2013 Italian Grand Prix Preview: Red Bull and Vettel in solid form

File photo of the Monza track

Red Bull Racing look all set to grab another double championship this season. They are currently at the top of the team standings with 312 points, 77 points ahead of rival Mercedes, while their top driver and defending champion, Sebastian Vettel, also sits at the top of the drivers’ standings with 197 points, 46 points ahead of second place Fernando Alonso of Ferrari.

Red Bull has a very competitive car in RB9. It has also proven to be one of the most reliable cars in the paddock. In the driver’s seat of the RB9 are two very talented drivers- three-time world champion Sebastian Vettel and his Australian team mate Mark Webber.

Vettel needs no introduction. He is undoubtedly, one of the most talented and consistent drivers in Formula One today. The last race in Belgium, where he had a comprehensive win after snatching the lead from Lewis Hamilton in the first lap itself, was another reminder of how good he is when the green lights are on. He is one driver who needs just one opportunity to turn the tables in his favour.

He has been in extraordinary form for quite some time and if the practice results in Monza are anything to go by, then he surely is the top contender to grab another win this Sunday. He was the fastest in the Free Practice and that is a bad sign for his rivals. The German has won two times at Monza, in 2011 with Red Bull and in 2008 with Toro Rosso. He definitely will be looking for his third win.

Vettel’s team mate Mark Webber has had a decent run this season. He would like to finish the season on a positive note before he bids adieu to the sport. He finished fifth at Spa and he is expected to put up a better show this weekend.

For the team management, now that the dilemma regarding ‘who will replace Webber’ is solved, they can fully concentrate on their strategy and planning. They have been good in strategies and the same is expected from them at Monza.

Sunday’s race will be a 53-lap affair with minimal cornering and very high speeds. Not many incidents of brake lock-ups are expected, although the track has two huge braking points.The track temperature is expected to be average, and so, there won’t be much degrading of tyres compared to the other races.

Moreover, the new Pirelli tyres seem to be performing better than the earlier ones. Due to this, the teams are expected to follow a single stop strategy or a two stop strategy in the extreme case.

DRS will not be of much help in Monza, since all the cars will be going into the race with a low downforce set up. So, the car behind cannot make much use of the DRS zones. However, this should not concern Red Bull as they generally do not have to rely on DRS as they have the required raw pace and at Monza, it’s raw pace that counts.

Monza has always been about speed. With 147 mph as the average speed throughout the race, Monza, by far, is the fastest track in the calendar. Red Bull has the pace and both their drivers are really quick, so another good show is expected from them, with the Ferraris and Mercedes’ in close pursuit.