Race Week in Italy
FORMULA 1 PIRELLI GRAN PREMIO D’ITALIA 2024
It's race week in Italy
F1 stops at Autodromo Nazionale Monza, located about 30 minutes from Milan, Italy.
The Italian Grand Prix, a cornerstone of F1 history, has been thrilling fans since the 1920s. It officially joined the F1 championship in 1950, and its iconic Monza circuit has hosted more Grand Prix than any other on the F1 calendar. With its rich history and the potential for unexpected winners, the Italian GP always keeps us on the edge of our seats.
About the Circuit: Known as "the temple of speed," Monza is a racing circuit located about 30 minutes outside of Milan. The eleven-turn circuit measures 5.793 km (3.60 miles) and is known for its long straights, high-speed sweeping corners, and iconic chicanes. Monza is Home to multiple series, such as GT World Challenge, WEC, F1 championship, and MOTO GP.
Weekend Highlights:
This is the second part of the doubleheader after the summer break, and the drama is already high. Kimi Antonelli will make his F1 debut at his Home GP for an FP1 session with Mercedes. Another major announcement came out of Williams: Logan Sargeant will be replaced by Williams F2 driver Franco Colapinto, the first Argentinian driver on the grid in over 20 years.
MCLAREN Delivered. With everything on the line, Mclaren and Lando Norris did precisely what they needed to do to keep the constructor's championship battle alive. With a season-high 22-second margin of victory over second place, Mclaren needs to keep the pedal to the metal and push like crazy. The McLaren cars are fast, and Monza is the "temple of speed." it should be a perfect circuit for the McLaren team. Another win, or a double podium, is a high probability. Mclaren has cut the Constructors championship gap to 30 points; in one to two more races, they could be neck and neck with Red Bull.
Red Bull should be a little worried. Red Bull is in a very interesting situation. While they were out in a commanding lead in both title fights, those margins are shrinking every race. Max still has a firm grip on the driver's title, but the constructors are quickly being closed by McLaren, and if RB has one more subpar weekend, it very well could be closed to a tie, leaving Italy. While Sergio has improved slightly, he still has yet to have a top 5 finish in 9 races; he desperately needs a strong weekend in Monza. If RB and, specifically, Sergio do not leave Italy without an impressive finish, there isn't a significant shakeup in the RB drivers market.
Mercedes' margin for error is closing. After a late surge in the first half of the season, Mercedes found themselves back at the front again. However, the Dutch GP looked more like Mercedes from the start of the season. Mercedes could not find the answers for McLaren and Red Bull, missing out on the team’s first non-podium race in the last six races. I would expect Mercedes to have a stronger showing in Italy, but the team will have their work cut out for them with a strong McLaren and Ferrari showing expected.
Ferrari in Italy, do I need to say more? The Italian Grand Prix holds a special place in the hearts of Ferrari and its fans. The team's history and success at this circuit make it a highly anticipated event for all F1 enthusiasts. Not many things in F1 are more special than Ferrari at their Home Italian Grand Prix; the special liveries, the Tifosi, and the environment are special. With upgrades coming to Monza, Ferrari might surprise some people this weekend with an unexpected victory. A Carlos victory at Monza in his last Italian GP with Ferrari? That would be a memorable moment that every F1 fan would cherish.
VCARB. Although the team's performance in Zandvoort was subpar, VCARb will be looking to bounce back after a mediocre performance in the Netherlands. This team has a very high success rate at Monza; with Daniels's last victory and Gasly's last victory for the team (Alpha Tauri), maybe some magic can strike again.
Aston Martin is on a four-race consecutive points run but has been unable to consistently break into the top five. It is unique because it is out of reach for fourth place among the constructors and has a big cushion from sixth place. This cushion might allow them to try a few things in hopes of getting an excellent finish. AMR is currently in a bit of no man's land, where they are not in immediate danger of losing their position but also not strong enough to challenge for a higher one.
Haas needs to get the magic back. Following the Dutch GP, the team was involved in an interesting sponsorship dispute over past financial obligations. However, due to the Dutch government's regulations, ex-sponsor Uralkali ensured the team could not leave the paddock. While most of the drama was off the track, Haas needs to refocus and get back to scoring points, or a late-season taper could lead to stagnation.
Alpine continues the points run. After back-to-back ninth-place finishes, Alpine has scored points in seven of the last ten races. Alpine seems to have figured out the reliability gremlins and found race pace again. Monza is a special place for him; it was his single-race victory in F1. I'm excited to know what Alpine can pull off in Italy. It might be a sleeper.
Williams-ouch. After a weekend to forget in Zandvoort, Williams started the race week with the news that Williams F2 driver Franco Colapinto would replace Logan Sargeant. It was interesting to add a true rookie when other drivers with more experience were available; Williams is still trying not to finish dead last in the championship. We will see if Franco is the correct choice.
Stake-sauber seems lost at the moment. After a few glimpses of promise in the last few races, Sauber was way off the pace in Zandvoort. I don't know what's expected for the remainder of the season. Currently, Sauber is in last place in the constructor's constructor. Ninth place is still possible, but a hot streak is needed if they want to be Williams.
