F1 Monza - Preview (VMM)

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Woking, United Kingdom, Sep 03, 2010

Monza offers a totally unique expereince; running minimal downforce at incredible speeds along the straights, and then coping with the lack of grip, and an extremely skittish car, through the low-speed stuff.


Jenson Button

�Obviously, my non-finish in Spa wasn�t ideal for my championship aspirations, so I head to Monza next weekend determined to put myself back in the hunt for the title.

�Our pace over the whole weekend in Belgium was extremely encouraging � we�re developing the car at a very rapid rate, and we�re learning more about it all the time, so I�m optimistic that we�ll be able to maintain that form in Italy next weekend.

�We still have some work to do to make sure the package we bring to Italy is perfectly suited to the track, but I�m confident that our engineers have made some good steps forward with their understanding of our car, so we should be in good shape.

�I love racing at Monza � it�s a totally unique experience; running minimal downforce at incredible speeds along the straights, and then coping with the lack of grip, and an extremely skittish car, through the low-speed stuff. Given the competitiveness at the front of the field, this could be an intense, thrilling grand prix.�

Lewis Hamilton

�Our victory in Belgium showed that, as a team, we never give up, and that we�ll always bounce back from adversity feeling stronger and more determined than before. This team has such an incredible fighting spirit � we strive to win, and I hope that Spa is only the start of a run of stronger form for us as we head into the final races of the championship.

�I�ve made no secret of my wish to win this race. Monza is an incredible circuit � full of history and stories from the past. It has a special feeling in the air that you don�t find anywhere else in the world. It�s a circuit that inspires you to race at your limit, and I�ll be pushing hard all weekend.

�Finally, I�m looking forward to meeting the Italian fans this weekend. I pretty much grew up racing karts in Italy, so I�ve always appreciated and understood the passion and support of the fans for Formula 1, and motorsport in general.

�Even if it�s not always obvious, I know that Vodafone McLaren Mercedes does have a deep pocket of support in Italy. So I hope the whole team can have another great race at one of the classic tracks in Formula 1.�

Martin Whitmarsh
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

�Even though, on paper, the Monza circuit�s characteristics appear to suit our package, developing a car that performs well on one of the most unique venues on the Formula 1 calendar is no easy job.

�The low-downforce, extreme high-speed nature of Monza demands its own bespoke aero package � and getting that downforce level correct is not as straightforward as it seems. We require a complex number of mechanical and aerodynamic variables to work harmoniously if we are to provide both Jenson and Lewis with front-running machinery this weekend.

�Obviously, Lewis�s victory at Spa was perfectly timed, and has substantially motivated the entire workforce ahead of these closing races. After Jenson�s unfortunate failure to finish in Belgium, we are determined to reignite his championship push next weekend to get him back into the hunt for the drivers� title.

�It�s no secret that there�s a tremendous amount of fight in this team � and I�m proud of every single person�s efforts to provide us with a winning edge. We know how to win races and world championships, and, clearly, we will once again be pushing for victory this weekend.�

* Official info courtesy of VODAFONE MCLAREN MERCEDES *

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