Heat inside and outside the track: watch out for reliability
The forecasts announce a boiling Monza and not only because of the support that will accompany Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Ferrari. The weather for the Italian GP weekend indeed predicts sun and, above all, a lot of heat. For Saturday – the hottest day – temperatures could approach 35°C and even on Sunday at the start of the GP the expected temperature is 32-33°C. Such warm air temperature could easily push the asphalt beyond 50°C and this could become an interesting technical issue – or worrying, depending on the point of view – for the tires and especially for the power units.
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The Temple of Speed in Monza is indeed not a track like the others. On the Brianza track, the cars spend over 70% of the lap at full throttle and this, combined with high temperatures and also the almost absent wind expected for the three days of track activity, could put all the components of the power units under extreme stress, as well as the braking systems of the cars. Finally, there is the issue of slipstreams, crucial in Monza but also dangerous for the overheating they can cause in the following car.
Antonelli and Ferrari can take advantage
All these elements could play to the advantage of the hometown favorites, Kimi Antonelli and the two Ferraris. The World Championship leader will indeed mount in Monza – as is now known – a completely new power unit; the resulting grid penalty will obviously be a handicap, but at least Antonelli should not risk seeing his engine weakened by reliability problems, which instead could represent a concrete risk for George Russell and the two McLarens of Lando Norris – coming off two consecutive wins – and Oscar Piastri.
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Ferrari should not – at least in theory – worry too much about the reliability issue, since Monza will be the chosen place for the highly anticipated debut of the engine renamed ADUO 2, that is the ‘upgraded’ one with the second token spent by the Prancing Horse team.
During this season the effectiveness of the power unit has always been a weak point for the Reds and Monza on paper is the worst track on the calendar to have a power deficit, but perhaps the climatic conditions could help Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, weakening the reliability of their rivals. What is certain is that this year more than ever we expect a very hot Monza, in every sense.
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