and I was able to complete some good timed laps. The team asked me to run some different aero levels to get a feel for the car and we made some small improvements between the runs. So I feel very positive and I want to thank the team once again for the chance to drive the car."

Jakob Andreasen, Force India chief engineer
"A productive day of practice, which has given us all the data we need heading into the weekend. There are still some balance improvements to be made, but the set-up programme ran smoothly and there were no issues with the cars. We ran Jules this morning and he did an excellent job evaluating the downforce levels and working on the baseline set-up. In the afternoon our focus moved towards longer runs to give us the tyre data and to help determine our approach for the rest of the weekend. We will go through the data tonight and then focus on qualifying performance tomorrow morning."

Sauber
Sergio Perez, P1 - 1:26.323, 8th; P2 - 1:26.068, 9th
"The first free practice went alright and also in the second session we almost completed our programme, but I had to stop a few minutes early when the team called me in for some checks. Overall so far I have the feeling we are a bit behind expectations here. We lose quite some time on the straights and now have to find a good aero and set-up compromise. We definitely want to fight for the top ten in qualifying tomorrow."

Kamui Kobayashi, P1 - 1:26.746, 14th; P2 - 1:26.730, 16th
"It was a bit of a difficult day. I didn't do enough running to decide on the settings and the downforce level. In the morning it was business as usual and also my first run in the second session was okay. But then, after we had made some changes, the car was bouncing an awful lot. I nearly spun on the straight. However, we identified the problem but could not fix it during the session. I think we have quite a lot of work to do tomorrow."

Giampaolo Dall'Ara, Sauber head of track engineering
"The morning's session was okay. We were focusing on aerodynamics as you always do in Monza because of the special low downforce configuration. We did comparisons of rear wings and other parts. In the afternoon Kamui's session finished early because we had experienced a problem which we could not solve during the session. Actually after this we are not confident to continue with the planned programme and want to have a closer look at everything now. On Sergio's car we discovered something wrong on the data shortly before the end of the second free practice and decided to call him in as well."

Red Bull
Mark Webber, P1 - 1:26.390, 9th; P2 - 1:26.104, 11th
"We're working hard, but we're not there yet. We were a bit more competitive on the longer runs in practice today. We're not normally the Friday world champions, so we'll do some work now for tomorrow. We often find a good step ahead of qualifying."

Sebastian Vettel, P1 - 1:26.508, 11th; P2 - 1:26.394, 13th
"I think overall we are not as quick as we would like to be, so there's still work to do. I think we are more competitive in race trim, but we aren't where we want to be yet in terms of true pace. We ran through our entire programme, so we got a lot of information to go through and learn from."

Williams
Pastor Maldonado, P1 - 1:26.504, 10th; P2 - 1:26.404, 14th
"It was a productive day as we were trying some different configurations, especially with the aero levels. We completed everything we set out to do in the programme. There is still more speed to come and so tomorrow we will continue working to improve, so I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do."

Bruno Senna, P2 - 1:26.783, 17th
"It was a difficult session. After not running in the morning I had a lot to do this afternoon, but we've been trying different things and I think we can find a good path. Hopefully the car will be even better tomorrow and we can iron out some of the technical details to improve for qualifying."

Valtteri Bottas, P1 - 1:26.641, 13th
"We got lot of running today with the dry weather so it was great to get that under our belt. The track is brilliant as it's an old school circuit and very quick. The morning session was productive and we worked through all the tests we had planned."

Mark Gillan, Williams chief operations engineer
"We have a lot data to dissect and interpret tonight from today's two sessions to ensure that we optimise the car for the race without compromising qualifying. We managed to get through the entire test programme, despite a hydraulic problem on Pastor's car which prematurely stopped his FP1 session. The mechanics reacted very quickly and we managed to get the car ready for the start of FP2."

Toro Rosso
Daniel Ricciardo, P1 - 1:27.373, 17th; P2 - 1:26.724, 15th
"You come to Monza with a special low downforce package and the car always feels a bit different, moving around more and you are reaching very high speeds, so in terms of balance, it's hard to be happy here compared to circuits where you run much higher downforce. Therefore you need to change your approach a bit. However, we are still looking for some more speed and even if we have to accept it might not be perfect, I do believe there is room for improvement for the rest of the weekend. We made a couple of changes between the sessions, but we don't yet have a clear picture of where we are at the moment. It's nice to see so many people from our factory in Faenza here to support us."

Jean-Eric Vergne, P1 - 1:27.789, 18th; P2 - 1:26.864, 19th
"This is my first time at Monza in a Formula 1 car and it definitely feels fast! I have been getting used to running with very little downforce and we still have some work to do to try and improve our performance level. The team did a good job today in terms of working through a packed test programme and now it's a case of studying the data, trying to work out the best car set-up for qualifying and for the race. I have to say that driving for an Italian team at Monza in front of such a big crowd, including many of our people from the factory added something special to the experience."

Laurent Mekies, Toro Rosso chief engineer
"As always in Monza, like all the other teams, we have brought a one-off aero package for the STR7 and our first job this morning was to assess the new front and rear wings. After that, we looked at various set-up options, aimed at optimising the car in this low downforce configuration. We are not yet happy with the way the car has been performing around here and we will have to study the data overnight to see if we can get a bit more out of the package. Both drivers had very long runs in race configuration towards the end of the session and in terms of car reliability, it was a good day, allowing us to work through all our planned programme."

Caterham
Heikki Kovalainen, P1 - 1:27.855, 19th; P2 - 1:26.841, 18th
"A much better Friday than we've had for a while. Right from the installation lap the car balance felt better and we're clearly more competitive here than we have been anywhere since Valencia. It's difficult to understand where the improvement has come from - the cars are in a very different configuration than Spa, Hungary, Hockenheim or Silverstone but that doesn't explain the difference in the feeling and the performance. We need to get a better understanding of why we're better here and then make sure we can translate that into being more competitive at every type of track.

