03/09/2015
NEWS STORY
Drivers have been warned that they will be reported to the stewards if they cut the chicanes at Monza this weekend.
"Any driver who uses a part of the areas behind the second apexes of the first and second chicanes, and which is suspected of gaining any sort of advantage from doing so, will be immediately reported to the Stewards," warned FIA race director, Charlie Whiting, in a note to the teams this morning.
"As normal three rows of polystyrene blocks have been placed in the escape road at the first chicane in exactly the same positions as last year," he added. "In order to ensure that cars are able to rejoin the track safely any driver using the escape road must go around the end of each of these rows and re-join the track at the end of the escape road. Drivers may only use the grass if it is clearly unavoidable."
Finally, he warned: "Any driver going straight on at the second chicane (who hence misses the black and yellow bumps placed before the apex kerb of turn 5) must stay to the right of the yellow line and red and white polystyrene block, he may then re-join the track at the far end of the asphalt run-off area."
As is the case at several other tracks, drivers tend to use all the track and then some, the first two chicanes at Monza being a particular problem. Aggressive kerbing introduced a couple of years back proved to cause more issues than it solved and as a consequence lower kerbs were put in place thereby allowing drivers to take advantage.
Check out our Thursday gallery, here.