McLaren Honda
McLaren racing director Eric Boullier says that the high-speed nature of the Monza circuit will lead to a difficult Italian Grand Prix for the team.
McLaren's power unit supplier Honda has struggled upon its return to Formula 1 this year and Boullier says that while progress has been made, it will not be visible in Italy this weekend.
"Spa was a particularly unflattering race for our package, which disappointingly masked many signs of progress we were hoping to see after the summer break," he explained.
"However, we always knew Spa would be one of, if not the, most challenging grand prix of the season, and we were certainly proved right.
"In terms of Monza’s characteristics, it’s another high-speed, low downforce track, and a unique challenge, with long straights and heavy braking.
"For this reason, we expect this race will be difficult for us in similar ways to Spa, but our aim is to finish the race with both cars and learn as much as we can from the weekend in anticipation of Singapore and beyond, where we’re hopeful of demonstrating improved pace."