"It's a positive feeling for everybody. Spa was not acceptable, that's clear, and when we don't really understand why we weren't competitive it's more difficult to sort out, but coming here we're back to the base level of performance we should have and now we need to build on that."

Vitaly Petrov, P1 - 1:28.578, 20th; P2 - 1:27.222, 20th
"I think we are moving in the right direction and it's been a much better day for us than we had last week, or for a few races now. We ran both cars in different aero configurations so we could generate as much data as possible and the lap times look pretty good. That gives us a lot to work on tonight, to prepare for quali and the race and it's good to see us getting back to where we want to be.

"After the ups and downs we've seen so far this year I don't want to make any predictions about where we'll end up on Sunday, or in Singapore or any of the races to come, but I think that if we carry on like we have today we'll be looking much better. That's a good feeling, for me and the team, and hopefully the similar weather conditions we'll have on track tomorrow will suit us so we can have another positive day."

Marussia
Timo Glock, P1 - 1:29.207, 22nd; P2 - 1:27.944, 21st
"First of all it's good to have stable weather conditions in Monza because this track is quite unique and we needed to do a lot of preparation work. We got through the programme quite well and evaluated the aero level of our rear wing options for here. We did a lot of back to back work with our Canada specification and our latest components seem the clear way to go, which again proves out our development direction. Overall the car felt okay and no problems with the long runs so far; the times were quite consistent. I'm happy with FP1 and FP2. A bit of fine-tuning perhaps but, in general, a good start and we will see what we can do from here now."

Charles Pic, P1 - 1:28.751, 21st; P2 - 1:27.968, 22nd
"A very busy day for us today, perhaps even more so than usual as we had to follow a very comprehensive programme across the two cars to arrive at a good way to proceed from here. We tried lots of different things this morning so that in the break we could analyse the information and decide on a direction. This track is not easy to set the car up for and it involves a few compromises, but I think we have worked well to establish a good starting point. There is still more work to be done based on what we have learned here this afternoon and some things we can do to continue to improve the car."

John Booth, Marussia team principal
"A very different Friday to the last one, as the weather has remained consistently hot and sunny and we have forged our way through quite a comprehensive programme designed to give us as many answers as possible to the numerous set-up questions posed by this track. It's a little bit of a conundrum for us, bearing in mind that we have struggled in low downforce trim before. Nonetheless, we are pleased with the start we have made and cautiously optimistic that we have ended Friday here in a more favourable position than we perhaps envisaged. That is down to the steps we have taken to try to overcome our low downforce woes since Montreal and also the very calm and disciplined approach of our engineers and their drivers. Fingers crossed we can continue this positive start."

HRT
Pedro de la Rosa, P1 - 1:29.331, 23rd; P2 - 1:28.575, 23rd
"Today we enjoyed two clean sessions that enabled us to try out different aero configurations and complete a comparison of tyre compounds and a long stint towards the end in preparation for the race. We faced no problems and were able to complete all the tests as planned. We can still improve the car for tomorrow ahead of qualifying but we've set a good base for the race."

Narain Karthikeyan, P2 - 1:28.779, 24th
"We focused on testing different car set-ups and the car worked well with all of them. The shame is that we had to stop before the end because of an issue with the exhausts. It was a precautionary measure more than anything else and it will be fixed for tomorrow. But the best thing about the day was that I found a rhythm quickly and that the car performed well."

Qing Hua Ma, P1 - 1:31.239, 24th
"It was an extraordinary experience and I'm happy with my performance. From the start I felt comfortable in the car and working with the team, and I accomplished all the targets we set ourselves. We started with quite a long stint on hard tyres and then we made changes to the set-up as I adapted to the F112. It was an important step for me, but also for motorsport in China since it's a very young sport there but with a great potential."

Luis Perez-Sala, HRT team principal
"I'm happy because Ma has taken another step in his development programme as a Formula One driver and he had a satisfactory debut. He did what was asked of him and showed clear progression, with no mistakes, to finish the session under the 107 percent. Pedro also improved throughout the day and we cut down the distance to pole position, which proves we're performing well. Narain found his rhythm immediately in FP2 but a problem with the exhausts forced us to stop before the end as a precautionary measure."

Pirelli
Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director
"Despite the typically warm conditions in Monza our tyres performed very well, with the hard compound in particular delivering almost as much performance as the medium, with greater durability. We might see different approaches tomorrow, and some drivers could even try a one-stop strategy for the race: the winning tactic in Belgium a week ago, which used the same compounds. Although there are many places in Monza that put a lot of energy through the tyres, the overall wear rate has been very good today, which allowed a number of the drivers to set their fastest times later on in their runs. We saw some very long runs on both compounds so we should see flat-out racing from start to finish on Sunday - which is what our home race at Monza is most famous for. For the first time in a while we look set for a completely dry weekend, which should allow the teams to start the race with plenty of relevant data."

FIA Thursday press conference – Italy grand prix 2012

Reproduced with kind permission of the FIA

Drivers - Jerome D'Ambrosio (Lotus), Nico Rosberg (Mercedes), Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso), Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) and Felipe Massa (Ferrari).

Q: Jerome, welcome back. How prepared are you? Have you been able to prepare for your comeback?
Jerome D'Ambrosio: Well obviously it's been short notice. On Monday really. It's been a bit of a hectic week for me, getting stuff done as much as I could before here to get really prepared as best as I can. As I say, I haven't had time to think about anything really: just really getting things done and that's it.

Q: I guess you've been training though, keeping in shape, waiting for this moment?
JDA: Yes, definitely. As a third driver that's part of the job: you have to keep fit and everything. It's not something easy, not a lot of mileage on, but I did everything in the drivers' meetings, with the engineers and everything, trying to keep up to date as much as I could with every tool I had in my hand, to be as prepared as I can if something like this happened.

