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[spankyham]

I'm not so sure that top speed will be the key to this race. I think it will be more brakes and tire management. This is probably the toughest race on brakes followed by Canada.

If the Mercedes brake issues from Canada resurface at Monza it may be a race where a well-placed next in line driver/team could pick up a win. If cars really do hit the speeds people are predicting, ie 270 that will just put even more pressure on the braking systems. Poor tire management also adds to brake system stress.

[sagi58]

So a "mixed" bag of results, then?

Ha!! Guess who I'm picking to take the win, in our pool!!

[spankyham]

 wrote:">Home race for Scuderia Ferrari

Maranello, 1 September – This Sunday’s race is the 65th Italian Grand Prix to count for the Formula 1 World Championship and, along with the British GP, they are the only races to have featured on the calendar every year of the championship. With the exception of 1980 when it was held at Imola and won by Nelson Piquet in a Brabham, it’s always been staged at Monza. Over the years, Scuderia Ferrari has won 18 times, a hit rate of 28%, to go along with 19 pole positions and 64 podiums.

Speed, slipstream and scares. With the demise of the old Hockenheim, Monza is the last of the truly old style Formula 1 circuits, although Spa-Francorchamps is also a contender for this category. Down its straights, before they were interrupted by the three chicanes we have today, some of the closest battles in history took place, with dozens of passing moves every lap as cars were able to slipstream each other: the 1971 edition is famous for the closest ever finish, when Peter Gethin won for BRM, finishing just a hundredth of a second ahead of Ronnie Peterson in the March, with the top five all within six tenths. The high speeds have also led to tragedy and the victims include Alberto Ascari, Wolfgang Von Trips, Jochen Rindt and the aforementioned Peterson.

The first wins. Ferrari took its first Monza win in 1951 courtesy of Alberto Ascari in the 375, while second placed Jose Froilan Gonzalez made it a one-two. The Italian won again the following year and after that, there was a pause until 1960, which produced an easy victory, as the British teams boycotted the race in protest against the use of the high-speed oval, built in 1955 and considered too dangerous. Ferrari took the top three spots with Phil Hill, Richie Ginther and Willy Mairesse. The following year, everyone was present, but tragedy struck. Von Trips collided with Jim Clark in the Lotus, dying along with 14 spectators. Hill won in the 156 to become the first American World Champion, but there were tears instead of celebrations.

Key victories. In 1964, Scuderia Ferrari was back to winning ways with John Surtees, who dominated the race in the 158 having shaken off the attentions of Dan Gurney. The win was key to the Englishman getting back in the running for the title, which he won in thrilling fashion in the final race in Mexico. Two years later came an equally important win for Ludovico Scarfiotti, who scored a one-two with Mike Parkes in the 312, which saved the day in an an otherwise lacklustre season.

The Seventies. After three barren years, the Maranello marque won again in 1970 courtesy of Clay Regazzoni who, in the final stages got the better of Jackie Stewart in the March. Five years later, the Swiss driver did it again which was cause for great celebration, as by coming third, Niki Lauda brought the Drivers’ title back to Maranello, eleven years on from Surtees. It was the same scenario four years later in ‘79, this time the title going to winner Jody Scheckter, with team-mate Gilles Villeneuve riding shotgun in second.

The 1988 “miracle”. Scheckter’s win was the last for a very long time for the Scuderia at Monza. In September 1988, Ferrari turned up in Monza with a heavy heart, as it was the first race following the death of the founder Enzo, back in August. In qualifying, the McLarens that had won every race that year, monopolised the front row with Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. Prost retired with a problem, but Senna seemed to be heading for an easy win. However, with three laps to go, the Brazilian came up behind the backmarker, Jean-Louis Schlesser in the Williams. The Frenchman moved over but ended up t-boning Senna who had to retire. It left the door open for Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto to take their Ferraris to a one-two. The next day, some journalists wrote that, looking down, Enzo Ferrari had orchestrated Schlesser’s misfortune.

The Schumacher era. There would be an eight year break before seeing a Ferrari on the top step of the Monza podium. It was 1996 and the winner was the great Michael Schumacher, who won again in Monza in 1998, with a fabulous passing move on Mika Hakkinen’s McLaren at the Roggia chicane. In 2000, another win meant Schumacher equaled Senna’s number of victories and he couldn’t hold back the tears in the press conference. He also won in 2003 and 2006, while Rubens Barrichello made his mark in this era, winning in 2002 and in 2004, when the Ferraris had to fight their way back up the order after Rubens had made a poor tyre choice and Michael spun at Roggia.

