2024 Formula 1 Preview & Review.

[Fortitude]

Five big Italian GP questions: Ferrari’s home chances, Williams’ Colapinto conundrum and more.
The eternal question when it comes to the Italian Grand Prix: How will Ferrari perform in front of their adoring home support?
28 Aug 2024
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com

Well, if team principal Fred Vasseur is anything to go by from before the summer break, he was hopeful that Monza would be one of the circuits where the Scuderia would be able to mount one of their stronger challenges in the remainder of the F1 2024 season.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso even said the SF-24 “should be the car to beat” at the Temple of Speed this weekend, with its strengths seemingly suiting the long straights and sweeping corners that Monza provides.

The beauty of the F1 2024 season so far has been its unpredictability, and given track changes at Monza this year, Carlos Sainz predicts another weekend along the same lines. “It’s been resurfaced, Monza, so we will find a very different Monza to the last few years,” he told media including PlanetF1.com at Zandvoort.

‘Ferrari’s home chances’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/italia...lliams-ferrari


IT'S RACE WEEK: 5 storylines we're excited about ahead of the 2024 Italian Grand Prix
28 Aug 2024
Special Contributor: Chris Medland
Formula One - Official Site

Ferrari’s upgrades and home hopes: How can we start anywhere else but with a Ferrari section when discussing the Italian Grand Prix at Monza? But there’s more to look forward to this weekend than just passionate support…

Before the summer break, Team Principal Fred Vasseur had said the Dutch Grand Prix would be a case of damage limitation, before a run of races that would suit their car more. So Charles Leclerc’s excellent performance to secure a podium at Zandvoort was a positive surprise.

Ferrari wanted to make sure they didn’t lose too much ground to Red Bull in the constructors’ championship and limited that loss to just a solitary point. And now they look to increase the pressure.

‘5 storylines’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...cqvNtRGHPN2bP7


Williams make pitlane mistake in Monza with Colapinto's name
28 Aug 2024
Sandy van Wijngaarden
GPblog.com

This weekend at the Italian Grand Prix, Franco Colapinto will make his first appearance for the Williams team. His name is already hanging over the team's pit box, only there has been a mistake. On Tuesday, it was announced by Williams that Logan Sargeant will have to leave the team with immediate effect.

His replacement was announced simultaneously. F2 rookie Franco Colapinto will take over the wheel for the remaining races of this season. Next season, Carlos Sainz will race in that Williams seat.

Colapinto will thus have his first F1 seat this weekend at the Italian Grand Prix. With this comes the fact that his name hangs above the pit box. Now, only a clumsy mistake has been made. For his name is misspelled. It reads 'Franco Colopinto' instead of 'Franco Colapinto'.

‘Pitlane mistake: 'Franco Colopinto'!’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/29735...-in-italy.html


Sainz ‘hopeful’ Ferrari F1 Monza upgrades eradicate bouncing
28 Aug 2024
Dan Lawrence
Motorsport Week

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz is “hopeful” that the new upgrade package coming in time for the team’s home Grand Prix at Monza will eradicate its bouncing issues. With a new raft of upgrades, including a new floor coming in time for the Italian GP this weekend, Sainz is hoping the team has found a solution.

“I hope once we unlock or discover what is the actual thing that is generating this porpoising, which I feel like we’re a step behind in understanding that,” the Spaniard said at Zandvoort following the Dutch GP.

“Hopefully with this new floor or new upgrades that we’ll bring soon, these problems go away and we can just focus on adding downforce to the car.” Sainz rued that the team had to adjust its ride height at Zandvoort to mitigate its bouncing issues, which in the ground effect era of F1, means sacrificing raw pace.

‘Eradicate porpoising’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...cate-bouncing/


Monza resurfacing 'could have big impact on Italian GP'
28 Aug 2024
Andrew Lewin
F1i.com

New asphalt put down at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza could have a major effect on this weekend's Italian Grand Prix, according to tyre providers Pirelli in their pre-race analysis. "As is usually the case with newly laid asphalt, the surface is smoother than its predecessor and darker in colour," Pirelli pronounced. The darker surface also will pick up more heat from the sun and could reach highs of over 50C.

In theory the new surface should offer more grip, which will impact the temperature generated in the tyres and contribute to increased tyre degradation, which teams will have to account for with their race strategies.

Ideally teams will want to run a one-stop race because the time needed for a pit stop at Monza is one of the longest of the year, especially relative to the speeds the cars reach on track. However that might not be possible this year.

‘Increased tyre degradation’;

https://f1i.com/news/517531-monza-re...talian-gp.html


Verstappen and Norris in agreement over Italian GP 'unknown'
The two F1 title protagonists will go head-to-head once again this weekend at the Italian Grand Prix.
29 August 2024
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

Max Verstappen and Lando Norris are in agreement that the Italian Grand Prix will be an unknown in terms of how each team will perform.

At low downforce, high-speed tracks like Monza, both the MCL38 and RB20 have appeared strong, with Norris, who is looking to prevent a third straight Verstappen Monza win, keeping his cards close to his chest. "I have no idea. You ask us questions like we're meant to know. I've got no idea," Norris told media including RacingNews365 when asked if McLaren's Zandvoort pace would translate to Monza. "Anyone could be on top. Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull, us. Ferrari were quite quick [in the Dutch GP], we probably didn't expect them to be as good as they were.”

Verstappen, who was also asked for his thoughts as to how the Italian GP would play out, pointed to a key problem with the RB20. "We just need to figure out our balance issues. I think that will already help a lot also with [tyre] deg," he said. "Of course, in Monza, a lot is new. You know, Tarmac, kerbs, even the layout in Turn 1, 2. So also we need to understand that a bit more. But we know we have quite a bit of work to do."

‘Italian GP 'unknown'!’;

https://racingnews365.com/verstappen...ian-gp-unknown


Why the Italian Grand Prix is particularly tough for F1 cars
28 August 2024
Sandy van Wijngaarden
GPblog.com

This weekend, the Italian Grand Prix is on the programme. Besides the long history the track in Monza has, it is also a unique track. Brembo's technical team explain what is special about the fast track. Brembo is an Italian manufacturer specialising in high-performance braking systems. The company supplies the braking systems of several Formula 1 teams. The manufacturer rates the 5,973-metre track at Monza as one of the circuits that demands the most from the brakes.