Q: So, what's your aim in the race itself? What should we expect?
JDA: It's a difficult question to answer simply because I don't have much information to set myself a position target -or anything. I really want to stay focussed on what I've got to do, with the job, with the engineers, in the car. Stay focussed on that. Once that is done correctly we can hope for something good on Sunday -but only if I stay focussed on my job, so this is what I will try to do.

Q: Nico, we keep looking at China and wondering what's happened since then. Last weekend again seemed to be difficult.
Nico Rosberg: Yeah definitely we've had some more difficult times now, lately and a little bit of a drop in performance relative to others -we know that. And we've been looking into it, we understand a lot of the reasons, and we've been pushing very, very hard to turn things around again and I'm sure the next few races are going to be a little bit better for us -how good is difficult to say.

Q:Is the car difficult to drive, does it just not suit you any longer? What's the nature of the car now?
NR: Amongst other things the balance is difficult, yes. Especially the last two races, due to the fact that both tracks had very long corners and especially in those long corners it has been difficult.

Q: So Parabolica could be difficult for you.
NR: Parabolica would be a little bit more difficult for me, yes, but this track, with the low downforce and everything, I think is going to be less of a problem.

Q: Daniel, first of all, last weekend looked as though it was going to be good, and you did manage to get some points. What are your feelings about last weekend and looking at this weekend as well?
Daniel Ricciardo: It was nice to get some more points on the board -unfortunately longer than I was hoping since Melbourne but good to get a few more. The first stint was looking all-right. Obviously we benefitted from the mayhem at the start and we got as high as fifth, I think. I was hoping to finish up there but unfortunately we dropped back a bit in the end to ninth. But still definitely good for myself and the team to get both cars in the points. Hopefully we can build on some of that momentum and Monza obviously is a nice place for us to come: the team's home grand prix and I've got a little bit of heritage myself -so it's nice to come in with the momentum of Spa and hopefully score some more.

Q: The Ferrari engine seemed to be pretty good in a straight line -how's that going to affect here as well:
DR: Yeah, hopefully it helps us. Hopefully that remains. We'll see, I guess, once we're out on track tomorrow but as always, all teams bring a Monza downforce setting for this race and we'll soon find out if ours is going to be competitive enough. Looking forward to it, to say the least.

Q: And what are the aims for rest of the season? What are your intentions?
DR: Would love to get points more regularly. Would love to improve on my ninth position. I would love to get a top five -I think that would be a good achievement for myself and the team. But we'll take it step by step for now: as I said, it's a nice grand prix for us and obviously the team's only victory came here so it would be nice to keep a story going for this grand prix.

Q: Lewis, I'm sure you're aware the paddock is full of comment about the rumours that came out yesterday. Do you have a comment to make yourself?
Lewis Hamilton: Not really.

Q: So, do you know where you're driving next year?
LH: No.

Q: And in terms of this race, what about last weekend's performance from Jenson Button. How does that affect your feelings about the upcoming Italian Grand Prix?
LH: Jenson, he drove fantastically well in the last race and he showed that the car is very, very competitive -and we generally should have very similar performance here, hopefully. On our side of the garage we hope it's a better weekend for us. It can't really get worse.

Q: So, how do you approach this weekend? Just looking for victory, as ever?
LH: Ah no, just to pick up the pieces and get back to racing. It'll be nice too… we've done a lot of work analysing and a lot of preparation for this weekend. It'll be nice to get into the race, when you're doing so much preparation and so much waiting the most important thing is to see your way to the race.

Q: Fernando, first of all, just to confirm, are you perfectly OK physically?
Fernando Alonso: Yes.

Q: Because you were complaining of some whiplash in your shoulder?
FA: Yeah it was after the race, two hours after the Spa race there was still some pain in the back, but then on Monday morning I woke up absolutely fine, feeling 100%, so it was good news, because you never know, the day after the crash anything can happen. So it was good news on Monday morning to do a completely normal day.

Q: You're a two-time winner here, what do you feel your chances are here in the race on Sunday?
FA: Well, for sure it's not going to easy. In terms of performance we've been not so quick in the last two or three grand prix. It was eight tenths from pole position in Hungary and eight tenths also in Spa. It's five days from that qualifying so I don't think we will recover eight tenths by magic button. But I think what we need to do is to maximise our performance, to extract from the car the maximum and hopefully that will give us some chance to be on the podium or if everything goes well, for sure a victory here is very special for all the Ferrari tifosi that will support us here, so we will try to do our best.

Q: Felipe, were you pleased with the performance in Spa and how do you feel about this race?
Felipe Massa: Well, very pleased with the performance in the race (at Spa). I think our car was more competitive in the race than in qualifying. In qualifying we were struggling a lot, especially in sector two. In the race the car was better. The car was a little bit stronger. We were able to fight and able to overtake quick cars as well. Due to the problem on the first corner at the start… I did a very, very good start, I overtook three or four cars straight away but because of this problem in the first corner I had to go completely outside of the track and I lost the positions and even more so I had to start again, my race, after the safety car. So if I had been able to be in the same position I had got to at the start, it would have even been possible to maybe fight for the podium.

Q: Do you think the car is good in low downforce trim?
FM: I think so. The problem is that Spa is much different than this track. In Spa you do need good downforce, especially in sector two and everything. Here it's a different track and we'll see how the car behaves on this different track. So we hope we can have a great weekend, both of us, for our incredible fans here.

Q: What about your own future? Is there any news on that? Do you have a deadline?
FM: Not yet. Just concentrate on the races and on the results. I hope it will not take very long but let's concentrate on the races, try to do the best, having a good result and that's the most important thing.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Andrea Cremonesi - La Gazzetta dello Sport) Lewis, could you explain to us what happened with you and the team after you showed the telemetry on Twitter? How do you explain this fact?
LH: Nothing happened. I had the head of the PR department ask me to take the picture off and I did.