The Alonso era. The latest win for Ferrari at Monza was down to Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard had previously won in 2007 and in 2010, he had a long duel with Jenson Button in the McLaren, the Englishman finally having to give best to Fernando’s pressure and the performance of the F10. As for Kimi Raikkonen, the Finn has never won at Monza, his best result being a second place in 2006.

[spankyham]

The video interview with JA is very interesting.

 wrote:">Italian GP – High speed European finale

Maranello, 2 September – Formula 1’s final European appointment of the season takes place at one of the most evocative, atmospheric and historic venues on the calendar, the Monza ‘Autodromo.’ To sum it up in one word, it’s all about speed. For Scuderia Ferrari’s home race, the grandstands will be the usual sea of red, but you don’t necessarily have to be a Prancing Horse fan or Italian to enjoy the magic of Monza: long before he came to Maranello, our English technical director, James Allison, even spent his honeymoon here, working at the 1992 Italian Grand Prix!

Putting aside affairs of the heart, Allison and his team of engineers are working hard to ensure the relative competitiveness seen in Belgium can be replicated this weekend. “Spa and Monza, are both tracks that have characteristics that perhaps don’t bring out the best in our car and so we approached Spa with a little bit of trepidation,” he explains. “Spa has a very high dependency on power and aerodynamics, but actually the F14 T performed respectably in Spa. There are differences between Spa and Monza, but overall the characteristics are such that we hope to have a respectable weekend before heading on for the remainder of the year, racing at tracks whose characteristics we hope will suit us a little bit better.”

The differences between Spa and Monza that Allison refers to essentially come down to the Italian venue having longer straights and fewer high speed corners. “This means it’s extremely important to set the car up in a way that allows you to benefit from those long straights, running the cars with lower downforce and less drag to get good top speeds on the straights,” continues Allison. “Having good top speed on the straights also means you have to be able to slow down for the corners, so setting the car up to be stable under braking is extremely important, as is retaining enough mechanical and aerodynamic grip to be able to wrestle your way round the corners before heading off on another one of the long straights.”

The high speeds involved means this race puts the Power Unit and the car’s aerodynamic efficiency squarely in the spotlight. Apart from demanding total reliability as always, managing the harvesting and discharging of the energy and controlling fuel consumption will provide taxing engineering and strategic challenges, while in pure strategy terms, the high cost of time spent in the pits means a one-stop, switching from the Medium to Hard Pirellis, is the most likely scenario. However, while Sunday’s race will be the shortest of the year in terms of time, it’s by no means the easiest. “Don’t be fooled into thinking that because it’s short, it’s easy or because it has relatively few corners it’s less demanding for the drivers,” says Allison. “Managing cars with small wing settings to suit the challenging corners and chicanes of Monza is not an easy thing.” And on the topic of our drivers, Allison took heart from their Spa showing: “Fernando produced his normal exemplary performance, while Kimi in the race was strong, producing good results as well. We’ve been improving our car over the last several races and that improvement is starting to tell with both of our drivers. It’s something we hope will produce better results in the remainder of the season.”

[Ferrari man 009]

If I was Ferrari i'd try something different here. Its clear that in a straight race with low downforce and power Ferrari will be beaten. So, I would take a risk and go for a higher downforce setup to try and gain time in the corners. It would also mean better tyre performance in the race and less pressure on the brakes. It could be Ferrari's best chance of a result. The only risk is getting passed too easily on the straights.

[spankyham]

 wrote:">Italian GP – Allison: “Clear ideas and a lot of work to do”

Maranello, 3 September–Before the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, the Scuderia Ferrari Technical Director James Allison met up with some journalists. Here are some of his responses.

Q: There’s a lot of talk about the power unit, with the engine getting most of the blame. Is that really the case? What is lacking in the F14 T?
A: Mainly, we are behind our rivals Mercedes in terms of power, but also when it comes to aerodynamic downforce. It’s difficult to split the blame in percentage terms, as it’s the car as a whole which is not competitive enough. We need to work on every aspect, it’s not just a question of the engine or just the aerodynamics, but also the suspension and the systems. Every part of the car has to be improved so that it can become more competitive next year.

Q: What stage are you at with the 2015 car?
A: We have taken most of the key decisions relating to its design and we have chosen the path to follow to find the performance in the coming months. At the start of the project we made choices as to which areas we have to work on to end up being competitive. We have decided on the architecture of the car and in the coming months we will work on its performance based on the decisions we have taken.

