You've driven the Mugello track once before, what do you think it will be like in a Formula One car?
Max Verstappen: I have never raced at Mugello but I drove the circuit recently and it is a really great track. It is a pretty unique circuit and not really similar to another on the calendar and it is going to be really fast in a Formula One car which is the outstanding factor to consider. It's not going to be easy to make overtakes but it's definitely going to be fun to drive and I'm looking forward to experiencing it.

What do you foresee as the main challenge around this circuit?
MV: Mugello is definitely going to be hard on tyres, mainly because of all of the high speed corners and high track temperatures. It's also a new challenge to see how you're going to perform without any preparation or knowledge on-track in an F1 car. It's also a good test for the Team, as well as for the drivers. The engineers have already done a lot of simulator work, we've prepared in the best way possible but there will still be a lot of fine tuning to do at the track which is normal but it makes Friday more important.

In your opinion, what is the best part of the track?
MV: All of the fast corners, especially Turns 1 and 2, those corners are flat. I don't really have a lot of experience there of course, so I'll just have to go with the flow but I like new challenges and it is good to mix things up a bit for everyone. It's going to be super-fast and great fun in an F1 car and hopefully our weekend will end in a better way than last weekend.

Tell us everything we need to know about Mugello.
Alex Albon: I'm really looking forward to Mugello and I think it's going to be a special race. With no slow corners, it's going to be unbelievable and I think it will be the most physical track we go to. It's a really cool circuit and I've driven there once before back in 2012 in Formula Renault. It's going to be one of the quickest tracks on the calendar this year in terms of pure outright speed and just to give you an idea, I think the lowest gear we'll use is fourth!

What are you looking forward to most about driving there?
AA: The whole track is pretty special, it's quick and there's a lot of elevation so it will be definitely be a lot of fun for us as drivers. I've driven it on the simulator and it's got a very good flow to it. As a Team, it's hard to say but I think it could be a good track for us and as it's new on the F1 calendar, everyone is pretty new to this place and so experience and knowledge won't play so much of a role which could make things interesting.

Mugello is a fast and physical track and it's the third race of a triple header. Are drivers going to feel it?
AA: It's going to be extremely physical because the long, loaded corners are where you feel the g forces and Mugello is full of them! It will be massive and we're definitely going to feel it, I know that. I think tracks like Singapore and Hungary, driver fitness does play some part and we could see that here.

Is there going to be much overtaking?
AA: I don't think it will be easy at all to overtake so qualifying is going to be important. The only place to make a move is Turn 1 so that's where the cameras should be focusing. I expect with such high speeds, we're going to see a lot of tyre wear so it could be exciting race from a strategy point of view, with maybe two or three stops.

This will be the first race we have fans back in the grandstands which makes a nice change?
AA: It's going to be really nice to see some new faces around the circuit stands, I'm getting tired of the same guys in the paddock! It's a good thing and we're doing it safely so I'm looking forward to it.