Italian GP: Red Bull must finish ahead of the Brawn

Red Bull must now treat every race like a World Cup final. This is at least the viewpoint of Christian Horner, who, given the incredible tightening of performances in the pack, believes that no opportunity should be missed from now on.

The hopes of Red Bull are also somewhat boosted by the fact that they have discovered the cause of the engine failure that Mark Webber suffered during testing in Belgium. It was due to an auxiliary component. As a result, the power unit is in perfect condition and ready to return to action.

Sebastian Vettel – Racing Driver:

« Monza is, in any case, a special event on the calendar. You can really feel the history of the place, especially since just a short distance from the paddock, you can see the impressive banking of the old oval track. The modern circuit requires a car that can easily tackle the curbs of the many chicanes. Although efforts have been made to reduce the speed of the cars, it remains the fastest circuit on the calendar and the one that requires the lowest aerodynamic downforce. While this increases the maximum speed, it also makes the car more unstable in the corners, under braking, and during acceleration out of turns, so it’s a very interesting high-speed challenge. »

« Things have changed a lot over the past 12 months. Although at this time of the season last year, the Toro Rosso car had evolved and even though we had seen that we were competitive during Friday’s practice, my pole and victory were a surprise for everyone. This year, Red Bull Racing, Mark, and I are fighting for the championship titles. Therefore, we are placed among the favorites. It doesn’t put me under more pressure, but it means our hopes are higher. »

Mark Webber – Racing Driver:

« Monza is another good challenge. We must stay focused on ourselves and do the best job possible. We cannot control how the Brawn, Force India, or any other team operates. It’s up to us to get the best out of our package, to make sure we do the job in every session and that we’re in Q3 in a good position. That’s what we’ve done in the past, and that’s what we need to do in the future. It’s not like we should push more. We are doing it very, very hard, it’s just that we haven’t been as strong as we could have been at Silverstone or the Nürburgring. »

« My first reaction when I think of Monza is obviously that it’s very fast. Generally, it’s a track where we are, most of the time, at full throttle. There are a lot of demands on the engine, and you also have to handle the curbs well. It’s not a physical layout; we just sometimes need to be careful with our elbows. In the past, I’ve had a few issues with my left elbow here and there when jumping the curbs, but physically it’s one of the easiest tracks on the calendar. There is always a very good atmosphere, and it would be nice to leave Europe with a good result. »

Christian Horner – Sporting Director:

« The teams have closed in at the top of the standings in terms of performance. And every weekend is now like a World Cup final. We are in a position where we have everything to gain. And if you look at the average of the last 4 or 5 races, the advantage is with us rather than Brawn. Monza is a power track and the drivers equipped with KERS will surely be quite strong there. We will probably have to race with a bit less downforce, but there are always some fast corners and I think we can get the upper hand on the Brawn GP there. »