Sebastian Vettel (R) with Nico Rosberg at Monza yesterday.

DPA/Monza, Italy

Happy memories of victories at Monza will help spur Sebastian Vettel at Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix when he returns to the circuit wearing the red of home team Ferrari for the first time.
The four-time Formula One world champion will experience the high-speed grand prix classic with the Italian fans behind him - unlike victories with Red Bull in 2011 and 2013 when he was roundly booed.
Vettel became the youngest driver in the history of Formula One to win a F1 grand prix when he triumphed in wet conditions in Monza with Toro Rosso in 2008 - the first of his three wins at the circuit.
“Of course Monza means a lot of happy memories for me,” the 28-year-old German said. “To be here now with Ferrari makes it even more special.”
Winning in Monza would be “an absolute highlight” he said of a race which for Vettel is now the home grand prix this season following cancellation of the German race.
Vettel could also emulate Briton Stirling Moss who won in Monza with three different teams - in 1956, 1957 and 1959 with Maserati, Vanwall and Rob Walker Racing.
However the chances of a third victory of the season following Malaysia and Hungary do not look that high for Ferrari on the Monza power circuit, which looks set again to favour the dominant Mercedes team, who enjoyed a one-two last season.
“I’m sure it will suit our car and it’s a circuit I really enjoy, so all the ingredients are there for a strong weekend,” Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg said.
It will be the German’s first race since becoming a father as he tries to claw back some ground on team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who is on 227 points in the standings with a 28-point lead over Rosberg after 11 of the season’s 19 races.  “I’m sure the tifosi will want a red car to be on the top step but, whatever the result, you know they will create an unbelievable atmosphere,” he said.
“Standing on the podium last year was a great experience and the target is to be one step higher this time around.”
World champion Hamilton is meanwhile seeking a seventh win of the season after beating Rosberg into second place in Belgium following a 10th pole position from 11 races.
“Spa was a really positive weekend for me. I felt comfortable right the way through and it was great to finally get another win at one of the real classic F1 circuits,” the Briton said.
“Now we head to another of those in Monza. It’s an awesome track - so fast and with some of the most passionate fans you’ll see anywhere in the world.
Ferrari’s last home victory at Monza came in 2010 courtesy of Fernando Alonso, who knows he faces another difficult weekend with struggling McLaren.
“I have won at Monza twice in my career - once with McLaren in 2007 - and both times were incredibly special. For this race we have to manage our own expectations, as we know it won’t suit our car,” he said.
“It will be tough, but we’ll still push hard as usual, learn as much as we can about our package, and work on our low-downforce configuration to try and get as much as we can out of the weekend.”
The focus will also be on tyre provider Pirelli, who came in for criticism from Vettel following a blown tyre in Spa which left him out of the points. Monza is another demanding track at 5.793 kilometres in length and top speeds of 360 kilometres per hour.
It remains to be seen whether world governing body FIA now imposes lap limits for tyres, something Pirelli said it requested in vain in November 2013.
Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery said: “We have finalised the investigation into Sebastian Vettel’s tyre at Spa. Detailed conclusions from the technical analysis will be presented at Monza.”

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