Besides being tough on the brakes, the circuit is also tough on the drivers. On a scale of 1 to 5, the Monza circuit gets a five in terms of difficulty from Brembo. In the three chicanes, brake pedal pressure exceeds 140 kilograms. Delays in corners create at least 4.5 g. There are six braking points with a total braking time of just under eight seconds per lap

‘Circuit is also tough on the drivers’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/29722...rand-prix.html

[Fortitude]

Lando Norris and Sergio Perez disagree on F1 title fights as Red Bull driver makes big claim.
Lando Norris announced he will refuse to answer any more questions about his and McLaren‘s chance in either the drivers’ or constructors’ f1 title fights against Max Verstappen and Red Bull.
29 Aug 2024
Adam Dickinson
Total Motorsport

Lando Norris announced he will refuse to answer any more questions… “I don’t know. It’s not something you can just question now, and I think I answered it in every single interview I did last week,” Norris told members of the press, including Total-Motorsport.com at Monza. “So I’m not going to answer every single interview from now on.”

Sergio Perez believes Red Bull have found the problem that’s seen their lead over McLaren cut from a high of 115 points to just 30 ahead of the 2024 Italian Grand Prix where Norris arrives as favourite.

“There are many races to go still, so definitely the momentum is with them,” Perez said. “But we’re not sitting back. We as a team are working really hard to find the solutions, and I think there has been a really good step taken to understand the issue.”

‘Lando Norris announced he will refuse to answer’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/lan...ull-big-claim/


Perez hopeful about future: 'Now we understand what is wrong'
29 Aug 2024
Tygo Bekkema
GPblog.com

According to Perez, Red Bull finally know where the problems with the car are coming from. But despite this, the six-time Grand Prix winner also stresses that it will not be easy for Red Bull to hold off the McLarens. "Well, I think the biggest thing for us is that we understand now the issues with the car. We understand them. It's just a question of how quickly and what solutions we have to fix them. But we exactly know where we are with the car. We know what is the issue. And, yeah, hopefully in the coming weekends, even already for this one, we are able to make a lot of progress."

Perez expects an exciting battle, but he is confident of a good outcome. "Definitely the momentum is with them. But we're not sitting back. We, as a team, are working really hard to find the solutions. I think it has been a really good step taken to understand the issue. It has taken us probably a little bit too long. But we know our problems. It will just be a matter of maximising from now until the end of the year and see where we end up. But I have got every hope that we can bring some performance to the car in the coming races."

‘How quickly and what solutions we have to fix them’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/29753...ll-racing.html


Ferrari eyes Monza glory as Verstappen's dominance falters
29 Aug 2024
Malay Mail

Is Ferrari the team to beat? Ferrari have had a driver on pole position at each of the last two Monza GPs only to lose out both times to Verstappen on home soil. Charles Leclerc, whose second place behind Verstappen two years ago was particularly bitter as the Dutchman started the race seventh on the grid, won a brilliant battle with Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri for third at Zandvoort.

That finish, and Carlos Sainz battling back to fifth, gave some heart to downbeat Ferrari ahead of their home GP, where they will have similarly fanatical support to what Verstappen received in the Netherlands.

‘Ferrari eyes Monza glory’;

https://www.malaymail.com/news/sport...falters/148538


Drama in Monza already: F1 Safety car in the barrier after high-speed crash
29 Aug 2024
Editor-in-Chief: Matt Gretton
GPblog.com

The Formula 1 world is anticipating a dramatic weekend in Monza. The Italian Grand Prix is set to see McLaren and Red Bull go head-to-head again, while Mercedes and home favourites Ferrari also try to challenge for the victory. But there's already drama a day before the on-track action starts. The safety car has crashed.

During the high-speed track test, the safety car crashed at Parabolica. This is perhaps the most iconic corner at the Monza circuit and is the final corner before the start/finish straight. It is always a challenging part of the circuit for the Formula 1 drivers, but Bernd Mayländer had trouble with it on Thursday. The safety car appears to have spun off the track at high speed and run across the gravel. It hit the wall, and part of its bonnet went underneath the barrier.

It seems impossible to open the left side door. But there is good news: everyone got out of the car, and all involved are OK. GPblog has since learned the following information about the incident. "There was an on-track incident with the FIA Safety Car today at Monza. Aston Martin is investigating the cause but can confirm both driver and passenger are fine. There is an additional Safety Car at the circuit and it will not impact the weekend's event."

‘Part of its bonnet went underneath the barrier’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/29750...rand-prix.html


Fresh concern for Hamilton and Russell as Mercedes don't understand update
29 Aug 2024
Editor-in-Chief: Matt Gretton
GPblog.com

There is now fresh concern for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell as Mercedes admit they don't fully understand the latest upgrade applied. "You can take some straightforward measurements and say that the downforce it was supposed to deliver looked like it was there. So at one level, you could take comfort that it worked as expected. But a lot of the pace of the cars in this year, particularly, is down to how well they handle”

“So it's not just a question of ‘does your aero package deliver you downforce’, but is it delivering you the balanced car that you need through the corners? Is it delivering you the balanced car you need from high speed to low speed? And we definitely know that we didn't have a well-balanced car this weekend. That's where most of our pace went,"

‘Fresh concern’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/29745...or-update.html


Renault F1 staff on strike over Alpine engine decision with Italian GP protest planned
29 Aug 2024
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

An Italian Grand Prix protest and strike at the Renault Viry engine base has been announced in response to the F1 power unit withdrawal threat. Viry staff intend to take a stand, with Alpine Racing France employees preparing to protest on Friday, August 30 in a two-part action.

100 employees will attend the opening day of the Italian Grand Prix race weekend, where they will be split into two groups in grandstands N4 and N24, displaying a banner calling for the Renault engine to remain in Formula 1, with personnel to wear a white shirt sporting the Alpine logo and a ‘#ViryOnTrack’ message.

