Michelin's F1 project manager, Pascal Vasselon, talks about the Italian G൲rand Prix, tyre wear at Monza, pit stops, and more...

Q:
💧Pascal, what special demands does Monza place on tyres?

Pascal Vasselon:
At Monza teams tend to compromise cornering ability in order to generate higher speeds down the long straights. We have to bear this in mind when choosing tyres because we need our rubber to compensate a little for the lack of aerodynamic downforce - especially through u🌞ltra-quick corners such as the two Lesmos and the Par꧂abolica, as well as the tight chicanes.

Q:
How have you determine which is the correct tyre compound♓ for this weeke♔nd?

PV:
Our dry-weather tyre options hav♔e been selected on the basis of results at the recent Monza tests. Th𒀰ere will be three different types available.

Q:
What compounds have Michelin elected to take?

PV:
The track layout at Monza generates high temperatures so we have to focus on minimising the risk of b💟listering. The tighter sections of the track don't place a great deal of strain on the rubber and would allow us to run a soft compound, but the loads imposed by the lon෴g, high-speed straights persuade us to select tyres from the medium part of our range.

Q:
What about pit stop strategy?

PV:
Last season a one-stop strategy was most effective here, but I think teams are more likely to pit twice this time. A stop costs less than 30 seconds and the fuel penalty is about 0.3 seconds per l𝐆ap for every extra 10 kilos.