Power and low downforce, winning ingredients at Monza

Some tracks put the brakes to the test, others put the chassis to the test, and then there’s Monza, a real test bench for the engines. With its very long straights interspersed with high-speed turns, the Autodromo Nazionale is one of the most challenging tracks for engines.

“Monza is a historic circuit, famous as the temple of speed, where drivers press the throttle to the floor for over 70% of the lap”, explains Andrea Borelli, Engine Performance Engineer at Ferrari Competizioni GT. “Power plays a vital role on this circuit even though the Federation uses the Balance of Performance to regulate this parameter. In light of this, our task is to ensure that the powertrain can deliver the maximum permissible power, under any conditions”.

Reaching high speeds not only requires power but also good aerodynamics. Borelli continues: “The configuration adopted on the 488 GTE for this track seeks to reduce drag with a typically light set-up to maximise speed on the long straights. On high-speed turns like the Parabolica, it is the high speed that generates the downforce”.