These staff will wear a black armband, as will personnel in the Alpine garage where possible, though it has been assured that it won’t affect the on-track running of the Alpine team. Meanwhile, most staff back at Viry will go on strike as a show of support for this movement.

‘Wear a black armband’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/renaul...lans-alpine-pu


Alpine employees to protest at Italian GP - report
Alpine employees based at Renault's Viry-Châtillon will go on strike or head down to Monza to protest the decision to end its F1 power unit operation at the Italian Grand Prix.
29 Aug 2024
RacingNews365

Around 100 staff will head to Monza, where they will be split into two groups and sent out with banners to contest the project that plans to transition Alpine into a power unit customer in F1. This is according to French publication L'Equipe, which has obtained a press release from the employees.

"Each group will display a banner with a clear and non-aggressive message, pleading the cause of maintaining a French engine in F1, all will be wearing a white T-shirt with the Alpine logo, the message #ViryOnTrack and a black armband," the statement says.

It adds: "No action will prevent track operations from taking place." That will come as some relief to the team and organisers of the Italian Grand Prix, but it shows the level of dissatisfaction with the decision by Renault.

‘Message #ViryOnTrack and a black armband’;

https://racingnews365.com/renault-em...est-and-strike


Alpine F1 staff strike during Italian GP in protest over plans to axe engine project
Renault plan to ditch their F1 engine operations which are based at Alpine's facility in Viry-Chatillon, France, which has angered staff to the point they have now taken industrial action
29 Aug 2024
Daniel Moxon
The Mirror

Last week, Viry staff warned that Renault's plans to abandon their engine projects, including the new power units in development for 2026 when new F1 technical rules come into force, were a "betrayal" and asked De Meo to change course. We do not understand what justifies killing this elite entity that is the Viry-Chatillon site and betraying its legend and its DNA by grafting a Mercedes heart into our F1 Alpine [car].

"The announcement of the end of the development and production of French power units for Formula 1 is incomprehensible. We cannot accept that Alpine and the Renault Group damage their images, which is why we ask Mr. De Meo and his board of directors to renounce this decision."

"Betrayal";

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...uring-33560268

[Fortitude]

F1 - 2024 Italian Grand Prix - Thursday Press Conference Transcript.
PART ONE – Sergio PÉREZ (Red Bull Racing), Alex ALBON (Williams), Lando NORRIS (McLaren)
PART TWO – Nico HÜLKENBERG (Haas), Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes), Charles LECLERC (Ferrari)
29 Aug 2024
FIA (Press Release)

Q: Lando, two wins. How were the celebrations on Sunday night? Was it as raucous as Miami? Lando NORRIS: Quite the opposite. No, I just went back home and had dinner and went to bed. So not very exciting at all. But it was, yeah, it's just a good feeling. And that's the most important thing.

Q: Checo, can we come to you now and get your thoughts on this battle between Red Bull and McLaren? Sergio PÉREZ: Well, I think what they've shown in Zandvoort was really, really strong. I think it's been the strongest performance we've seen from McLaren in a while. At the same time, I think we have every hope to believe that Zandvoort is probably a really bad track for us in regards to the wind, that we suffer more than others. We'll see. We come to a very different track and we expect them to be still the benchmark. Hopefully we can get closer and be in the mix in the race.

Q: Alex, welcome to you now. Zandvoort looked like a missed opportunity for you and Williams. How was the pace of the car in the race? Alex ALBON: I don't think we really were able to show anything. We were stuck behind cars in the first stint. We tried to box early and then got covered off by other cars. So then we were stuck again in the second stint and that was kind of our race. As you said, a missed opportunity. I felt like we could have scored points last week. Yeah, obviously something to review. We need to understand the processes that went on to be disqualified. Obviously it was very unintentional and the car was still good on Sunday with all the changes. So yeah, it's a bit frustrating to miss out.

‘Press Conference Transcript’;

https://www.fia.com/news/f1-2024-ita...nce-transcript


What time is the Italian Grand Prix? F1 race and qualifying schedule
Aug 29, 2024
The Race

ITALIAN GP SCHEDULE (LOCAL TIME)
Friday August 30
Practice 1: 1.30pm

Practice 2: 5pm
Saturday August 31
Practice 3: 12.30pm

Qualifying: 4pm
Sunday September 1
Italian Grand Prix: 3pm
ITALIAN GP SCHEDULE (UK TIME)
Friday August 30
Practice 1: 12.30pm 

Practice 2: 4pm
Saturday August 31
Practice 3: 11.30am
Qualifying: 3pm
Sunday September 1
Italian Grand Prix: 2pm

‘Race and qualifying schedule’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...ying-schedule/


Verstappen confirms latest Red Bull experiment
Red Bull will again try to crack its ongoing issues with its problematic RB20.
29 August 2024
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

In the wake of Verstappen finishing a third-of-a-second off the pace of McLaren's Lando Norris in qualifying, and 22.9s adrift at the end of the race - the largest margin of victory this year - Red Bull will again address its concerns around low-downforce Monza.

"The problem in Zandvoort, with the wind and the rain, it was very difficult to get a bit of a read [on the two different packages]," said Verstappen, speaking to media, including RacingNews365.

"It's a very different weekend now, and besides the stuff we want to try on the car, the track is quite different. We also need to keep track of that to make the right calls. We're trying a lot of stuff to try and improve the balance of the car."

‘Problematic RB20’;

https://racingnews365.com/verstappen...ull-experiment


Leclerc addresses Monza victory chances after Alonso prediction
Charles Leclerc and Ferrari enter the Italian Grand Prix looking to take a third consecutive podium - can it make the trip to the top step?
29 August 2024
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365

Having shown strong race form at the last two events, Leclerc asserted he is not letting it impact his forecast of the weekend ahead. “I don't let the last two races change our expectations,” Leclerc told media including RacingNews365. “We are in a difficult moment for the team, we are struggling a bit with pace at the moment.”

“I think we understood quite a few things since Zandvoort, especially on what happened on Saturday when our performance was quite far from ideal. But on the Sunday, it was a good race. In Spa, it was good as well. Here it should be a bit more in the direction of Spa, so hopefully we will be a bit more in the fight for the podium. However, for the win, I don't think we quite have that yet.”

