Ferrari prays for a victory at the Italian Grand Prix
The 12th race in the 2013 Formula One calendar is the Italian Grand Prix; this is also the traditional end of the European leg of the Formula One season. The historic Autodromo Nazional di Monza has been the venue for the Italian GP since the inception of the sport in the 1950s. Modern F1 cars can achieve top speeds of 340kph on the long straights due to running very minimal wing, and with only 11 corners, this is the fastest circuit in the F1 calendar.
Monza is also renowned for being a challenge to both engineers and the drivers. Team engineers have to find the perfect balance between tires and the brakes. For this race, Pirelli is providing the Hard compound (Orange) and the Medium compound (White) tires. The three areas that require the tires to perform at their best are: at the first chicane, where you need to be hard on the brakes before turning in after the main straight; the Variante Ascacri with its quick changes in direction (left-right-left turn); and the Parabolica, which provides the most lateral forces exerted on the tires.
Camber settings and tire pressure also have a big effect on the cars performance at Monza, according to Mario Isola, Pirelli Racing Manager. Camber is defined as the way a car sits compared to the vertical axis of the wheels. Formula 1 cars run a negative camber which provides a greater contact patch while cornering. But an extreme running angle could compromise the braking and place excessive stress on the tire structure, because the contact patch will then be minimal and could cause overheating of the compounds. This leads to blistering and eventual tire failure. Running a tire with low pressure gives a bigger contact patch, providing better grip and performance, but could alter a driver’s precision in the corners due to the movement of an underinflated tire. On the other hand, running with high tire pressure gives a smaller contact area, which diminishes performance and might cause blistering. Thus, finding the perfect balance is crucial in a circuit like Monza.
Sebastian Vettel could once again reign in Monza. The Red Bull challenger has been bullet-proof lately, but never count out both Ferraris. The Scuderia have too much pride in themselves to let anyone run roughshod over them in their own backyard. Mercedes AMG could also surprise the field with an updated low-drag package. Lotus on the other hand has been known to have problems with their low downforce set up, but we can be sure that Lotus engineers are working hard to get more speed and reliability in both Kimi Raikkonen’s and Romain Grosjean’s cars. Raikkonen fans and supporters are hoping for a performance upgrade good enough to give the Finn his first ever win on Italian Soil.
I am looking (praying would be a better word) at an Alonso Victory, followed by Raikkonen with Lewis Hamilton taking the last step of the podium and Vettel to encounter a tire failure mid race. I know this might be shot in the dark, but, who knows?
Tune in this Sunday 7PM (Philippine time) to catch all the action in Monza. Or drop by Hooters at A.venue and join fellow F1 fans for the race screening of the 2013 Formula 1 Gran Premio d’Italia.
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