It is the 31st occasion that a Grand Prix is held at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, previously known as the San Marino Grand Prix, and the first time in 1980, hosted the Italian Grand Prix while Monza was being refurbished.
First to answer was Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz: “It’s what we all miss a little from all the new venues that we go to is this old-school kind of feeling of the track and the history behind them. I’m glad the calendar keeps this sort of venue because it reminds us all where we come from and why we all became fans of this sport.
“I’m a big fan of coming back to places like Imola, Monaco next week. I do think there’s potentially a bit of work to do on some of these tracks to maybe make them better for the show, in terms of overtaking possibilities in Monaco or here.
“I think we need to see how long the pit lane is and see how we can make the old-school tracks a bit more exciting with overtaking opportunities and making the race better. But I think it’s also part of the European style of tracks and old-school tracks that I love driving a qualifying lap around.
“Imola is a top-three circuit in the world where you feel a Formula 1 car more than anywhere else. This, together with Suzuka and maybe Zandvoort, is where you feel a Formula 1 car at its peak. And I love that. So yeah, all for coming back to these places,” reckoned the Spaniard.
Haas F1 Team veteran Kevin Magnussen concurred with his peer: “Yeah, I prefer driving on these tracks. I agree with Carlos on the racing side of it, but definitely, driving these types of tracks is just a little bit more intimidating than some of the new ones where you might as well be driving a simulator in terms of your feeling in driving.
“I love coming to these tracks. I think it’s a good point about the pit lane. If you lessen the pit stop time, you would maybe have more likely a two-stop race. The tires are still not good for racing each other and overheating when you’re behind. I think there is a bit of a step forward from a couple of years ago, but that is still a big issue.
“The cars have become more difficult to follow each other, and those things weigh higher. That could be solved and made easier for racing here,” ventured the Dane.
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