‘Difficult moment for the team’;

https://racingnews365.com/leclerc-ad...nso-prediction


Ferrari bring radical upgrade to Italian GP
Ferrari is packing big for the Italian Grand Prix. The Scuderia has brought a major update, that might be dubbed a 'Monza special'
29 August 2024
Jake Nichol & Pepijn van der Hulst
RacingNews365

RacingNews365 understands that the upgrades Ferrari will be introducing in Monza can be considered exceptional, including a rear wing designed especially for the high speeds found at the track. This is an extraordinary decision for the team, given upgrade packages are designed to work over a variety of tracks and with the budget cap preventing teams from creating too many parts.

There are also limitations on wind tunnel and CFD testing time. There are suggestions that the rear wing could only be used at Monza, with the floor and rear beam wing also receiving upgrades to aid Leclerc and Sainz's push in front of the Tifosi, with the hope being that the team can improve its fortunes and close the gap to the cars ahead.

'Monza special';

https://racingnews365.com/ferrari-br...-to-italian-gp


Does Russell fear being pushed out for Verstappen? 'Entertaining to read'
29 August 2024
Editor: Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com

Mercedes are yet to fill their second seat up after Lewis Hamilton announced that he will leave the German team for Ferrari at the beginning of the 2025 season. Andrea Kimi Antonelli will drive in a free practice session, while the team have announced ahead of the Dutch GP that they will not sign Max Verstappen for the 2025. George Russell talked about his current situation and his contract with his team in Monza.

Russell himself is yet to know who will be his teammate in the upcoming season at Mercedes. The Briton's contract with the team runs until the end of the 2025 season. Following that Mercedes confirmed to GPblog that Verstappen will not join the team in 2025, Andrea Kimi Antonelli is rumoured to be Toto Wolff's choice for the upcoming season, although that has not been announced for now. Meanwhile, the Italian youngster will take part in FP1 at his home Grand Prix.

"It’s something we've not spoken about at all, to be honest. I've been with this team for so, so long. I'm managed by Mercedes. We've always said we will be continuing together for the indefinite future," the two-time Grand Prix winner began answering GPblog's question about his future at the team in Italy.

‘Toto Wolff's choice’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/29756...-mercedes.html


Franco Colapinto explains F1 call-up after Williams pull him out of F2 sim
Logan Sargeant’s replacement opens up on shock F1 promotion
29 Aug 2024
Lewis Duncan
Crash.Net

Speaking for the first time on his shock promotion, Colapinto told the media at Monza that he was as late as Monday in the simulator preparing for the F2 round when he got the call from Williams. “For you to imagine, Monday I was in the Formula 2 sim preparing for the race here in Monza with my team, so you can imagine how late it was,” he said.

“I don’t know when they were thinking about but it’s an opportunity that I feel ready for and waiting for for so so long. As a young kid I was always dreaming of this coming through and happening, so today to be here speaking to all of you, it’s a pleasure and I am extremely grateful we have got this opportunity.”

“It came very late, of course, but although I am ready I was not expecting it, to be honest. I cannot explain how happy I am to be here with Williams, they have been very supportive and the opportunity they have given me is insane.” Colapinto, who took part in FP1 at Silverstone for Williams, says there wasn’t any prior discussions about this opportunity and wasn’t something on his mind this year.

‘F1 call-up’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/105406...him-out-f2-sim

[Fortitude]

Italian Grand Prix FP1 results: Verstappen sets the early pace ahead of Leclerc and Norris.
With just five minutes to go, the Dutchman jumped up the standings to finish two-tenths clear of the heavily updated Ferrari of Leclerc in front of the Tifosi, with Norris right behind Leclerc in P3.
30 August 2024
Editor: Olly Darcy
GPblog.com

Max Verstappen topped the timing sheets in the first free practice session of the Italian Grand Prix, finishing ahead of Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris at Monza.

Behind the top three was Carlos Sainz in the other Ferrari, and Valtteri Bottas rounded out the top five with a fantastic session, sitting in P1 for the majority of FP1. Oscar Piastri, Lewis Hamilton, Alex Albon, Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso were the other drivers to make it into the top ten.

‘With just five minutes to go’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/29777...nd-norris.html


Italian GP: Free Practice 1 Results
30 August 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Full results from Free Practice 1 from the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

Pos Num Driver Team Laps Best Diff

1 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 17 1:21.676

2 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 22 1:21.904 0.228

3 4 Lando Norris McLaren 25 1:21.917 0.241

4 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 23 1:22.126 0.450

5 77 Valtteri Bottas Sauber 21 1:22.127 0.451

6 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 22 1:22.199 0.523

7 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 23 1:22.214 0.538

8 23 Alex Albon Williams 23 1:22.220 0.544

9 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 20 1:22.311 0.635

10 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 18 1:22.315 0.639

‘Full results’;

https://speedcafe.com/italian-gp-fre...ice-1-results/


Charles Leclerc sends Milan into a frenzy ahead of the Italian Grand Prix
30 August 2024
GQ

Crowds and crowds of exuberant young fans – each wearing or holding their own bit of Ferrari red – are desperate to catch a glimpse of the 26-year-old Monégasque idol, hopeful of having a cap, a T-shirt or even a body part signed. If the atmosphere doesn’t already translate the level of love in the air for Leclerc and Ferrari, the handwritten signs will.

One reads “Ferrari is our first and only love” with the numbers 16 and 55 (Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz’s car numbers) encircled by hearts. Another says “After all this time? Forza Ferrari, SEMPRE [heart emoji].” My favourite: “HOT girls support Charles Leclerc” with a red chilli in place of the “T”.

“Ferrari is our first and only love”;

https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/articl...interview-2024


New confidence for Ferrari heading into home race at Italian GP
Aug 30, 2024
TSN

New track, new colors and renewed confidence for Ferrari as the Formula One team heads into its home race at Monza. Ferrari did better than expected at last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc earning a second straight podium finish and teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. surging from 10th on the grid to place fifth.

