As a 'classic' on the F1 calendar and a rather 'unique' track, Sauber admit it's 'difficult to pin expectations' for the Monza GP...
Pedro de la Rosa: "The last time I raced in Monza was in 2006. This track is a classic, it has a lot of personality and is different to any other we race on. This is what I like a lot about Monza, because with all the modern circuits nowadays it is exceptional to find one that is unique. You also have to drive it differently to any other race track. Obviously the speeds are very high, you run low downforce, have very hard braking and need to cut the chicanes. This all together makes it very demanding, especially for the engines, brakes and suspension. It is definitely not going to be an easy weekend for us, as it is not somewhere that should suit our car too well. But we have proven, for example in Budapest, that we can also do well at places which theoretically should be difficult for us. I always like going to Italy and I'm looking forward to the race."
Kamui Kobayashi: "I have very good memories of Monza because it was there where I won the championship in the Formula Renault Eurocup back in 2005, and I also raced there in GP2. It is a very high speed circuit with a lot of hard braking. I quite like it, although I think it will be difficult for our car. We will have to find the best solutions and make sure we get everything right over the weekend, make no mistakes and so optimise our chances. Without doubt my goal is to score some more points before we go to Asia."
Technical Director James Key: "Monza is one of the special tracks of the year with a wonderful atmosphere and all the support from the tifosi the teams receive there. It is unique, as it's the only very high speed circuit of the season. All the teams run the minimum drag levels, because the very long straights and few corners make it beneficial to run far less drag. We will run an aero package on our car which is designed specifically for there. It consists of different rear wing options, as well as front wing versions to match them. The important part of the set-up of the car will be to tune the downforce levels correctly to find a good compromise for some of the more tricky areas like the Lesmo corners, the Ascari chicane and the Parabolica, but at the same time also giving high braking stability, which has significant influence on the lap time. Also important is the performance over the kerbs, particularly in the first two chicanes with probably the biggest kerbs of the year. You can find a good lap time there if the car is working well. For us it's difficult to pin expectations because it's such a unique event. It's possibly not a circuit best suited to our car, so we will work hard to make sure we can do the best possible job."
