Albon: "First turn at Monza is the most difficult"

Historic circuit

Albon: "Monza is obviously a very historic track. It’s super fast and I think it’s good for racing. We saw last year just how hectic qualifying can be – I didn’t even set a lap in Q3! But that’s part of it and the thing that makes Monza really special is the passion of the Tifosi and unfortunately it’s going to be a little different this year."

Speaking of history, the old Monza had a big bank, which Albon stood on. "It’s very cool. I’d love to drive on it with the old circuit layout and the oval. I couldn’t imagine driving in that era where you would literally fly if you went off the track. There’s that term “I’m flying” and that would literally have been the case then. It must have been nuts."

Difficult turn

But Albon also talks about serious matters in the preview and in particular what makes the circuit difficult. "Turn One is tricky on this circuit because it’s such a long straight and you can get a tow down to the first corner. There’s a lot of time to think and then you have to pick your turn in point perfectly."

"At most circuits there’s a little bit of give and take with racing lines but at Monza there’s only really one line you can take. So you’ve got to be precise, good on the brakes and more importantly get a good slipstream!", concludes the Thaise-Brit.