Many drivers were unimpressed by the changes to Monza, one of Formula 1’s “old-school” circuits.
While the new asphalting of the circuit will be the most noticeable feature over the course of the weekend, changes have also been made to the kerbs: some have had their profile changed, others have been installed from scratch.
Although no F1 car has yet driven on the modified track layout, Daniel Ricciardo took a look at the redesigned Monza after arriving at the track on Thursday morning.
“They’ve changed the kerbs. I drove the track this morning. I can’t say I’m particularly impressed because I think some elements have lost some of the character of the track,” said Ricciardo.
“Many of you have obviously been following Formula 1 for longer than I have and maybe it’s just the driver role because we drive it and experience it so maybe it makes sense for us, I don’t know if it makes sense for outsiders.
“But kerbs and things like that… they make a racetrack unique and if you just put in some flat kerbs and stuff, like the second chicane, which is turn five, you come over the kerb and then there’s like a thin strip of concrete and then gravel.
“(In the past) you always tried to ride your bikes only on the small piece of concrete and use the whole track, but not too much.
The Ascari chicane after modernization
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
“It’s also quite bumpy. I think it was kind of old-fashioned and that’s over now. We haven’t ridden yet, but the new surface looks great. The asphalt looks really good, but I’m a bit disappointed with the curbs.”
The changes to the kerbs include the Ascari variant. Ricciardo, who admitted that the drivers were not consulted on the new look, believes it could potentially improve racing, but remains unhappy with the changes to the fabled chicane.
“Now it’s very flat, and because we can probably use a lot more curbs, it will ultimately be wider and easier to stay flat than on the nine and ten,” he explained.
“I don’t want to just be negative – maybe it means we can stay closer because it’s easier on flat ground and you have more of a slipstream, but I don’t know. I think they still underestimate the kerbs and what they do to a racetrack, how they change the feel, the character, the approach.
“We’ll see. Of course I’ll enjoy driving here, but it feels like it’s lost a bit of the ‘old school character’ it had.”
“We have a lot of modern race tracks now which are fun, they are great, but if we keep the old school race tracks then let them stay old school race tracks – that worries me a little bit.
“We don’t need overarching say, but let’s at least give feedback. Maybe we’ll save them money. They don’t have to change the curbs.
“We may have a more cost-effective solution. Sometimes we’re still a little bit in the dark. Ultimately, we drive. OK, we may not make a final decision, but at least hear us out and let’s try to give the point of view from the car.”
Ricciardo’s teammate Yuki Tsunoda agreed, but was unsure whether the changes would benefit racing.
“The track is smoother and flatter, with flatter kerbs. It feels like it has lost some of the character of Monza, which can be positive or negative,” said Tsunoda.
“I think, Ascari, you can use the first part of a kerb aggressively, but some cars can’t because you don’t have as much load as the other cars and you have to compromise on the line… I don’t know how it will be on this track, but we’ll see.”
Speaking after the Dutch Grand Prix last week, Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu said the changes and new asphalt surface at Monza would be “the biggest challenge” as there is a degree of uncertainty for all cars when racing begins on Friday.
His driver Kevin Magnussen echoed this concern: “I love this track. This is one of those races where you really feel like you’re at a Formula 1 race. Some of the new ones are great too, but they feel new, almost like the new Formula 1, and you feel a little bit like you’re going back in time, and I like that.”
“So it’s a very entertaining track and a very entertaining race and I just hope that the track still feels like Monza. I think it will, but sometimes tracks have subtle changes and they lose their characteristics.”
The variant della Roggia in a new look
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, reserved his judgment until he took to the track in his Mercedes in FP1: “I don’t want to judge it before I’ve driven it. Maybe we’ll get in and it will be the biggest and the biggest changes ever, so I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot with it.”
“Ultimately, we really liked it before. For years, it was super bumpy in so many places, and that really shaped the character of that track. Also, the curbs have stayed pretty much the same for over 20 years, so it’s a big, big change, but ultimately it’s the same track.
“We won’t know until tomorrow. It looks like it’s going to be much smoother and a lot faster.”
The two practice sessions on Friday will allow the field to see whether the changes have made a big difference, as Williams’ Alex Albon explained.
“I’ve seen it and I think it’s perhaps lost some of its character. I think some of the kerbs that have been put in are a bit more generic and I think Monza in general had a specific style of track.
“It was always bumpy but that wasn’t too bad and the kerbs were pretty unique. Let’s see how it goes. I think in FP1 and FP2 there will be a lot to explore with those kerbs. Whether you can use them or not and how much you can use them will be a big question mark but let’s see.”
The importance of understanding these changes cannot be overstated, as evidenced by Aston Martin’s reversal of its decision to use reserve driver Felipe Drugovich in FP1.
Having recognised the extent of the changes, the team is now allowing Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll to attend the meeting so that they can get an early impression of the updates.
“Originally I wanted to give my FP1 here in Monza to Felipe,” said Alonso.
“Then we realized that the resurfacing was a bit more extensive than we thought. The curbs were different than we thought, so the team changed the plan and I think that’s what will happen now in Mexico.”
