BMW to use extra small rear wing in Italy

BMW Sauber will be making use of a smaller rear wing in order to cut drag and lessen downforce levels on the rapid Monza circuit next weekend. Although the parkland track does feature three significant chicanes, the lap is spread out by elongated straight sections. With a lack of downforce for the straights always yielding an overall greater advantage than much downforce would for the corners, Monza also sees teams bringing several race-specific parts in order to gain the most from the quick Italian Grand Prix.

"This is the last genuine high-speed track left on the calendar," explained Willy Rampf, Head of Engineering at BMW. "The four long straights mean that keeping the drag level low is crucial, so we run the cars with less downforce here than anywhere else during the season; this involves using a modified front wing and a new and extremely small rear wing.

"An additional challenge for the drivers and engineers is to give the cars a mechanical setup which ensures good braking stability and allows the curbs to be taken aggressively, as this is absolutely essential in setting a fast lap time. I'm very much looking forward to the race as there's always a very special atmosphere at Monza."