Gasly: "Engineers say we could reach 360 km/h at Monza"

Toro Rosso's Pierre Gasly has said that according to his engineers, the Honda-powered car could reach 360 kilometres per hour this weekend, under the right circumstances.

In the team's preview of what is technically their home race, as they're based in Faenza, the 22-year-old remembers all the good times he's had at the circuit before he got to Formula One.

"I have good memories of the Monza track as I was on pole for my last two races there, even if it's going to be a whole new challenge this year in a Formula 1 car," he said on the Toro Rosso website.

"It will be something new to experience the top speeds in an F1 car at what is the fastest track of the year: the engineers tell me that with DRS and slipstreaming we should be doing over 360 km/h.

"It's going to be an incredible feeling rushing down the straights and then coming to the very heavy braking areas.

"You really have a sensation of speed and that's one of the things that make this circuit special."

It will be the first time ever for Gasly in a Formula One car on the circuit, and he knows how important it is to have good pace on the straights.

"You spend almost 80% of the lap flat out so it's important not to lose speed through the chicanes, which means doing a good job of riding the kerbs and then having good traction out of the corners."

It will be interesting to see how well the Honda engines will perform compared to the teams around them with their Ferrari, Renault and Mercedes engines. At Spa, another track which is very high-speed, Toro Rosso did surprisingly well, with Gasly coming in at P9, securing two points. Will he be able to do something similar at Monza? We'll find out this weekend!