Jolyon Palmer admits that Monza may be tricky for the Renault team as the circuit does not suit the cars characteristics.
“We go to Monza knowing it will be tough as it does not suit the characteristics of the car too much. However, we also thought Spa was going to be tough and it was better than expected, particularly in qualifying. We need to approach it fresh, confident that at each race we are moving forward and in the fight now and see how we do.”
Monza is an exciting track and is loved by all of the drivers including Palmer, the long straights and slow corners promote overtaking and a thrill for every driver.
“With those straights naturally you need good straight-line speed then stability under braking. There are a lot of high speed straights and very slow corners so you need to balance out the low downforce with the need to be late and hard on the brakes. It’s all about finding a good top speed, with the optimum downforce level for the chicanes.”
Palmer praises the Monza circuit and the historical significance of the track and his feelings when he drives the Italian track.
“It’s a very special track, and one I absolutely love. There is so much history there; so many races have been held at Monza and lots of great drivers have won, particularly back in the old days when you needed to be quick and incredibly brave.
“Then there is the passion of the crowd – you can hear the fans when you drive around. The track itself is very old school and it’s fun to drive. We take off a lot of downforce so parts are flat out and there can be a lot of overtaking. It’s good fun.”
