Formula 1, Round 16: The 2024 Italian Grand Prix

We waited for about a whole month for a Formula 1 race, and now two come along back-to-back! The Italian Grand Prix is here to wrap up the European season. With McLaren coming off a big win and Ferrari full of new optimism, here are some hot topics everyone’s buzzing about ahead of this weekend’s race at Monza, but first..

A Few Track Statistics

Key Stats:

• Track length is 5.793 km (3.600 mi).
• A total of 53 race laps covering a total of 306.72 km (190.58 mi).
• Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton are tied for the most wins by a driver, 5.
• Ferrari is the most successful constructor with 20 wins to their name.

Construction and History:

•   The Autodromo Nazionale Monza was built in just 110 days in 1922.
•   It was the world’s third purpose-built race track, following Brooklands in the UK and Indianapolis in the US.
•   The original circuit featured banked curves and much of the ‘outfield’ section still in use today.

First Grand Prix:

•   Monza opened on September 3, 1922, and hosted the Italian Grand Prix a week later.
•   It was part of the original Formula 1 calendar in 1950.
•   The track has hosted the Italian Grand Prix every year except one since its inception.

Circuit Characteristics:

•   Monza is known as ‘La Pista Magica’ and is famous for its speed.
•   Formula 1’s fastest-ever lap was set at Monza by Williams driver Juan Pablo Montoya, with a speed of 260.6 km/h during practice for the 2004 Grand Prix.
•   Cars are on full throttle for 80% of the lap.
•   The circuit features a 1.1 km start/finish straight where cars can reach their maximum speed.
•   The track includes a historic park section with several big stops into tight chicanes, testing the brakes extensively.

Ferrari’s Upgrades and Hopes for a Home Win

We’ve got to start with Ferrari when it comes to the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, right? But it’s not just about the passionate fans, and the never ending romance of Ferrari winning the Italian Grand Prix this weekend…

Before the summer break, Team Principal Fred Vasseur hinted that the Dutch Grand Prix would be more about damage control for Ferrari, with better chances coming up in the following races. So, when Charles Leclerc snagged a podium at Zandvoort, it was a pleasant surprise!

Ferrari aimed to limit their points loss to Red Bull in the constructors’ championship, and they managed to keep it down to just a single point. Now, they’re ready to turn up the heat.

They believe tracks like Monza, Baku, and Singapore are more suited to their car. Plus, they’ve got some upgrades lined up for this weekend to try and get back to winning after a tough mid-season stretch.

Last year, Carlos Sainz put it on pole and got the tifosi really fired up. Even though they couldn’t quite keep up with Red Bull in the race, both drivers gave an exciting fight for the last podium spot. With so many teams in the mix this season, Monza promises to have an amazing atmosphere as Ferrari chases a home victory.

Kimi Antonelli’s FP1 Debut

It’s not just Italian teams the home crowd will be cheering for at Monza. They’ll also have an Italian driver to support during Friday’s first free practice!

Andrea Kimi Antonelli is set to make his debut for Mercedes, taking over George Russell’s car for the first practice session. This move pairs him with Lewis Hamilton, who’s heading to Ferrari next season, alongside the young talent expected to replace him (or so the rumours suggest of course..).

Antonelli has already impressed Mercedes with his performances in previous F1 cars, but this will be his first time driving in an actual race weekend. And he’s got a packed schedule! The 18-year-old is also racing in Formula 2 for PREMA, aiming to climb up from his current seventh-place spot in the drivers’ championship.

It’s a big weekend for Antonelli, but his past performances show he can handle the pressure and attention. With a huge crowd cheering him on, Monza is set to be a memorable debut for the young Italian.

Can Norris & McLaren Close the Gap Again?

And speaking of drivers looking to impress, Lando Norris comes to Italy fresh off his second career win – and boy, was it a dominant one!

Norris’s victory at Zandvoort was the biggest margin of the season so far, sparking hope that he could still very well be a real threat to Max Verstappen in the drivers’ championship this year.

It’s a long shot, with Norris 70 points behind the championship leader, but with nine rounds left, it’s technically possible. Winning every race with the fastest lap would turn that deficit around, though that’s highly unlikely given how competitive this season has been, and Monza presents a very different challenge compared to Zandvoort.

McLaren is confident in their low downforce setup and is aiming to close the gap with Red Bull in the constructors’ championship even more. After a win and a fourth place in the Netherlands, they cut the gap to 30 points, so with 44 points up for grabs this weekend, they could theoretically take the lead at Monza.

But Red Bull and Verstappen are the defending champions for a reason and will be keen to stop any momentum McLaren and Norris are building up.

Colapinto’s Debut as Williams Replaces to Outgoing Sargeant

Williams had high hopes for Zandvoort, but it turned into a major disappointment as they left without scoring any points.

The team felt optimistic after a major upgrade boosted their performance on Friday. However, things started to go wrong. Logan Sargeant had a heavy crash in FP3 and missed qualifying, then Alex Albon was disqualified after initially qualifying eighth due to a technical infraction.

The issue with the car was just a matter of millimetres on the floor, which was fixed for the race. Albon managed to climb from the back of the grid to finish 14th.

Williams is eager to make the most of their car’s pace, so they made a bold move after Sargeant’s crash, replacing him with young driver Franco Colapinto for the rest of the season.

It’s a loss for the U.S., but a big gain for Argentina as Colapinto is set to become the first Argentinian to race in Formula 1 in nearly 25 years, following Gaston Mazzacane, who last raced in 2001.

Colapinto faces a tough challenge jumping into the car mid-season as a rookie, but he somewhat  impressed in his first year in Formula 2, currently sitting sixth in the championship with one win. There will be a lot of focus on both the 21-year-old and Williams’ decision to replace Sargeant when they meet the press on Thursday.

Weather and Tire Talk

Monza is the second part of the double-header kicking off the second half of the 2024 F1 season, right after Zandvoort.

While rain affected much of last weekend’s race, what does the forecast look like for Ferrari’s home race? Right now, it looks mostly dry and warm for the event, although a few showers can’t be ruled out.

F1’s official tire suppliers have chosen the same tire selection as last year for this historic venue: the C3 as the hard tire, the C4 as the medium, and the C5 as the soft. These tires will tackle a track that’s hosted nearly every Italian Grand Prix since the F1 World Championship began 74 years ago.

Drivers will have two sets of the hard tires (marked white), three sets of the medium tires (marked yellow), and eight sets of the soft tires (marked red), as well as green intermediate tires and blue full wets if needed.

Ahead of this year’s race, Monza has seen significant upgrades, with a complete resurfacing, changes to underpasses, and an overhaul of the circuit’s water collection and drainage systems.