Q: Will a lot change?
A: It will be different in every area.

Q: Fernando has said he is working on renewing his contract. How important is it for you to have a driver like him?
A: A team like Ferrari always needs first class drivers and that’s always been the case. We have always had champions of the calibre of Fernando and it will always be the aim of this team. Having said that, having a driver like him is a big advantage because his ability is beyond question. And to this one can add the fact that he has an in-depth knowledge of the company, which makes everyone’s job easier.

Q: What’s the realistic target for Monza with this car?
A: To find the realistic target for the F14 T at Monza, one has to look at Spa-Francorchamps, as the characteristics of the two tracks are similar, although in Monza, the engine maybe counts for a bit more and the aerodynamics a bit less, so in Monza we can expect a similar level of competitiveness to Spa. We have improved a few things since the last race, but the others will have also made progress and so it’s hard to see the hierarchy being any different to what it was at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Q: Of the remaining tracks, is there one where one can hope for a bit more, to get a win this year?
A: One must be realistic. At every track this season, we have seen a significant gap, usually over a second, to the Mercedes. So I believe they must make a major mistake for us to have a chance of winning. To do so, even with some luck, would be great for all of us, however our aim is to concentrate on improving the car to come to every track with a more competitive car than at the previous race. We must try and get the maximum performance out of every weekend and certainly we can say that in the last two or three, we have improved our car, as can be seen from the fact that both drivers have been more competitive compared to the start of the season and I hope that continues. But, we will need some luck to win.

Q: After the mistake on the grid in Spa on Fernando’s car, are you working with Mattiacci on a change of approach and working method?
A: Yes, we are all working together to maximise any opportunity that comes our way. Having said that, our car’s reliability has never been a weak point, I think we have finished more races than anyone else. We have never had to retire with a technical problem linked to the car in the race and generally, our team at the track is one of the strongest ever seen in Formula 1. It’s a team that doesn’t make many mistakes. At Spa we had a technical problem which helped us find some aspects linked to the way we are organised that can be improved; to be specific, the difficulty in bringing in the equipment we needed to solve the problem in a matter of minutes.

Q: How much ground can you make up in 2015, taking into account that only 48% of the engine can be changed? Is catching Mercedes a realistic target?
A: It’s true you can’t change every part of the engine, but the regulations say the majority of parts that can make a difference in terms of performance on the engine are still free. The 48% is not a binding figure and can be misleading compared to what are the real opportunities to improve the power output of the power unit. The way is completely open when it comes to the rules.
In fact, our problem is not the rules, it’s the time needed to close such a big gap. Therefore we must make the most of every available minute from now to the final moment before the homologation date, which is 28 February 2015. But as I said at the start, it’s not just the engine which has to improve, the chassis needs to also, as does the suspension and every part of the car. I don’t know if we can close the gap in just one year. We are trying, but as Mattiacci said, we are also looking at the medium to long-term future, not just the short term. He wants to get this team back to being ahead of all the rest and to have it stay there for many years. Having said that, we are working as hard as possible for next year, to have a much more competitive car. At the same time however, we are establishing the basis to make Ferrari the benchmark team in Formula 1.

[spankyham]

 wrote:">Italian GP – Alonso: “I want to win with Ferrari”

Maranello, 3 September–Before the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, Fernando Alonso was in Maranello where he met the President, Luca di Montezemolo, the Scuderia heads of department and went through things with his engineers. Before setting off for the historic circuit set in the Royal Park, the Spaniard also met with some journalists and here is an extract of their conversation.

Q: What is the braking point for the first chicane at Monza?
A: At the first one, more or less 130 metres before the corner in qualifying and 150 in the race, because you always have to brake a bit earlier with a full fuel load.

Q: What have you got to say to and what can you do for the fans who will, as usual, flock to Monza to see you and Ferrari?
A:Saying is easier than doing. Definitely we must try and have our best race of the year in front of the home crowd. We know what a great experience it is to stand on the podium at Monza, seeing the straight packed with people. I’ve been lucky enough in these last four years with Ferrari to get to the podium four times and it would be fantastic to make it five. It’s a very optimistic goal because unfortunately this year, we haven’t been on the podium too often. We must be realistic, as this will be another defensive and uphill race for us, but anything can happen.

Q: Is it not a bit frustrating to come to Monza at this point in the season, being so far behind, wondering whether or not you can finish on the podium, when in in the past at Monza, you were fighting for the title or for a win in front of your fans?