Q: (Adrian Huber - Agencia EFE) Question for Fernando. Okay, it's always 25 points but to win here, it's Monza, it's a Ferrari place and after last Sunday it looks like fate owes you one as you couldn't build your lead and you lost points, you couldn't match Schumacher on 24 races scoring, so what a sensation this would be winning here.
FA: Well, I think Monza is a special win, because for any Ferrari driver it's a lot of support that you feel from the tifosi from today until Sunday and you want to give something back to them and the best thing is obviously a race win, but from a championship point of view it doesn't change too much. Even if you're not fighting for the championship, winning in Monza will be special anyway, because the podium celebration with all the people on the main straight etc is nice for anyone, not only fighting for the championship. So we will try to do a good race and see how many points we can make and have clear in our minds what is the priority this weekend.

Q: (Ralf Bach - R&B) A question to Nico. Do you have any idea who will be your team-mate next year?
NR: No.

Q: (Ian Parkes - Press Association) Good afternoon Lewis. Just in general terms from your personal perspective, what would be the attraction, the positives in joining a team like Mercedes?
LH: I have no idea. I've not really thought about it.

OK, could I turn it round to you Nico? From your perspective, what would be the attraction for Lewis to join a team like Mercedes?
NR: I can say from my perspective. My perspective is that Mercedes and Ferrari are on one level in terms of the history in F1 and the standing. It's very, very special to drive for the Silver Arrow, and especially to win with a Silver Arrow.

Lewis, does that resonate with you?
LH: (laughs)

So, looking at it in general terms: McLaren have won the last two races and Mercedes have only won one race in the past three years, does that put it into perspective for you as to where your priorities might lie?
LH: I don't think I'm really looking for anything to be put into perspective. I drive for McLaren, we've won the last two races, we've got another great weekend, hopefully, ahead of us and that's what we've got to focus on.

Q: (Frederic Ferret - L'Equipe) Jerome, in what way has Romain Grosjean helped you prepare if indeed he has done so?
JDA: Honestly, we haven't had much contact with Romain since then. We generally do have a good relationship at the track and normally at the track. We don't keep in touch so much otherwise. So that hasn't changed between Spa and here. I think it's been only two or three days and the real hard work was with the engineers. I've been provided with a lot of information from both drivers from the engineers and then that's it. If something happens during the weekend, I have a very good relationship with Romain. We've worked together in lower classes, so for sure he's going to be there, and the same with Kimi. If I have something I want to ask then I will and I'm sure I will get an answer. This was not the time to speak with them, between the two races.

Q: (Vincent Marre - Sport Zeitung ) Felipe, do you think you will be able to beat Fernando again before the end of the season?
FM: Yes

Q: ( Vincent Marre - Sport Zeitung)Here in Monza?
FM: Well, I'm trying everywhere.

Q: So how important is qualifying for you on Saturday?
FM: Very important. I think qualifying is definitely important for us, just to have an easier race. I think maybe qualifying was not so great for me this year but I always had good direction, good pace in the races, not counting the first few races but afterwards, yes. I think qualifying is very very important so we focus on that and try to have an easier direction in the race, especially from the beginning to the end.

Q: (Andrea Cremonesi - La Gazzetta dello Sport) Lewis, you said you want to stay concentrated on this race, but in your eyes, when do you want to decide to have a clearer idea of next year?
LH: I don't have a deadline - obviously before next season I think would be useful. I'm in a great position, and I just need to focus on preparations for these races. We've got a long way to go before the end of the season and Jenson and I have showed in the previous race that there's great potential in the car and in the team, so that's really what I need to try and focus on most.

Q: (Kate Walker - Girl Racer) Lewis, in the last few races we've seen strong performances from McLaren amidst some pretty chaotic weather: hot, cold, wet, dry and so on. We're now hitting the really really hot stretch of the season, from here on in. Are you concerned that with the tyres there might be a dip in form as we're getting back into the hotter climes or have you guys cracked the rubber at last?
LH: I don't know if we've cracked it, but we definitely have been improving quite a lot. Jenson proved, at the last race... he did a one stop, one of the few people to do a one stop race so there's something going well with the car. Here will be very tough, I think, but everyone's in the same boat but we are definitely working very very hard to make sure that we're on top of things when it comes to these hot circuits, because tyre degradation is going to be key, I think, particularly in some of these hotter climates. But we went pretty well in Hungary so it wasn't a disaster there but it could have been better so we need to improve on that.

Q: (Luigi Perna - La Gazetta delllo Sport) Fernando, your car was completely rebuilt after the crash. Are you worried about that or are you confident that you will have a Ferrari in perfect shape?
FA: No, not worried. Obviously we make some changes and we went back to some parts of the car that we've been using three or four races ago and then for Monza, specially, there is a very unique aero package here so the car is a little bit different to any other track. Even with the Spa car it had changed. It was planned to change nearly completely for this race, so I don't think it's making a big difference.

Q: (Carlos Miguel -La Gaceta) Fernando, when the championship is so close and the cars are so close, do you really think it could be possible to win the championship with no more victories, only podiums?
FA: Who knows? I think that depends on your opponents and also what they do. If they keep sharing victories, it's possible to win without any more wins but at the moment, we see McLaren very strong in Germany, nearly won the race there, won the race in Hungary, won the race in Spa so they can win three or four consecutive races and your gap disappears. As we said, already from the last six or seven Grands Prix, we need to focus on which one is second in the championship at the moment which, today, is Vettel so this weekend we try to finish in front of Vettel, like at the other weekends we try to finish in front of Webber.

Q: (Alan Baldwin - Reuters) Lewis, on the twitter subject, I know everyone is playing it down, but Jenson said after the race that he was disappointed that you had tweeted the details of the wings and everything else. Have you spoken to Jenson, have you cleared the air with him about it? It seemed to us that Jenson was seeing more in that tweet than maybe you did.
LH: I haven't spoken to him, don't plan to, moved on from it. Obviously it wasn't the best thing to do and it won't happen again, so move forward and focus on this race.

Q: (David Croft - Sky Sports) Lewis, when you look at a contract or renegotiation or look to move, at your stage of your career, what is it you are looking at? Is it purely money or are there other factors?
LH: I want to win.

