Monza resurface worries Michelin runners

The new, exceptionally smooth surface covering around half the track, from Curva Grande to the Ascari chicane, last week forced Michelin to completely re-think their tyre selection after all their teams complained on day one of low grip.

The new surface, said to be similar to that laid at the Circuit de Catalunya 18 months ago, is of high-density 'closed' texture, meaning that only soft tyre compounds are able to generate grip.

When the new surface was laid at Barcelona, teams struggled for weeks to optimise their chassis set-up for the track.

With Ferrari's Bridgestone supplier having found that their rubber was well suited to the new asphalt, the Michelin difficulties could not have come at a worse time for Fernando Alonso.

The Spaniard currently has a 12-point margin over Schumacher with four races to go.

Michelin succeeded in adapting to the new Monza surface towards the end of the three-day test, but F1 boss Nick Shorrock admitted the test had been a far from ideal preparation.

"This threw a bit of a curve-ball into our preparations, definitely," he said. "Being not so far from the track helped our ability to react to what we found once we arrived. We're very happy with our tyre selection for the Grand Prix."

But a number of Michelin runners expressed concern at the lack of grip they had experienced on the new surface.

Red Bull Racing's David Coulthard said: "The lack of grip was a bit scary in places and it was very slippery around the Lesmos. It seems to have been a pretty random re-surfacing which hardly anyone knew about."

World champion Alonso said that in low-downforce Monza aero spec, his Renault R26 had felt unpleasant.

"The steering feels light, the movements are a bit lazy, and you don't quite feel like you have everything under control," he said. "It's not a nice feeling for the driver, but it's what you need at Monza to be quick on the straights."

All teams' preparations may yet be thrown out of the window if predictions of rain for this weekend at Monza prove accurate, however.

Shorrock said: "When I last looked at the forecast for Sunday, it was appalling, with showers all the way."