VIDEO: The amazing Monza record that could fall this week

VIDEO: The amazing Monza record that could fall this week

Originally written by Joas van Wingerden. This version is a translation.

Tuesday 28 August 2018 16:59

A trip to the 'Temple of Speed' Monza always promises incredible high speeds and one of Formula 1's incredible records could be at threat at this weekend's Italian Grand Prix. Juan Pablo Montoya was responsible for the 'quickest' lap in F1 history during the 2004 Italian GP.

During practice, Montoya bolted around Monza at an average of 262.242 km/h (163 mph) to clock a circuit record one minute 19.525 seconds - the quickest average speed ever recorded in a lap of an F1 circuit.

Valtteri Bottas registered 1:21.406 in last year's FP2 - a time that could not be improved upon the following day as rain arrived in Italy.

With a clear-looking forecast for FP3 and qualifying this year, there is a tantalising prospect of Montoya's fabled record falling.

Outright records have fallen at several tracks this year - Sebastian Vettel's pole time at last weekend's Belgian Grand Prix brought the record back into F1's hands after the Spa-Francorchamps benchmark had been lowered by a modified Porsche WEC car earlier in 2018.

With the Ferrari now recognised as the quickest car on the grid, it could be Vettel or Kimi Raikkonen that leaves Monza with Montoya's record in their back pocket.