One thing you’ll hear a lot about this weekend at Monza is the ‘tow’ that drivers are looking to try and pick up. The way this works is that when a car is following another on the track – even by a number of car lengths – they’ll have a higher straight-line speed as the car in front is effectively punching a hole in the air. Think of it like a slipstream, only at a greater distance.
At Monza, the long straights mean this can be hugely valuable. Some teams will even use tactics between their drivers to ensure one of them gets a tow, deliberately timing their placement on the track in qualifying. Keep an eye out for it through the rest of the session.
GO FURTHER
F1 Italian GP track breakdown: How drivers brave Monza, the ‘Temple of Speed’
