Hoping to make a lasting impression, Felipe Massa is banking on his familiarity with Monza to contribute more points to Team SAUBER PETRONAS before his departure to Ferrari next year and an identity switch for the independent team.

“I’ve always enjoyed Monza,” explains Massa, “because a lot of my success before Formula One came there in Formula Renault and Formula 3000 and I lived just down the road in Erba.

“I like the low downforce aspect, and the fact that overtaking is possible. It can be fun when you are braking from 360 kmh to get through the first chicane, especially with only low downforce! Also you need to go over the kerbs, especially in the first and second chicanes, and that puts a lot of strain on the car as does all the full-throttle running round the rest of the lap.

He added, “This year will be very special for me now that everyone knows I will be a Ferrari driver next year, because there is always a great atmosphere at this historic circuit. But my focus will as ever be to score more points for Sauber before the team changes identity for 2006.”

Meanwhile, former world champion Jacques Villeneuve is looking forward to the challenge of a special corner known as the Parabolica. Justifying that most drivers always got it wrong in that final corner by going slower than they should, Parabolica could also either make or break two laps simultaneously as it marks the end of a first lap and the start of a second.

Villeneuve explains: “Monza is one of the places I know best in the calendar because I used to race there when I was in Formula Three. The Italian fans are very passionate about racing and it’s a special place to compete.

“The track itself is very different to most other circuits. There are long straights between the corners, so you are relatively less active and have time to relax. The last corner, Parabolica, is quite special. It’s a difficult one to get right. You can always go faster there than you actually do. It’s fast, goes on for a long time and is very important, because effectively it ends one lap and starts the next. If you get it wrong you can spoil two laps at once!

“Technically, you need a set-up for the straights and the high-speed corners, but also one that allows the car to ride the kerbs in the tight chicanes. It’s the only track that has very low downforce and so the car feels lighter then it does the rest of the year.”