“A brilliant insight into the challenge of Monza”

In February 2003, at a cold and wet Snetterton, I went in search of a hot cup of coffee. One of my first ever assignments for Motorsport News was a long day of winter testing for the British Formula 3 championship. In the paddock cafeteria I met an enthusiastic young driver called Karun Chandhok and we’ve been friends ever since.

Fast forward 16 years and I finally got to appreciate the talents of the man who started 11 grands prix with

HRT and Caterham and won in GP2. Thanks to Pirelli, I was invited to enjoy a hotlap of Monza last weekend with KC driving an Aston Martin Vantage.

“You’ve joined me just as the brakes are starting to fade,” says Chandhok with a gleeful grin.

From the perimeter of the circuit, Monza appears free-flowing. Fast and expansive. But viewed from a car circulating at highspeed, the reality is different. Yes it’s quick, but the sweep of Curva Biassono, the double Lesmo right-handers and Parabolica are much tighter in reality.

Accelerating off the start/finish line, the most surprising characteristic of the first chicane is how the track suddenly narrows. After the pitlane exit, the emergence of the barrier on the righthand side acts as a funnel and hides the second part of the Rettifilo until you are 75 metres from the first apex.

While the Biassono (Curva Grande) appears a wide-long sweep on the TV, from inside the cockpit of the Vantage, it’s much tighter than you would expect.

More alarming – at the pace we are motoring – is the small patch of gravel lining the outside of the bend and the proximity of the wall.

“There’s plenty of run-off…” says Chandhok with a wry smile.

All too quickly, we’re braking for the Variante della Roggia and Chandhok threads a needle between the two apexes. He attacks the enormous sausage kerbs which dramatically unsettles the car and fights an oversteery moment on the exit with a flick of opposite lock to bring the Vantage pointing straight towards the Lesmos.

On the back straight, we pass the little chapel on the inside of the track and dip under the low bridge – the crossing point of the old track. Like the rest of the lap, the Ascari chicane is surprisingly narrow.

“I love this corner. If I could have a chicane on any of my dream tracks it would be this one,” he adds. Finally after the back straight he powers through Parabolica with the lightest of fingertips on the wheel.

As we slow to a halt to finish our lap, I remark on what a great job he’s got.

It was a brilliant insight into the challenge of Monza and a long way from that Snetterton cafe…