A: Yes of course. This year has definitely been the toughest in the five I’ve been with Ferrari, in coming to Monza in greater difficulty and without having a really clear idea of what the race can hold for us. In the other years, we were fighting for the title or a podium was definitely within our grasp or maybe even a win. This year however, it’s all much more up in the air and there is no certainty as to what we might be able to do. One can say this situation is frustrating, it can be seen as sad or simply as the reality of the situation. For eleven races now we have been fighting to sort out the situation and become more competitive and I think we have done that. I would say the progress is visible, because in the last three or four races, we have become more competitive: in Hungary, we got a podium finish, in Spa we came close and even at Hockenheim and Silverstone we went quite well. So in the recent races we have recovered and have a better feeling. It’s definitely not enough, because everyone is improving, especially Mercedes, who are dominating the season, given that, while we were two seconds off their pace, now we are still 1.6 or 1.4 behind, therefore the improvements we have made are definitely not enough yet.

Q: Do the improvements seen so far this year give you cause for some optimism regarding next year, or is it still too little?
A: Everything helps, not just us drivers, but also all the people in the factory who are working day and night. If there are improvements, it’s because these people come to the office every morning at 8 with a different feeling and that’s why all these improvements are helping. It’s positive to see that, unlike in other years, at least there is a correlation between the aerodynamic data from the track and the wind tunnel. Everything fitted to the car is giving the results we expected. There is a question mark over the power unit, which, given that development is frozen, means we can’t touch anything and so the inferiority which characterised it at the first race is more or less the same today. For next year, all the changes one can make to the engine remain a question mark: we can do something and so can the others, so we must try and do a bit better than the others.

Q: In your opinion, in 2015, when the power unit will be sorted, what can one expect from Ferrari? Can you fight at the front or what do you expect. Would you settle for a car that can get to the podium and which fights at every race? What is your feeling?
A: As of now, September 2014, the expectations are to have a front running car with which we can fight for the world title, which is what is expected of us and of Ferrari. What’s certain is that we must reduce the gap over the winter and much more than in other winters, because it’s a gap of around one and a half seconds. I don’t know if it’s possible to do that in 6 months. It’s a major challenge for the whole team, because I think we have the ability, we have the structure, so it’s just down to us to work hard.

Q: Based on what you’ve seen of the new project, are you optimistic? Are there elements of the new car that mean you are optimistic and that you like?
A: In all projects there are interesting things. By this point of the year, we know what are the weak points of the current car, we know what doesn’t work and what aspects have put us in difficulty for the whole season. Therefore many problems will be solved for next year. With the radical rule changes for 2014, one could see several build and development philosophies from the three engine manufacturers and also from the various constructors on the aerodynamic front. Maybe, with hindsight, those who are winning now made different choices to us and they turned out to be better. Clearly, the expectation for next year is to improve a lot.

Q: Even though you have a contract for next year, there’s a lot of talk about your future with other top teams interested in you. What do you think of this?
A: I think since last summer there have been stories and news almost all the time and so it’s now been going on for a year. It’s not nice, because it creates a bit of stress and it means it is disruptive for me, the fans and for the people in the team. I am proud there are some teams that say they’d like to have me, because it means they appreciate the job I’m doing. However, on this topic, it’s a year now that I’ve been saying I want to stay at Ferrari and extend my contract. That’s my wish, I repeat it every two weeks, at the end of every race, yet it’s never said, in fact there is a tendency for the opposite to be said. Talk of other teams has never come from my lips, in fact it’s always been the opposite.

Q: You want to renew the contract, as does Ferrari. Why hasn’t it been done?
A: In fact, we’re working on it.

Q: So you are working on the next contract. And so, until the current one expires you are a Ferrari driver and will stay at Ferrari?
A: I have a contract for another two years and as I always say on the subject of rumours and to ensure calm, what I want is to continue for the necessary years. Let’s see if that can happen, but for the next two years at least, there is no problem.

Q: Necessary years for what? To win again? The aim is to stay as long as you are not at the top?
A: Obviously, the most important thing is to win, because that’s the same for all sportsmen. However, I think there are also other things that can make one have confidence nevertheless and be happy in one’s work and I think Ferrari can offer a lot more than “only” winning. Because there is a passion for this team, which as a driver, means you are already proud of what you are doing, independent of the results. The most important thing is to fix the things that are not going well on the car and in the team and to do everything that is needed. Mattiacci also shares this desire to change things and to be more aggressive in our approach to our work. This renewed will to win makes staying at Ferrari even more attractive.

