It’s all about speed as Formula 1 travels to Monza this weekend for the 70th Italian Grand Prix hosted by the venue. Monza is known for its long straights that produce high top speeds. The other thing Monza is known for, perhaps more than any other circuit, is a crowd with so much passion for their home team, Ferrari, that they have their own name: the Tifosi. Unfortunately we will only get to see them at 50% capacity this year. This weekend also marks the second trial of F1’s Sprint qualifying format.
A repeat of last year’s unlikely win by AlphaTauri probably isn’t in the cards, rather Red Bull is in a genuine championship fight which continues at Monza. The team will be looking for a strong result from both cars to extend Verstappen’s lead in the driver’s race and help Red Bull/Honda regain its lead in the constructor’s race. Expect one car on the podium and the other just missing out in 4th place. A double points finish for AlphaTauri is possible but likely not high points-paying positions.
Elsewhere on the grid, Mercedes are thought to have an advantage at this high-speed circuit but if they do it is of a razor thin margin. Look for McLaren and Ferrari cars to mix it up for the next few positions. A well-placed Alpine will be aiming to sneak in at the end of that battle. Expect an Aston Martin to be following not far behind. From here we will see some team cars of the aforementioned runners. In the second half of the order we can expect to see Williams and Alfa Romeo mixing it up. And finally the Haas duo will be last over the line.
US TV SCHEDULE
Practice 1 – Friday, September 10 – 8.25AM –
ESPNU
Qualifying – Friday, September 10 – 11.55AM –
ESPN
Practice 2 – Saturday, September 11 – 5.55AM – ESPN2
Sprint race – Saturday, September 11 – 10.25AM – ESPN2
Pre-race show – Sunday, September 12 – 7.30AM – ESPN2
Italian Grand Prix – Sunday, September 12 – 8.55AM – ESPN2
Post-race show – Sunday, September 12 – 11AM – ESPN3
CIRCUIT INFORMATION
Lap data
Lap length: 5.793km (3.6 miles)
Race laps: 53
Race distance: 306.72km (190.587 miles)
Pole position: Left-hand side of the track
Lap record: 1’19.119 by Kimi Raikkonen, 2018
Fastest lap*: 1’19.525 by Juan Pablo Montoya, 2004
Maximum speed: 337kph (209.402 mph)
DRS
zone/s (race): Start/finish straight and straight to Ascari
Distance from grid to turn one: 380m
Car performance
Full throttle: 76%
Longest flat-out section: 1520m
Downforce level: Low
Gear changes per lap: 46
Fuel use per lap: 1.9kg
Time penalty per lap of fuel: 0.057s
Strategy
2021 tyres: Hard (C2), Medium C3), Soft (C4) (2020: Hard (C2), Medium C3), Soft (C4))
*Fastest lap set during a Grand Prix
2020 RESULTS
Race Info.
Pole position: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:18.887
Race laps: 53
Fast race lap: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:22.746
Podium
1. Pierre Gasly – AlphaTauri
2. Carlos Sainz Jr. – McLaren
3. Lance Stroll – Racing Point
CURRENT STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 224.5
2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 221.5
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 123
4. Lando Norris, McLaren, 114
5. Sergio Perez, Red Bull, 108
6. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 92
7. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, 89.5
8. Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri, 66
9. Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren, 56
10. Fernando Alonso, Alpine, 46
11. Esteban Ocon, Alpine, 44
12. Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin, 35
13. Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri, 18
14. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin, 18
15. George Russell, Williams, 13
16. Nicholas Latifi, Williams, 7
17. Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo, 2
18. Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo, 1
19. Mick Schumacher, Haas, 0
20. Nikita Mazepin, Haas, 0
21. Robert Kubica, Alfa Romeo, 0
Constructors
1. Mercedes, 344.5
2. Red Bull, 332.5
3. Ferrari, 181.5
4. McLaren, 170
5. Alpine, 90
6. AlphaTauri, 84
7. Aston Martin, 53
8. Williams, 20
9. Alfa Romeo, 3
10. Haas, 0
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