Monza in Perspective

(photo: Marco Zamponi)

I though it might be useful to see what Monza looks like from a prospective we can understand, as you would see it driving a normal road car, albeit a very fast one.

Our host is one of our go to tracktards in the EU, Manu, a man with an impeccable selection of cars and the good taste to rip them hard on track. Today he chose to play with his Porsche 997 GT2 and in the couple of laps of this video is turning 2:00 minute laps which, for a street car not on slicks, is a quite a fast time.

More interesting than the lap times though is seeing how, from a "normal" prospective, the track is quite tight in places, the chicanes and especially the two Lesmo corners are much tighter than you would imagine from watching formula cars on TV. You can also clearly see the spot in the first Lesmo where trees overhang the track and there's all sorts of slime on the tarmac. Make note of the braking points and how the car rides the kerbs.



Now, after the jump, compare this "normal" car to the alien spaceship driven by Lewis Hamilton to pole last year. The time was 1:24 meaning the GT2 would be approaching the Seconda Variante, the second chicane just as Lewis is starting his lap. Note how well the F1 cars ride the kerbs, a key to proper setup for this track...



Of course the first Lesmo is a nasty corner, turn in a bit early and...



And of course even Lewis' time is slow compared to the 2004 pole record by Rubens Barrichello, 1:20.089!