VeloRUSH VeloPOINT Motorsports Magazine Fall 2013 | Page 12

Italy preview quotes Red Bull, Lotus, Sauber & more
Round 12 of the 2013 FIA Formula One World Championship sees the paddock journey to one of the most historic circuits on the calendar - the high-speed heaven that is Monza. Those involved in the Formula 1 Gran Premio d’Italia 2013 discuss their prospects for the coming weekend… Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull 2012 Qualifying - 6th, 2012 Race - 22nd “Monza is the fastest circuit of the year. The track itself is in principle only made up of straights and chicanes. Because of this we reach the fastest top speed of the year at Monza, getting up to 330 km/h. The acceleration through the Parabolica is a balancing act - if you make the smallest error then you will slide straight into the gravel before you know it. “This track brings back great memories for me, mainly from my first win there in 2008 with Toro Rosso. I can’t describe the feeling of standing on the top of the podium for the first time, and Monza was one of the best places to experience it because of the thousands of passionate fans that stand beneath, it gives you goose bumps. Mark Webber, Red Bull 2012 Qualifying - 11th, 2012 Race - 20th “I like Monza a lot because it’s very Formula One in terms of its history and its atmosphere. All of the greats have raced there and I have an affinity with Italians from my Minardi days. The track is one of a kind, it’s an incredibly fast circuit with high top speeds, so there’s a lot of heavy braking. Monza has never been that kind to me; I’ve had a few retirements and have never finished on the podium, so I want to get a good result there this year! “The Tifosi really make the atmosphere of the weekend, they go ballistic and they’re very passionate about a certain red team. They will climb anything to get a good view: they sit in trees, on billboards and after the second Lesmo they sit on the old banking with their feet hanging over the barrier. Overall, Monza is one of the races that I recommend people go to.” Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus 2012 Qualifying - 8th, 2012 Race - 5th “It’s true that I have never won in Italy. For one reason or another things just haven’t worked out for me, but 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. It is true that I have previously had some very competitive weekends there - once or twice I have been close to the win - but something has always gone wrong. Hopefully we will have a real chance to fight for that victory this time. “Monza’s a historical place with a unique design where we achieve very high speeds. It’s a real challenge for everyone to be running so fast and a really good feeling in the car. It’s the home of the Tifosi and there will be a lot of Finnish fans there too. The atmosphere is just out of reach for every other Grand Prix. It’s great to go there with everything working well in your car and see how quickly you can go. It’s the place where we go really, really fast. “Monza always gives a great challenge. It’s so different compared with the more modern circuits as the layout means the car needs to be set up differently. To go fast at Monza you need a car that is good aerodynamically, stable over the kerbs, and has 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.

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