Button predicts a spectacular Italian Grand Prix

Jenson Button thinks the Italian Grand Prix will be spectacular thanks to a double DRS activation zone on the Monza circuit.

The FIA has authorized two DRS activation zones for the Italian round. The first zone will be at the start line, and the second will be between the second Lesmo and the Ascari chicane.

Although we don’t know exactly how effective the DRS will be at Monza, Button still thinks it will allow for an exciting race.

«I think things will be a bit more mixed this year. For the second time this season, we will have two distinct zones for DRS, with two potential overtaking opportunities.»

The first zone promises to be interesting because it has always been very tough to fight for a position before braking for Ascari. The track is quite narrow and it’s a fast entry, so I’m very curious to see how the DRS will work in this turn. We might see some spectacular moves.

I think that the opportunity to overtake in the most conventional way will be in the second DRS zone, as close as possible to the Parabolica. You hold steady in the corner and then activate the DRS along the start-finish line before hopefully overtaking in the first corner. The DRS is becoming the best asset for following a car.

The team boss, Martin Whitmarsh, also spoke about the possibility of Monza delivering the kind of action we used to see in the past. It might be a bit premature to discuss the return of the “epic Monza,” but I think the whole team comes here to see if the DRS will make this Grand Prix exciting and unpredictable as we’ve all seen or read when we were young.

For Lewis Hamilton, the most important thing is to get back on the top steps of the podium after a few frustrating races. Last year, I won at Spa and missed finishing at Monza. This year, I think I could turn this sequence around. I’ve already moved on after my retirement in Belgium, and I’m really looking forward to returning to Italy, a place where I spent a lot of time kart racing, it’s a country I love.

I think we can feel optimistic for the weekend. I’ve never won at Monza and I’d like to achieve a good result this year. I’m particularly looking forward to qualifying because I think the DRS will make a big difference to our lap times, and I want to make the most of the car in qualifying and then have a good race.