Although it was a well-timed morale boost for a team which started 2024 fighting for wins but had dropped out of contention, Leclerc was quick to temper expectations. “I don’t let the last two races change our expectations,” he said. “We are in a difficult moment for the team. We are struggling a little bit with pace at the moment.”

‘New confidence for Ferrari’;

https://www.tsn.ca/auto-racing/new-t...n-gp-1.2167428


Toto Wolff's five-word message to Kimi Antonelli after 45G crash on Italian GP debut
After his first Formula 1 session was hyped up, teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli crashed on just his second flying lap around Monza as he pushed to impress in George Russell's car. Toto Wolff grimaces as he watched Andrea Kimi Antonelli crash at Monza.
• 30 Aug 2024
Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror

Pit lane reporter Ted Kravitz describing what was going on and making a significant comparison. He said: "I've been working in this pit lane for 23 years and I've seldom seen attention like Kimi Antonelli is getting at the front of this garage.

"It was three deep with photographers at the front of the garage. I haven't seen attention on a driver like this since the Michael Schumacher days - I promise you, it's that much. Bearing in mind you've got Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, the stars of Ferrari, you've got Lewis Hamilton in the next garage for heaven's sake!

Antonelli lost control and span into a barrier. Immediately, he jumped onto the radio to apologies for the team, prompting a response from team principal Wolff. The Austrian's voice was very calm as he simply replied: "All good, Kimi, all good." TV cameras showed Wolff grimacing at images of the crash on the monitor in front of him, which was registered at 45G.

"All good, Kimi, all good";

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...wolff-33568723


Italian Grand Prix: F1 Free Practice 1 Results
What happened as the first F1 session of the weekend went ahead?
August 30, 2024
Lena Ferle
FormulaNerds

The first F1 laps of the Italian Grand Prix weekend. Verstappen showed the Red Bull’s continuous problems in the first laps, having to take the emergency exit out of turn one twice. Both Ferraris also seemed to be struggling.

The mistake came after Kimi Antonelli had set the first good lap times. The young driver attempted to make the turn into Parabolica but experienced a sudden snap mid-corner, causing him to lose control. The car’s rear slid out, sending him through the gravel trap and into the barriers, where he knocked off the front wing in the process.

After the red flag. With a little more than 30 minutes left on the clock, the cars got out to the track again. Verstappen took the top spot with a time of 1m 23.088s, while Sainz moved into second place. The Dutch driver is feeling the heat this weekend, as he hasn’t secured a Grand Prix victory since the race in Spain in June.

‘What happened’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/it.../?nowprocket=1


Alpine F1 engineers protest in Monza: 'It's not easy'
August 30, 2024
Editor: Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com

While it was announced at the Belgian GP that Alpine will stop running with a Renault engine, many workers learned that moment what will happen regarding their work at the Viry factory. Ahead of the Italian GP, driver Pierre Gasly reacted to the recent protest from the French factory.

"Well, the way I look at it is I have absolutely no power or control over that situation. It's a team and top management topic, so from this point of view I'm focusing on my race and the best thing I can do to every employee of the team is perform the best way I can on the track, to give them the rewards of all the hard work that every single employee is doing. That's my role in the team and that's what I'll focus on," the team's driver, Gasly reacted to GPblog among others in Monza.

The Frenchman hopes however that the situation can be resolved soon. "I understand all parties. It's not as easy as we can talk about it. Nothing of my control, and as I said, at the end of the day, hopefully everyone will come out of it with a good option," the driver who won his one Grand Prix in Monza concluded. Gasly has a contract signed with the team, and will team up with Jack Doohan next season at Alpine.

‘Alpine F1 engineers protest’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/29774...talian-gp.html

[Fortitude]

Lewis Hamilton edges Lando Norris by finest of margins in Italian GP FP2 after Magnussen shunt causes red flag.
Lewis Hamilton led the way by a few thousandths of a second ahead of Lando Norris in FP2 at the 2024 Italian GP.
30 August 2024
Adam Dickinson
Total Motorsport

Lewis Hamilton was just 0.003 seconds ahead of Lando Norris in a tight FP2 at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix while Kevin Magnussen caused a second significant stoppage of the day. Parabolica issues continued after FP1 with plenty of drivers including Verstappen running wide, but it was at the Lesmos that Magnussen produced the session’s only red flag in Monza.

He pushed too hard entering turn seven and Magnussen kicked up a massive dust cloud as he completed a full spin over the gravel before hitting the tyre barrier with the left side of his Haas, able to walk away from the incident. Carlos Sainz, Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc underlined Ferrari and McLaren‘s competitiveness in the top five, while FP1 leader Max Verstappen was down in 14th just ahead of Sergio Perez.

‘Lewis Hamilton led the way’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/lew...ssen-red-flag/


Italian GP: Free Practice 2 Results
31 August 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Full results from Free Practice 2 from the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

Pos Num Driver Team Laps Best Diff

1 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 23 1:20.738

2 4 Lando Norris McLaren 22 1:20.741 0.003

3 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 26 1:20.841 0.103

4 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 22 1:20.858 0.120

5 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 25 1:20.892 0.154

6 63 George Russell Mercedes 18 1:21.086 0.348

7 27 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 24 1:21.140 0.402

8 3 Daniel Ricciardo RB 22 1:21.300 0.562

9 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 22 1:21.316 0.578

10 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 25 1:21.363 0.625

‘Full results’;

https://speedcafe.com/italian-gp-fre...ice-2-results/


Red Bull have “identified the issues” but tipped to be behind McLaren at Italian GP
"I would imagine they will be a little bit behind McLaren but not much."
30 Aug 2024
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net

Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft believes Red Bull will remain behind McLaren despite progress being made by the reigning world champions at the Italian Grand Prix. The timesheets didn’t look too good for Red Bull though in second practice, with Max Verstappen failing to set a quick lap on the softs.

“I still think whilst they’ve understood the problems they’ve been suffering from they’re still fine-tuning it to try and find performance now they’ve identified the issues,” Croft said. “I would imagine they will be a little bit behind McLaren but not much. Whether they’re ahead of Ferrari, I am still not quite sure.”