Q: (David Croft - Sky Sports) Pure and simple you want to win.
LH: Yes.

Q: (David Croft - Sky Sports) And is that win 2013 or win 2014, which is a big season, things change quite drastically in 2014, don't they?
LH: Yeah, I always want to win, every year you compete, that's why us drivers exist and that's why the teams exist. It's just making sure you're in the right place to do so.

Q: (David Croft - Sky Sports) Being in the right place, does that mean that it might pay to be in a team that manufactures their own engine and their own energy recovery systems rather than being with a customer which McLaren will be?
LH: It doesn't mean anything.

Q: (Patricia Sanchez - La Gaceta) Jerome, so you say you've got plenty of information from your team. Do you think there would be room for more testing days in the calendar from your experience?
JDA: I have no idea yet.

Q: (Patricia Sanchez - La Gaceta) Do you feel that you've had plenty of time in the car?
JDA: You mean so far?

Q: (Patricia Sanchez - La Gaceta) Yes
JDA: Obviously so far, I don't feel like I've had plenty of time in the car. I had one time in Mugello on a fairly wet track. No, for sure I think it's good to get more time in the car and I can get much time in the car but I've got other things... I was really involved with the team all season so far, back at the factory as well, so I will try to capitalise on that.

Q: (Vincent Marre - Sport Zeitung) Jerome, are you going to change your attitude of driving now you're coming back, having already had some experience in Formula One?
JDA: No, there's no reason to change myself, change who I am and the driver that I am, stepping in for the weekend, I think that's the worse thing you can ever do. I will approach the weekend as I have approached all the racing weekends I have been to so far. Of course, it's a special one, we are in Monza. I'm part Italian, it's a bit of a home race for me so I'm really cheered up for that and really going to give - as you always do - 100 percent that I have, but I'm not going to change the way I am and the way I drive.

Q: (Alan Baldwin - Reuters) Felipe, Lewis is quite relaxed about not knowing where he's racing next year, but I guess in your case you're pretty frustrated. Could you just explain how frustrated you are, and also what percentage chance you think there is of you staying at Ferrari next year?
FM: For sure, I expect to be in a different position in the championship to what I am but I'm just concentrated on my job which is driving the car, driving the quickest speed that I can. As I said, I am frustrated with my qualifying, not with my races and I'm sure that if I can improve the qualifying, I can be very strong in the races and completely change the results. As I said, I didn't sign anything for next year yet but I think we have the possibility to sign and let's wait and see. I don't know when but I just need to concentrate on the results of the races. I think that's the main important thing for my future as well.

Q: (Luigi Perna - La Gazetta dello Sport) Fernando, was Monza also a special race for you before becoming a Ferrari driver and what is your special memory of this race? If you have one special memory.
FA: It has always been special, because of the speed that you reach on this circuit, so for us drivers we love to drive fast cars, we love the speed so when you come here and especially with the V10 engines, we reached 370/375 kph so Monza has always been special. As I said, I think the podium ceremony here is a little bit more emotional than any other place. But obviously when I joined Ferrari it was a different level and the enthusiasm and support that you feel is probably the best race of the calendar for us in terms of emotions. Best memory here would be 2010 when we won here, so first time driving for Ferrari. It was a special weekend so hopefully we can repeat this moment soon, this year or the following years.

Q: (Thierry Wilmotte - le Soir) Question to all of you, but not Jerome: do you have any concerns about the fact that there is a newcomer - of course, he's not a rookie - but a newcomer coming into the field at the wheel of a good car? Do you have some concerns about that, especially for the start of the race?
FM: For sure not.
FA: No, I don't think so.
NR: No concern, because he's had experience last year so he's not a rookie.

Q: (Livio Oricchio - O Estado de Sao Paulo) Fernando, Felipe, in Barcelona and in Montreal, you had great changes to your car and Ferrari made a great step forward. You have regularly said you are now eight tenths slower than the fastest car. Is there room for a new package from Ferrari to make it similar to McLaren, for example?
FA: I think so. I think there are still three months of competition. There are still eight races to go, so all the teams bring some updates to every race. We just need to make ours work a little bit better than the others. In February or March we were more than a second behind the front runners, and then around Barcelona or Canada we were two or three tenths. In two or three months you can make a lot of progress. We just need to be clear on that and make some good steps which I'm sure and confident will arrive sooner or later.

Q: (Andrea Cremonesi - La Gazzetta dello Sport) Jerome, you just mentioned that this is your second home Grand Prix. Could you remind us if you have some relatives here in Italy; do you come to Italy sometimes, and which part of Italy do they come from?
JDA: OK, so a bit of funny background here. I have grandparents from Naples in Italy, Monte Casino and one from Naples. Italy is a bit of a second home race for every racing driver in the sense that when you're involved in go-karts you are involved in Italy most of the time, with Italian teams and for me, personally, I've grown up in the racing scene in junior formulae in Italy in Formula Renault, in F3000, Formula Masters, Italian teams and so on. I've spent a lot of my life and definitely, yeah, this is why I consider this personally as a second home race.

Italy Grand Prix preview quotes - Marussia, Red Bull, Lotus, McLaren & more

From one of Formula One's racing's most historic venues, the paddock quickly moves to another, as the teams and drivers head from Spa to Monza. With its origins dating back to 1922, it remains a supreme, high-speed challenge. No wonder it's known as the 'magical track'. Those involved in the Formula 1 Gran Premio Santander d'Italia 2012 discuss their prospects…

Timo Glock, Marussia
2011 Qualifying - 21st, 2011 Race - 15th
"Monza is quite a high speed circuit and also a very traditional circuit, with some very special characteristics such as the long straights and high speed corners. Here it is very important that a car is quick on the straights as well as good under braking. Every time it is an eventful race, so I'm looking forward to it, although it is the last race of the European section of the season. We do need to keep our expectations in check though as Monza is a completely different challenge due to the low-downforce set-up required and realistically we did not look too strong in Canada, which calls for the same type of set-up. We have moved forward in a number of ways as a team and, for example, the fantastic pit stops in Spa also contributed to our strong showing there, so there are some things we can do this weekend to try to make the race work better for us. We need to see what the weather will do; normally it is hot which is good for the running we need to achieve, but it can also be quite demanding for the brakes. We will work hard to make the best possible result and enjoy a very nice track to go racing at."