Q: The Monza circuit looks straightforward. But is it?
A: No, not at all, because you drive with very little aerodynamic downforce and so it feels a bit like driving in the wet at another track. Furthermore, when you are travelling at such high speed, it’s harder to be precise. It’s not easy to start your braking at the right place when you approach the first chicane at 340 km/h or the second one at 330. The unique thing about Monza is that, for us, there are five corners: the first chicane, the second one and the two Lesmos and the Parabolica, because Ascari, apart from the first kink to the left, is completely flat. With only five corners, even if you fit new tyres, in qualifying you gain half a tenth in a corner, half in another, but in the end, new tyres are only worth two or three tenths. Or you can do a perfect lap and find you have gained a tenth on a lap when you didn’t give your utmost. That’s the main difference with Spa: there, when you do a perfect lap, you have gained a second over a normal lap and this gives you a nice shot of adrenalin, because you realise when you are on the limit.

Q: Alonso wins in Monza if…
A: I don’t know, it’s not easy. Something unusual would have to happen, maybe with a bit of help from drivers in the top teams, while we need to concentrate on ourselves and give our utmost over the weekend, as we did in Spa and Hungary during qualifying. At Monza we cannot make any mistakes.

Q: Have you set a time limit for your career?
A: No, I haven’t. I am much older than I look from the outside, I’m only 33 and up until five years ago, you only started in Formula 1 when you were in 26 or 27. The fact, is I started when I was 19 and it seems I’m very old, but given my actual age, I’ve still got lots of seasons ahead of me. I could have another ten: Michael Schumacher stopped when he was 43, Pedro de la Rosa is in the simulator every day and he’s 43, so it’s not a question of age. It’s a question of enjoying what you do and to still want to get up in the morning to train, to get on planes and fly to Australia and Malaysia, to race with a top car and to still get a good feeling from it all. As Iong as I have that desire and these feelings, I am not setting a time limit. Sure, this year’s been a bit less fun because the cars are a bit less quick. We need adrenalin and we hope the sport heads back in the direction of more extreme performance so that we go back to Formula 1 really being at the top.

[spankyham]

Good advise from Nando to all the complaining and fighting Lewis and Nico fans "The problem they have is a good problem – they are fighting for the world championship!"

 wrote:">Italian GP – Alonso: “One of the toughest races for us”

Monza, 4 September – It’s an unwritten rule that a Scuderia Ferrari driver has to be on the panel for Thursday’s FIA press conference at Monza and that duty fell to Fernando Alonso this afternoon. The Spaniard has a great record here, having finished on the podium in his four last races on the high speed Italian track, including a victory in 2010. But, given the current hierarchy in Formula 1, he was realistic about his chances of making it 5 out of 5. “This is definitely one of the most important races this year for us in front of the tifosi,” began Fernando. “We want to give them a good result on Sunday, but it will be very hard to repeat what we did the last four years and this will be one of the toughest races for us this year.”

However, apart from the specific difficulties of dealing with this high-speed circuit, there were positives emerging from Maranello, reckoned Alonso. “There were signs we were more competitive in Hungary and then we nearly got a podium with Kimi in Spa.” The “main attraction” of today’s conference was the fact that Rosberg and Hamilton were making their first joint public appearance since their controversial collision in Spa a fortnight ago. With Fernando sitting between them on the stage, the Spaniard seemed to be accorded the role of mediator by the journalists. “I don’t know why I’m getting all these questions about them,” said the Ferrari man with a smile and a shrug of the shoulders. “All we can do is watch their beautiful battle from the outside. The problem they have is a good problem – they are fighting for the world championship!”

Alonso was also asked what he recalled about racing at the back of the field, when he began in F1 with Minardi. While admitting it was difficult, not being able to fight at the front, he reckoned life was harder to deal with when he was a reserve driver for Renault: “watching the races from the garage, that was very tough.”

[sagi58]

Alonso is quite definitely a wise "young" man, isn't he??
I just love his sense of humour, which comes through, all the time!!

[spankyham]

 wrote:">De la Rosa: “Monza, unique and special”

Maranello, 5 September – “Monza is a beautiful circuit,” Scuderia test driver Pedro de la Rosa tells www.ferrari.com. “It has several unique features; it is situated in a park, it is very fast and the fans manage to get really close to the drivers. In fact, you usually see them perched in the trees to get a better view of the track, something you never see at any other circuit.”

