The Italian Grand Prix in Monza represents a unique challenge for drivers and engineers alike. Willy Rampf, Technical Director of the BMW Sauber F1 Team, explains how he and his colleagues go about preparing for this race.

What makes Monza such a special track?
Willy Rampf, Technical Director: "Monza is a classic high-speed circuit with extremely long straights, comparable only really with the old GP track at Hockenheim. At four points during a lap, the drivers hit speeds well in excess of 300 km/h and 76 percent of the lap is spent at full throttle. This is significantly more than at any other Formula One track, and that is why we run lower downforce at Monza than anywhere else over the course of the season."

What does that mean for the car's aerodynamics?
WR: "We have developed a ‘low-downforce package' of special aerodynamic parts for this race. At Monza we run less rear wing than at any other circuit. And in order to achieve the right aero balance we have also redeveloped and adapted the front wing. In addition, we examine the aerodynamic efficiency of all the car's detachable parts for Monza. Only the most efficient of these are left on the car. Indeed, we remove several elements, as doing so enhances performance. We are taking the opposite approach to the way we prepare for Monaco, for example, where we generally add every part to the car that will generate extra downforce."

Staying with Monaco for a moment – how much less downforce do you run in Monza compared to the street circuit in the principality?
WR: "In Monaco the cars only reach 290 km/h at one point on the circuit, whereas in Monza they comfortably exceed 300 km/h in four places. For this reason the engineers set out to minimise drag, and that means giving away around a third of the car's downforce. In Monaco downforce is everything, while in Monza the drag coefficient plays a major role. Having said that, you can't afford to neglect downforce altogether. After all, the drivers also need to be able to brake late and accelerate quickly through the corners."

How do the top speeds of the two tracks compare with one another?
WR: "The low-downforce package allows the F1.07 to hit a maximum speed of around 350 km/h at the end of the start/finish straight in Monza. If we were to run the car in Monaco specification the drivers would not reach 300 km/h, as the engine output would no longer be sufficient to overcome the mushrooming
air resistance."