“Identified the issues”;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/105420...ren-italian-gp


Laptimes suggest Mercedes and Ferrari could be an Italian GP threat
Aug 30, 2024
Ben Anderson
The Race

Barely more than a tenth and a half covered the top five fastest Formula 1 cars in second practice for the 2024 Italian Grand Prix, but no Red Bull featured in that picture thanks to the odd circumstances of FP2 at Monza.

Max Verstappen aborted his first attempt at a qualifying simulation on the soft C5 compound Pirellis at Monza and was prevented from trying again by Kevin Magnussen’s heavy crash at the second Lesmo. That shunt curtailed running in the middle part of the session and forced most of the field to use the remaining 15 minutes for race runs.

Delays in the garage for George Russell and Sergio Perez at the start of the session - Russell while repairs were finished following Kimi Antonelli’s FP1 crash and Perez while Red Bull completed a precautionary gearbox change - meant those two were missing from the early medium tyre runs and also out of sync with their qualifying simulations.

‘Italian GP threat’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/l...ian-gp-threat/


Italian Grand Prix: F1 Free Practice 2 Results
August 30, 2024
Nathan Hartley
FormulaNerds

The green flag was waving again with a third of the session to go. Russell was raring to get out to get as much track time as possible. The Briton wnet round the outside of Perez at Curva Grande. The Mercedes driver opted to do some high fuel runs on the medium tyre.

Russell went for a soft tyre run late on in the session, setting a time good enough for sixth and three-and-a-half tenths off Hamilton. Hamilton ended the session quickest by 0.003 seconds from Norris and a further tenth ahead of Sainz. The top five finished all separated by only a tenth-and-a-half.

FP2 has been a tricky session for Red Bull. Verstappen ended the session in 13th, struggling with snaps of oversteer and lock-ups. Perez ended the session a position behind the Dutchman in 14th.

‘Green flag was waving again’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/it.../?nowprocket=1


Piastri pleased with pace and potential in Monza
Solid early pace left Oscar Piastri optimistic heading towards qualifying and Sunday's Italian Grand Prix.
31 August 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Oscar Piastri was left in positive mood following the opening day of running at the Italian Grand Prix. “I would say pretty good,” he said of his Friday. “Some things to tidy up definitely, but I think the pace and potential is definitely there, so leaving pretty happy.”

“The tyres have been an interesting point today for everybody, so it will be interesting to see what that's like throughout the rest of the weekend. Monza's a little bit different now with some of the changes they've made with the kerbs and the resurfacing and stuff, so taking a little bit to get used to that, but pretty solid Friday.”

‘Piastri pleased’;

https://speedcafe.com/piastri-please...tial-in-monza/


Toto Wolff lifts lid on Kimi Antonelli chat after nightmare Italian Grand Prix crash
Toto Wolff has offered an insight into his conversation with a devastated Kimi Antonelli after FP1 in Monza.
Aug 30, 2024
Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express

Toto Wolff has revealed that he told Kimi Antonelli the same message before the session and after his FP1 crash, downplaying the impact of the 18-year-old’s shunt at the Parabolica corner. Offering a peek behind the curtain at his chat with Antonelli, Wolff said: “He apologised first of all, and I think this is what you need to do when you bring a car back that looks a little bit like a Lego box [that has] fallen on the floor.”

“But [he] also said that he felt so much confidence in the car, the car was good and I guess he was just bitten. Everybody suffered from loss of temperature, especially rear temperature out of Ascari with these kinds of speed, and that’s why the rear went, the way it slipped out.”

Touching on his message from behind the session, Wolff added: “I told him to enjoy it. I think he has a lot of natural ability but he must not forget that this is the best job in the world. I said to him also to take the pressure off – we live in our microbubble here, nobody’s interested in FP1 anyway. Whatever happens, happens, and just get on with things. And I told him the same after the session.”

‘Toto Wolff lifts lid’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ian-Grand-Prix


FYI: Due to other commitments, the FP3 and Qualification Results, will be posted late Saturday, early Sunday.

[Fortitude]

Lewis Hamilton heads Mercedes 1-2 in final Italian GP practice.
Lewis Hamilton pips George Russell as Mercedes show impressive pace in final practice.
31 Aug 2024
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

Lewis Hamilton picked up where he left off on Friday by setting the pace in final practice at the F1 Italian Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion, who also produced the fastest time in FP2, pipped teammate George Russell by just 0.093 seconds to head a Mercedes 1-2 on what has been a hugely positive start to the Monza weekend for the Silver Arrows.

Mercedes’ late turn of pace came after Charles Leclerc, who ended up third-quickest and 0.109s behind Hamilton, had spearheaded a Ferrari stranglehold at the top of the timesheet to delight the tifosi.

The McLaren’s of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris finished fourth and fifth, while reigning world champion Max Verstappen was unhappy with the balance of his Red Bull as he posted the sixth-fastest time, 0.251s adrift of his 2021 title rival.

‘Mercedes 1-2’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/105430...an-gp-practice


Italian GP: Free Practice 3 Results
31 August 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Full results from Free Practice 3 from the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

Pos Num Driver Team Laps Best Diff

1 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 19 1:20.117

2 63 George Russell Mercedes 23 1:20.210 0.093

3 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 21 1:20.226 0.109

4 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 14 1:20.252 0.135

5 4 Lando Norris McLaren 14 1:20.262 0.145

6 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 23 1:20.368 0.251

7 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 19 1:20.463 0.346

8 23 Alex Albon Williams 14 1:20.596 0.479

9 43 Franco Colapinto Williams 15 1:20.905 0.788

10 27 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 17 1:20.943 0.826

‘Full results’;

https://speedcafe.com/italian-gp-fre...ice-3-results/


Italian Grand Prix: F1 Free Practice 3 Results
August 31, 2024
Hannah May
FormulaNerds

At their home race, the Ferrari drivers were out on track in front of the Tifosi. Leclerc’s time was good enough for P10, but on his next hot lap reached P4. His teammate, Sainz was in P8.
Halfway point: As the drivers reached the halfway point of Free Practice 3 at the Temple of Speed, the top 10 were Leclerc, Russell, Sainz, Hamilton, Norris, Piastri, Verstappen, Albon, Nico Hulkenberg, and Perez.