Brakes, the key. As for the technical side, Monza is definitely a track that puts heavy demands on the brakes. “It’s extremely important to have an efficient system,” continues Pedro. “And you have to do everything down to the finest detail when it comes to cooling the discs so as to have maximum efficiency next time you need them. The car set-up features very low aerodynamic downforce, because there are few corners and you have to favour straight-line speed. On the main straight you hit the highest speeds of the season, as a result of the low downforce aero package and the length of the straight itself.”

Maximum concentration. Physically the race isn’t very difficult for the drivers, although they have to maintain maximum concentration at all times. “You have to pay particular attention to how you tackle the kerbs,” explains the Scuderia Ferrari test driver. “Especially the inside ones. You need to tackle them decisively and do it so that the car literally jumps over them. To do this the driver needs to be very good at calculating the right angle and to ensure that, when the car is back on the ground, he can immediately get back on full throttle.”

Tricky in the wet. “If it rains, then Monza become very difficult, because you have to brake earlier everywhere, at speeds that are still very high,” concludes Pedro. “Furthermore, the Curva Grande cannot be taken flat and the two Lesmos become extremely slippery. Strategy plays a vital role, but now it’s become pretty much obligatory to run the race on a one-stop.”


[youtube]-6BcF_wbMX0[/youtube]

[sagi58]

Hey, Spanky!! Where's the extended weather forecast??
I count on you for that!!

((p.s. I'll google it, as soon as I'm done reading all those
unread posts I have waving (red flags) at me!! ))

[sagi58]

Opa!!

, Staff wrote:">Ferrari duo encouraged by Friday showing

Ferrari duo Kimi Räikkönen and Fernando Alonso were buoyed by the pace they displayed on the opening day of the Italian Grand Prix.

Both drivers were braced for a tough weekend at Monza, with concerns over the performance of Ferrari's power unit and chassis, but the pair emerged as Mercedes' biggest threat in the second practice session.

Räikkönen, who had the edge over Alonso on the Medium tyre runs, was little more than a tenth adrift of afternoon pace-setter Nico Rosberg.

"That was a very busy day, but a positive one. We made the most of every minute available to us in both sessions, managing to try everything we had on our programme," said Räikkönen after stepping out of the car.

"In the morning, we concentrated on assessing different aero configurations, in search of the best level of downforce. We opted for an intermediate solution that seemed to produce the best results on both compounds.

"The difference between the Medium and the Hard compound tyres is more or less what we expected."

Alonso echoed Räikkönen's feelings, suggesting that Ferrari can be strong on both low and high fuel loads.

"I'm happy with the work we did on set-up and tyres, especially with my time on a heavy fuel load," he said.

[spankyham]

Hey, Spanky!! Where's the extended weather forecast??
I count on you for that!!

((p.s. I'll google it, as soon as I'm done reading all those
unread posts I have waving (red flags) at me!! ))

Here t'is albeit a little late

[spankyham]

:clap: Opa!!

, Staff wrote:">Ferrari duo encouraged by Friday showing

Ferrari duo Kimi Räikkönen and Fernando Alonso were buoyed by the pace they displayed on the opening day of the Italian Grand Prix.

Both drivers were braced for a tough weekend at Monza, with concerns over the performance of Ferrari's power unit and chassis, but the pair emerged as Mercedes' biggest threat in the second practice session.

Räikkönen, who had the edge over Alonso on the Medium tyre runs, was little more than a tenth adrift of afternoon pace-setter Nico Rosberg.

"That was a very busy day, but a positive one. We made the most of every minute available to us in both sessions, managing to try everything we had on our programme," said Räikkönen after stepping out of the car.

"In the morning, we concentrated on assessing different aero configurations, in search of the best level of downforce. We opted for an intermediate solution that seemed to produce the best results on both compounds.

"The difference between the Medium and the Hard compound tyres is more or less what we expected."

Alonso echoed Räikkönen's feelings, suggesting that Ferrari can be strong on both low and high fuel loads.

"I'm happy with the work we did on set-up and tyres, especially with my time on a heavy fuel load," he said.

I just love how hard our team is fighting against such huge odds! I mean they are doing everything they can and, remember, all this improvement is happening with the huge handicap of not being able to improve the physical engine for performance!

Forza Ferrari

[spankyham]

[pdfview]http://miascuderia.com/media/2014/13-Italy/140002ita.pdf[/pdfview]