Manor lacks top speed advantage at Monza

A disadvantage one day can be an advantage the next. Indeed, since the beginning of the season, Manor has been suffering from a lack of aerodynamic downforce, which handicaps them compared to the competition on winding circuits. However, this represents an advantage on a track like Monza, where downforce is minimized, as Pascal Wehrlein stated in the paddock: “Normally, we are always the fastest in a straight line. That has been our problem this year because we don’t have enough aerodynamic downforce.”

Unfortunately, the team doesn’t seem to have the advantage this weekend because the other teams have also reduced support to meet the demands of the Italian circuit: « Everyone has new parts for here. We are not where we would like to be. We thought it might be a bit easier for us. »

In these conditions, Q2 seems to him to be an already ambitious goal since he was only 18th and 16th during the day: « The lap times were correct but it was very tight. So it won’t be easy to get into Q2 tomorrow. »

His teammate, Esteban Ocon, was interrupted in his tests by a sudden engine cut during free practice 2: « There is never a good time for this kind of thing but I will have the opportunity to drive again tomorrow morning. It’s not ideal to lose track time. »

This power failure occurred while he was switching to the super-soft tires that have been causing him so many problems since Spa: « It’s getting better, I’ve made progress but maybe I went too far, did a bit of over-driving, which made me lose time in the end. So I still need to fine-tune. »

If he feels much more comfortable for his second weekend as a starter, he still has to face the challenges of being a rookie. One of these is not necessarily being recognized by all the circuit staff. For instance, he had trouble getting into the paddock after retiring in free practice because he didn’t have his pass with him…

From our special correspondent in Monza