With just under 30 minutes remaining, Albon put in a lap time of 1:20.596 on the soft compound tyres, putting himself on top. Meanwhile, Piastri went slightly wide into the gravel, kicking up dust. Later, Verstappen had a similar moment in the same place.

Closing stages: With 15 minutes remaining of FP3, Leclerc beat his teammate’s time with a 1:20.226. Rookie Colapinto was in P8 in the Williams. Norris was out and set a purple Sector 2, completing his lap with a 1:20.262 time splitting the Ferraris. Verstappen’s lap put him in P6 and complained that his car was not turning in properly. Meanwhile, his teammate, Perez struggled with a lack of grip in P15. He cut the corner and went off at the Variante della Roggia chicane.

‘Free Practice 3 Results’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/it.../?nowprocket=1


FP3 Highlights: 2024 Italian Grand Prix
August 31, 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Watch highlights from third practice ahead of the 2024 Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix.

‘FP3 Highlights’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/fp...06976118115731


Max sixth in final free practice in Monza
31 August 2024
Florence Cobben
Verstappen.nl

Max Verstappen, driving his Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20, finished sixth in the final free practice of the Monza Grand Prix. At 31 degrees Monza is red hot. 15 minutes after the start of the session, Max drives onto the track on a set of mediums and sets a 1:20.950 lap time, a lap only surpassed by Oscar Piastri on softs.

Moments later Lando Norris goes to P1 on soft tyres (1:20.787), but quickly has to hand the covetted positionover to Carlos Sainz (1:20.742).

Max, demoted in the meantime to P7, returns to the track on mediums and attempts a long run. Alex Albon drives his Williams on softs to P1 (1:20.596), before passing the torch to both Ferraris. After 11 laps, Max returns to the pits.

‘Sixth’;

https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5577/


Italian GP: Red Bull’s trouble continue as Lewis Hamilton sets the pace in FP3
31 Aug 2024
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Red Bull’s troubles continued in Saturday’s practice at Monza where Max Verstappen was only sixth fastest in a session in which Lewis Hamilton led a Mercedes 1-2. Sergio Perez made it a Red Bull 1-2 as the team, having experimented with the set-up of the RB20 on Friday, looked to rebound from Friday’s lowly positions where they were outside the top ten.

Red Bull’s reign, though, didn’t last long with McLaren and Mercedes coming to the fore with Oscar Piastri P1 after the first quarter of the session. With lower flatter kerbs in use this weekend after the circuit was revamped, Hamilton chose an interesting line but took a bit too much of the green kerb and went airborne.

Bolting on a new set of soft tyres after final set-up changes were made, Hamilton went quickest ahead of Russell with a 1:20.117, putting him 0.093s up on his team-mate. Leclerc was third. Verstappen, who finished P6 as he kicked up dirt on his final flying lap, reported his car didn’t want to turn in in “low speed” or “medium” corners. As for Sergio Perez, he finished P18.

‘Red Bull’s trouble continue’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/italia...024-fp3-report

[Fortitude]

Norris excels to get pole for Italian GP as Verstappen has a disaster in P7.
Lando Norris has qualified on pole position as he continues to make a pursuit on Max Verstappen. This time, it's even better news for the McLaren driver as his teammate Oscar Piastri, both Mercedes drivers and both Ferrari drivers separate himself and the Dutchman.
31 August 2024
Editor-in-Chief: Matt Gretton
GPblog.com

After the first run in Q3, McLaren drivers sat at the top of the timesheet, followed by both Mercedes, both Ferrari and both Red Bull. Perez managed to do a quicker lap than Verstappen, who claimed he had "no grip" at all on the new set of tyres. Red Bull Racing decided to get out of garage first for the second run in Q3. Verstappen managed to move ahead of Perez, but could only go as high as 7th.

‘Norris excels’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/29817...n-seventh.html


Italian GP: Qualifying Results
1 September 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Full results from Qualifying from the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

Pos Num Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Diff

1 4 Lando Norris McLaren 1:19.911 1:19.727 1:19.327

2 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:20.076 1:19.808 1:19.436 0.109

3 63 George Russell Mercedes 1:20.169 1:19.877 1:19.440 0.113

4 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:20.074 1:20.007 1:19.461 0.134

5 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:20.149 1:19.799 1:19.467 0.140

6 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:20.477 1:19.641 1:19.513 0.186

7 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1:20.226 1:19.662 1:20.022 0.695

8 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 1:20.598 1:20.216 1:20.062 0.735

9 23 Alex Albon Williams 1:20.542 1:20.314 1:20.299 0.972

10 27 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 1:20.781 1:20.411 1:20.339 1.012

‘Full results’;

https://speedcafe.com/italian-gp-qualifying-results/


Italian Grand Prix: F1 Qualifying Results
31 Aug 2024
Morgan Holiday
FormulaNerds

The final session in Monza saw both Red Bulls, both Mercedes, both Ferraris, and both McLarens get a chance at pole, as well as the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg and the Williams of Alex Albon.

The McLarens pulled out a strong performance early on, Norris setting a 1:19.401 to take provisional pole on his first lap, with Piastri close behind. Russell and Hamilton slotted into fourth and fifth respectively, with Sainz and Leclerc following them and Perez and Verstappen next.

So McLaren, Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull lined up neatly in that order after their first set of laps, Hulkenberg ahead of Albon to complete the top ten.

‘Qualifying Results’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/it.../?nowprocket=1


Norris knows he must “make the most” of chance to slash Verstappen’s points lead
31st August 2024
Will Wood
RaceFans

It would have seemed unfathomable just a few months ago but it is true – McLaren could leave Monza on Sunday with the lead of the constructors’ championship. But regardless of how strong McLaren are in race pace, Norris expects Verstappen will have stronger pace in the race than in qualifying. Even so, he knows he has a “good opportunity” to make substantial gains on his rival’s 70-point lead in the drivers’ championship.