Charles Pic, Marussia
2011 Qualifying - n/a, 2011 Race - n/a
"It was very positive to see the progress we made in Spa. The team are working well together and we have a good momentum. I think we have to wait and see just how much of that performance we can carry over in Monza though, as the circuit and the demands upon the car are completely different. Much like Montreal, the low-downforce characteristics are less well-suited to our car and we know that. Monza is a very special racetrack and I finished on the podium here in GP2 last year, so I am looking forward to returning this weekend. It's the last European race, so we aim to do the best job we can and bring home a nice team result."

John Booth, Marussia team principal
"It has been another tight turnaround as we head into the Italian Grand Prix weekend, but we'd better get used to that as it's only the first of four back-to-backs in this second half of the season! This is also the last of the European races, so the remaining seven rounds will quite literally be a 'long haul'. We're in a good place right now and last weekend's performance in Spa boosted everyone's spirits. We do need to temper that, however, with the realistic expectations we have for this race, because we aren't simply picking up where we left off. Monza is quite a different challenge as its high speed characteristics call for a low-downforce set-up and we know from Canada that our car does not work as well at this type of track. We had so many areas to focus our attentions on this season and although we have seen good progress in most areas, Montreal and Monza were always going to be two races where we may not fare so favourably. Much like Spa, this is a race we always look forward to and many of us will take a bit of time out to enjoy some of the special things it has to offer, such as the old banking, which is always worth a visit."

Mark Webber, Red Bull
2011 Qualifying - 5th, 2011 Race - DNF
"So we head to the last European race of the season. Monza is a sensational venue with lots of history - it's a beautiful amphitheatre. There's a massive influence from the Tifosi there - especially with the attending Ferrari fans, which really adds atmosphere to the weekend. The track is incredibly unique with massive top speeds, so there's a lot of heavy braking. It wasn't the best venue for me last year, so I'm going there looking for a strong result."

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull
2011 Qualifying - 1st, 2011 Race - 1st
"Monza is the home of motorsport and being there gives me goose bumps. It has the best podium in the world and a win there is an unforgettable experience. If you stand up there like I did for the first time in 2008, and again last year, you are overwhelmed by the fans, the thousands of Tifosi that flood the track with their flags waving. It's just amazing. In Monza it's extremely difficult to produce a perfect lap because it's almost impossible to make every corner and every chicane exactly right."

Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus
2011 Qualifying - n/a, 2011 Race - n/a
"It's true that I have never won in Italy. For one reason or another things just did not work out for me. 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. Hopefully we will have a real chance to fight for that victory this time.

"Monza is the real home of the Tifosi and there will be a lot of the Finnish fans, too. It's the place where we go really, really fast. It's great to go there with everything working well in the car and seeing how quickly you can go. Last time I raced in Monza In was a Ferrari driver. I have always enjoyed the atmosphere at Monza but it was very special as a Ferrari driver. I hope they will still like to see me racing there even if I could be in front of a Ferrari. I am really looking forward to see all the fans and I think it will be a pretty special feeling if I'm on the podium as a Lotus driver too.

"Monza always gives a great challenge. It's so unique compared with the more modern circuits as the layout means the car needs to be setup differently. To go fast at Monza you need a good aerodynamic car that is stable over the kerbs with 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."

Jerome d'Ambrosio, Lotus
2011 Qualifying - 22nd, 2011 Race - DNF
"I understand the circumstances in which the drive has come about, but for me it's a great opportunity and great challenge. I first want to thank the team for having faith in me and allowing me to step in the car for this race at Monza. I will do everything I can to do the best possible job. I've worked hard outside the car this year and tried to prepare as best I can just in case something like this happened. I want to make the most of this weekend. I had my last podium in GP2 there, so I have good memories of Monza. It is a very challenging track because of the low downforce. It's also going to be a special event in general, because it is the last race in Europe and Monza always has a very special atmosphere. I'm really looking forward to it."

James Allison, Lotus technical director
"It's always tricky to go into Monza with any certainty about how the world is going to work out, for a number of reasons. Firstly, the track always produces very, very close grids and this is a season where the grids are close anyway. We could be in a situation like Valencia, where if you were two or three tenths too slow you could miss getting into Q3. Not only does Monza already attract a close grid - in a season of close grids - but it is also a very distinct circuit. In some ways it's a bit like Canada: Straight into a corner, straight into a corner... without any big 'S' sections. The closest you've got is Ascari and Parabolica. This means that the straight-to-corner ratio is such that you run a wing level that is way too small for the corners. So the drivers will be doing their best to scrabble around the corners in a car that is optimised for the straights. All this means it's difficult to know how we'll perform. And, having made predictions about the last race that were not exactly on the mark, it's even harder to do so here! That said, if you took the season as a whole, we've got a fair hit rate of arriving at tracks and performing reasonably. So the balance of probability is that we'll do the same in Monza as well. In all probability it will be pretty warm and we've tended to go well when it's warm, Valencia being a case in point and another point-and-squirt circuit where we've done very well. So we ought to be able to get our show back on the road in Monza after a slight misfire in Spa.

"Although we would like to have it at Monza - because it is the type of circuit that rewards such a thing - we don't have the DRS device configured to cope with the Monza level of downforce. So it is not even on the table. In Singapore you won't see it either, because it's too high a downforce circuit with insufficient straights for it to be worthwhile. The earliest you might see it now is Suzuka."

