Catch it while you can folks otherwise you could be watching the last but one Italian GP from the Monza circuit. Bernie will be sitting down with the GP organisors after the race to discuss a new contract post 2016 and at the moment has said he is not sure if there will be a race here in 2017. The track itself openend in 1922 and since 1950 has held every single Italian GP with the exception of 1980 when it was held at Imola. Since it's a track with so little F1 history behind it, it's no wonder it's in danger of not being around much longer. (sarcasm !!). Bernie has stated he is not going to offer the track a cut price deal and expects it to pay the going rate to host a race.
The layout of the track is of course most famous for it's banked circuit which, despite it being hugely dangerous, would make for an interesting race if it was brought back into use. Since that is extremely unlikely we'll content oursevles with a layout that has remained virtually the same with the exception of a few chicane based tweeks here and there, since the mid 60's.
Known as a breaker of gearboxes and with the engines required to run at full throttle over about 80 percent of the lap, a reliable and powerful engine is an absolute requirement here. So, with a Mercedes one-two the only likely result the big question will be who else will round out the podium?
You would imagine that, for the reasons stated above, it would have to be one of the other Mercedes powered cars. Williams, Force India and Lotus had mixed fortunes in Spa but will all be eyeing that third step. Of course, with Ferrari at their home race and the Italian 'Tifosi' out in full voice there will be an added urge to compete but is that Ferrari engine powerful enough at this track?
McLaren have become the new Caterham in terms of promised upgrades not doing what they are claimed to do. In an Autosport piece in the run up to Spa we were cheerfully informed that the Honda upgrades would put them on a par in terms of power with Ferrari. Sadly it would seem they meant the 2014 powered Manor Ferrari and not the current Ferrari GP car.
With the remaining Reanult and Ferrari powered teams almost certainly fighting it out for the lower end of the top 10 it's really hard to see where the entertainment is going to come from. Let's just hope there is some.
The layout of the track is of course most famous for it's banked circuit which, despite it being hugely dangerous, would make for an interesting race if it was brought back into use. Since that is extremely unlikely we'll content oursevles with a layout that has remained virtually the same with the exception of a few chicane based tweeks here and there, since the mid 60's.
Known as a breaker of gearboxes and with the engines required to run at full throttle over about 80 percent of the lap, a reliable and powerful engine is an absolute requirement here. So, with a Mercedes one-two the only likely result the big question will be who else will round out the podium?
You would imagine that, for the reasons stated above, it would have to be one of the other Mercedes powered cars. Williams, Force India and Lotus had mixed fortunes in Spa but will all be eyeing that third step. Of course, with Ferrari at their home race and the Italian 'Tifosi' out in full voice there will be an added urge to compete but is that Ferrari engine powerful enough at this track?
McLaren have become the new Caterham in terms of promised upgrades not doing what they are claimed to do. In an Autosport piece in the run up to Spa we were cheerfully informed that the Honda upgrades would put them on a par in terms of power with Ferrari. Sadly it would seem they meant the 2014 powered Manor Ferrari and not the current Ferrari GP car.
With the remaining Reanult and Ferrari powered teams almost certainly fighting it out for the lower end of the top 10 it's really hard to see where the entertainment is going to come from. Let's just hope there is some.
I remember that. It was a frequently repeating theme in the past. Have Raikkonen and Vettel ever done that?
