When I think of Monza, I think of Ferrari and the Tifosi because it’s their back yard. The fans go ballistic and it’s great to see the different generations in the grandstands: grandfathers, sons and grandsons.

The spectators will climb anything to get a good view. They sit in trees, on billboards and after the second Lesmo they sit on the old banking with their feet hanging over the barrier. They’re about six stories up at this point and you kind of want to ask Charlie [Whiting, race director] to put some catch fencing in for them!

There’s no doubting the Tifosi’s love of F1 and their love of Ferrari. They’re a bit more open in their support of the drivers and I certainly feel like I have an affinity with Italians from my days at Minardi. I spent quite a bit of time in Italy back then and it was good to experience a bit of the culture. The chaos is sometimes a bit frustrating and the policemen like to have arguments…

As for the track, Monza is very fast. It’s not as hard on the brakes as Montreal, but you still need a car that stops well, rides the kerbs and has a big engine. Strategy’s pretty straightforward because it’s not the hardest circuit on tyres, although the Pirellis will probably give us more to think about than was the case last year.

All in all, Monza is a very enjoyable weekend. The park is a beautiful setting and I love the way the banking remains unchanged. Last year I was lucky enough to do a photoshoot with Prada which involved us taking a helicopter to the track. It was great to see it all from the air.