Jenson Button, McLaren
2011 Qualifying - 3rd, 2011 Race - 2nd
"I head to Monza absolutely full of motivation after a fantastic result in Spa. It was the perfect weekend for me - it's not only put me back in contention for the drivers' championship, but it's shown that we have a car that can definitely fight for the constructors' title. It'll be great to be back in the car so soon after the victory. Monza is one of the greatest circuits in the world and our car seems to be particularly well suited to high-speed circuits, so I'm optimistic that we'll be competitive again this weekend. For some reason, the car we've brought to Monza in the last two seasons has been really well suited to me. I've really been able to work with the balance and enjoyed pushing the car. The success we had with a low-downforce configuration at Spa also gives us cause for optimism. I've finished second here in both my previous races for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes - I'll definitely be going for the win this weekend."

Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2011 Qualifying - 2nd, 2011 Race - 4th
"Spa was just one of those weekends - but the beauty of these double-header races is that it's already firmly behind me. And Monza is such a unique and invigorating circuit that it's easy to put my disappointments to one side and just focus on driving as fast as possible this weekend. For me, there's something about Formula One's older circuits that's very special; despite each being very different, the newer tracks all seem to have the same character and the same sort of rhythm, but the older circuits are very different. They feel like the land has shaped and influenced them rather than the other way around. I like that - it means you never fall into any particular comfort zone and you're always pushing the car one way or the other to get the best from any lap. The first laps out of the pits on Friday always feels incredible because we have such little downforce and the ratios are so long. It feels like you never stop accelerating - and then you hit the brakes and the car feels really unstable, because the wings aren't doing much to keep it settled. You soon get used to it, but it's always exciting to be driving flat-out around Monza because it's such a different experience from anywhere else we visit. I've never won at Monza before - I'll be doing everything I can to take the victory this weekend."

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
"Our victories in Hungary and Spa hardly feel like back-to-back wins because they were achieved so far apart, but they give us enormous encouragement because they demonstrate that we can win on circuits of distinctly different character. While I still think that making predictions from race to race is largely futile, it's satisfying to see there's some shape to our performances. We've qualified a car on the front row of the grid for seven of this year's 12 races - and that's hugely motivational for our designers and engineers because it shows that we're able to develop and refine the car successfully from track to track. There's no reason why that shouldn't continue. Our low-downforce potential was clear to see in Spa and we're hopeful of picking up where we left off in Italy. In fact, Monza is the only truly high-speed circuit remaining on the Formula 1 calendar. In the past, it was comparable to the old Hockenheim and, in some ways, to Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, but Monza's heritage gives it a unique character. It's a track where the past comes to life and it's an honour to tread upon the same Tarmac as some of the sport's true greats. Having won in Hungary and Belgium, we'll be aiming for a hat-trick of wins in Italy!"

Pastor Maldonado, Williams
2011 Qualifying - 14th, 2011 Race - 11th
"Monza is another historic track that drivers like visiting so I'm really looking forward to this weekend. It's the quickest track we visit all season and requires a very particular set up with a completely different aero package. The car has low down force levels at Monza so we will have to adapt to that setup. The track itself is a challenging one for drivers and has quite a few overtaking opportunities so it should be an exciting weekend for the fans."

Bruno Senna, Williams
2011 Qualifying - n/a, 2011 Race - n/a
"While we didn't finish in the points the car showed good pace at Spa, particularly on the long straights, so the signs are looking good heading into Monza. It's a very fast circuit and is a real old fashioned test for the driver's so I'm looking forward to the race. The team is working very hard to get the maximum out of the car and if we can get qualifying right we should be looking for a points finish."

Mark Gillan, Williams chief operations engineer
"Monza marks the last of the European races before the cars head off on their extended seven race round the world trip. Monza is an interesting circuit with the highest top and average speeds of any circuit, although cornering speeds are similar to that of Barcelona. Aerodynamic efficiency and engine power sensitivities are therefore very high and so is braking severity. It also has a high pit loss and low fuel effect that tends to favour less stops. The tyres are the same as raced in Spa, namely the Hard and Medium tyres."

Remi Taffin, head of Renault Sport F1 track operations
"The driver will spend as much as 75 percent of the lap at full throttle so we make sure that all the internals, maps, fuel and lubricants settings are triple checked. We could run a test engine to as much as 3,000km on a simulation of this track to check reliability and performance, ten times a race distance. Monza has two very long straights that are over a kilometre each so we work to create a powerful map that works well over the last two thousand revs, but we also need good acceleration out of the very slow chicanes as the driver will brake down from over 330kph to just 80kph before accelerating back up to over 300km/h in a little over 150m."

Michael Schumacher, Mercedes
2011 Qualifying - 8th, 2011 Race - 5th
"When I think of Monza, I immediately see everything through a red veil. It is the beating racing heart of Italy, everything there lives and breathes Ferrari, and I must inevitably think of the good times I spent there. What makes me particularly happy is that after all these years, the tifosi still welcome me so warmly, and I would like to thank them for that. Naturally, now I'm racing in Mercedes silver, I hope I can offer them a nice fight and be a worthy rival. They can be just as sure as our own fans that everybody in the team is looking to have a successful finale to the European season, and is therefore fully motivated to put on a good show in Monza."

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
2011 Qualifying - 9th, 2011 Race - DNF
"I'm looking forward to getting to Monza on Thursday and getting the weekend underway. After a difficult weekend in Spa, I believe that our car will be much better suited to the amazing and high-speed Monza track. We will also have a different package there for the long straights with the low downforce required. We are continuing to work hard on improving our car, and I'm quite positive about the news that I hear from the factory, although we know that it will be a tough job with all of the other teams developing quickly as well."

Ross Brawn, Mercedes team principal
"Monza is a very special race track, and certainly one of my favourite venues to visit on the calendar. The atmosphere created by the Italian fans is always fantastic and it's a great place to bring the European season to a conclusion. The circuit is a unique challenge with its high-speed straights and the requirement for a low-downforce package designed specifically for the weekend. We would like to finish the European season with a strong result and the team will be working hard to achieve that at the weekend."

Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
"Monza is a circuit that demands very diverse strengths from the technical package - high straightline speeds through low levels of drag and downforce, with the cars exceeding 300 kph on four separate occasions, and a good mechanical base for braking stability into the chicanes and corners, and good traction exiting them. Monza is also well known as an engine circuit thanks to its high-speed layout, with over 80 per cent of the lap distance spent at full throttle. The races in Belgium and Italy are separated by just a week. The circuit-specific modifications made for Monza are only run once a year and could possibly mean that the competitive order won't be quite the same as that we saw in Spa."

Pedro de la Rosa, HRT
2011 Qualifying - n/a, 2011 Race - n/a
"Making it to 100 Grands Prix is something very special and I'm very motivated ahead of Italy, not only because of the 100 mark, but because I'm certain that we can be even more competitive. Monza is a similar circuit to Canada, where maximum speed and brake stability are important; and these are our strengths. I love consecutive races because I like continuity and, besides, Monza is one of my favourite circuits because it's very different to the rest. So, because of all this, I'm really excited ahead of this Grand Prix."

Narain Karthikeyan, HRT
2011 Qualifying - n/a, 2011 Race - n/a
"Monza is a circuit that I really like and an interesting track for us. We're bringing a specific package for this event, with a low drag wing which we hope will help us to have a good performance. It's a fantastic circuit where I love to race with legendary corners such as the Parabolica and the Curva di Lesmo. I hope not to run into bad luck at this Grand Prix and to be able to convert a good performance into a positive result."

Luis Perez-Sala, HRT team principal
"Once again we arrive at an emblematic circuit; a classic on the calendar. Monza is the quickest track in the championship and we come with good sensations since, given the nature of the F112, our car should adapt well to this circuit. Our maximum speed is good and so is our braking so I'm confident that we will be able to perform well. It will also be a special race because Pedro will be celebrating his 100th Formula One Grand Prix and we're quite excited about that. Very few drivers are able to stay up there for that long and gain the respect of everyone in the way that Pedro has. He's an admirable driver and person and we're extremely proud for him to reach this mark with us."

Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director
"Monza is probably the most important race of the year for us, as it is our chance to come home and showcase our tyres and specialised technology in front of so many of our people and the passionate Italian fans. There is a really special atmosphere to this race that is unique to Italy. Not only that, but Monza is one of the most demanding circuits that we visit all year due to the high speed and significant lateral loads on the tyres. After Spa, it is the second-highest set of forces that our tyres will experience all year. Coming to Monza directly from Spa for the first time means that the teams will be fully up to speed with the hard and medium tyres, while there is a huge amount of momentum behind the championship now, which is shaping up to become the most thrilling finale since we returned to Formula One. Ambient temperatures can be very high in Italy, which places further demands on the tyres, so we would normally expect two pit stops. Strategy turned out to be a key ingredient to success last year, with the podium places only decided on the final lap, and we would expect the same again this year. With the cars at full throttle for so long, it's hard for anybody to gain a big lead unless they use strategy to their advantage."

Jaime Alguersuari, Pirelli test driver
"Monza is like nowhere else: the exact opposite of Monaco, for example. It's a great circuit and the fastest place we go to all year, which is really exciting. It's quite difficult to drive as the cars run with such low downforce that they are not always easy to control. So it's all about the right compromise between downforce and handling. You have to be assertive under braking but all the straights and corners also mean that there are lots of good opportunities to overtake. It's important to look after the tyres in terms of traction, as the traction areas put a lot of stress on them and if you don't get a good drive out of the corners onto the straights then it really affects your lap time. Monza isn't one of those circuits that takes a lot out of the tyres everywhere but instead there are one or two specific places that really put a lot of energy through them: Parabolica in particular, which is why you have to look after them. Another important place is the chicane: you have to really attack the kerbs because you can make a lot of time this way. We tested at Monza last year, and the hard and medium tyres work very well under these conditions. I'm sure we'll be in for another great race."

Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber
2011 Qualifying - 17th, 2011 Race - DNF
"In Monza we shall have very low downforce and high speed, so it will be very important to have mechanical grip as well. There will be a lot of kerb riding, and this means good mechanical grip compensating the downforce level will be key. My early racing career started in Italy. Monza is one of my favourite circuits. I have a really good feeling for it so want a good result there. I speak a little bit of Italian and I really like the Italian people as they are a lot of fun."

Sergio Perez, Sauber
2011 Qualifying - 15th, 2011 Race - DNF
"The track in Monza is another favourite of mine, and I have had some very good races there. In Formula Three I qualified 14th and then went on to win both races. I always enjoy the atmosphere in Italy, and the Tifosi are just great. The circuit is obviously a true high-speed track and I have a lot of faith in our low-downforce package which we have in place. Also when I look at our performance in Spa, which is also a fast track, the C31 should be strong at the Italian Grand Prix."

Giampaolo Dall'Ara, Sauber head of track engineering
"Monza is definitely a stand-alone track in the season due to its very long straights and a limited amount of corners. They are interesting corners as two of them are low speed chicanes requiring very good braking stability and then traction out of them. The rest, basically Lesmo and Parabolica, are very interesting high-speed bends that become even more challenging with the low downforce levels we run there, which is also stand-alone in the season. Then we have the Variante Ascari, a medium-speed chicane which is a double corner that also gives us an engineering challenge to balance out the drag requirements, which are very low with a reasonable amount of downforce and definitely a very good mechanical grip. The track is an old fashioned one with bumps, a regular surface and high kerbs, especially in the chicanes. The tyres will be challenging and Pirelli will supply the same as in Spa - medium and hard - but Monza is not hard on the tyres so they will be consistent and getting them to perform in qualifying will possibly be challenging. The car will be updated with a low-downforce package which, like in Spa, is not a real development step. We will have different wings on the front and rear plus some normal tuning. The expectation is to have a good weekend."