“I expect him to come through and probably be behind us quite quickly,” Norris said. “Their race pace looked very strong on Friday. They were on the better side of the graining and the degradation, so I expect them to probably be a bit more hopeful tomorrow. “

“For some reason, they just didn’t seem to take those steps forward through qualifying. He still seemed quick – in Q2 he was right there and ended up quicker than me, even on a used tyre. And even his gap to Perez wasn’t as big as what it normally is. So I don’t know if he just struggled more with something or just didn’t put good enough laps in, but it’ll be for a reason, I’m sure. And we need to try and make the most of that.”

‘Make the most of chance’;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/08/31/...s-points-lead/


'Could've been pole': Lewis Hamilton ‘absolutely furious’ after Italian GP qualifying error
31 August 2024
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer

Lewis Hamilton was left ‘absolutely furious’ after making an error in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix which cost him a potential front-row start. The Mercedes driver lines up sixth on the grid alongside Carlos Sainz, having set a lap that was 0.186s off the pole lap of Lando Norris.

The seven-time world champion had shown pace in the third practice session when he set the fastest time and was around a tenth and a half quicker than Oscar Piastri. Hamilton explained that he made a mistake at the beginning of his final timed lap in Q3, which set him on course for a disappointing result.

“I am furious, absolutely furious. I could have been on pole, at least on the front row. I just didn’t do the job. I lost a tenth and a half into Turn 1, and then a tenth in the last corner. No one to blame by myself,” said Hamilton. Hamilton believes qualifying has been somewhat of a weakness this season, despite Mercedes appearing to finally extract pace from their W15.

“I am furious, absolutely furious”;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lew...lifying-error/


Christian Horner and Max Verstappen comments say it all after Italian Grand Prix disaster
Red Bull endured a miserable qualifying session at the Italian Grand Prix as their troubles continued.
Aug 31, 2024
Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express

Assessing a difficult qualifying for his team, Horner told Sky Sports F1: "The balance just isn't there, you can hear from Max's comments. Something is there fundamentally happening that we are not on top of. Q2 didn't look took too bad but in Q3 we were miles away. We are looking at everything. We ran older spec last week to see if that redressed the issues but the reality was we still had the same handling characteristics and issues.”

"We need to address it quickly as McLaren have made a significant step over the last few races and we are now behind Ferrari and Mercedes as well. Something is clearly not working on the car. There will be an engineering solution to an engineering problem."

Verstappen was equally frustrated. "The car is very difficult to drive and find a good balance," he complained. "If you have one issue and try to fix that, then there is another issue. It's not every driveable, let's put it like that. Q2 was not too bad Q3 felt very bad again - I had a lot of understeer on both tyres.

‘Miserable qualifying session’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ian-Grand-Prix

[Fortitude]

Formula 1: McLaren’s Norris sets up chance to chop Verstappen's 70-point lead with Italian GP pole.
Lando Norris gave himself a great chance to further cut Max Verstappen’s Formula One championship lead by taking pole position for the Italian Grand Prix yesterday.
1st Sept 2024
Malay Mail

A dominant display from Norris and Piastri is great news for McLaren who are only 30 points behind Red Bull in the constructors’ championship. “I think for us to come away with a 1-2, to come away with another pole, was probably not quite what we were expecting. But in a good way, of course,” Norris told reporters.

“For sure it’s a good opportunity (to cut Verstappen’s leader). I mean I expect him to come through and probably be behind us quite quickly... I expect them to probably be a bit more hopeful tomorrow,” said Norris of Verstappen. “He still seemed quick, like in Q2 he is right there and ended up quicker than me even on a used tyre.”

‘Chop Verstappen's 70-point lead’;

https://www.malaymail.com/news/sport...gp-pole/148869


Italian Grand Prix: Lando Norris takes pole, Oscar Piastri second as Max Verstappen struggles
31 Aug 2024
Michael Doyle
ABC Online

Norris was blistering on Saturday at Monza while drivers' championship leader Max Verstappen struggled to qualify down in seventh. Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez was just eighth fastest, meaning the world champion's lead in the constructors' championship — which is a narrow 30 points over McLaren — is under serious threat.

Norris took pole with a lap which he was not pleased with, while Piastri claimed second with a lap set on his first run in Q3. "First lap in Q3 was good, the second one was not quite enough. Amazing effort from the team to pull off [the lock out]," Piastri said after qualifying.

With a front row start, Piastri will be eyeing off a shot at his second win of the season. "Starting a bit further up than last week is a positive to myself, it's a long run to turn one so starting second isn't a bad thing."

‘Pole';

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-...cond/104295522


Will McLaren Use Team Orders? - F1 Italian GP Qualifying Debrief
31 Aug 2024
Motorsport.com

Alex Kalinauckas and Mark Mann-Bryans break down all the action from Saturday at the Italian GP, including McLaren's front-row qualifying lockout, Red Bull's ongoing struggles, Lewis Hamilton's brutal honesty as Kimi Antonelli is confirmed to drive for Mercedes in 2025; and what strategies could come into play for Sunday's race.

0:00 McLaren's one-two
2:09 Can Lando catch Max?
3:05 Red Bull's woes
4:28 Strategies options for the race
7:29 Mercedes' qualifying

‘Team Orders?’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/video/...ebrief/654413/


Lando Norris Pinpoints Key Reasons Behind Italian Grand Prix Pole
31 Aug 2024
Ed Spencer
autoevolution

Lando Norris believes set-up changes between the final practice session and Qualifying helped him take pole position for Sunday's Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

"Like everyone's seen, it's been the closest build-up in FP1, FP2, FP3, I think we just looked as good as the others, nothing more, nothing less," explained Norris in Saturday's post-qualifying FIA press conference. "So yeah, I just expected a tough qualifying, and it was for sure, but I think for us to come away with a 1-2 and another pole was not quite what we were expecting, but in a good way, of course.”

"A good qualifying, I wouldn't say the cleanest, just difficult to put laps together around here with the margins, so small you try and go for everything, but you can also pay a price, so risk-reward in a lot of corners. But I think the risk that we had held through, the set-up changes we made into Qualifying, seemed to have made a good amount of progress, and we looked very quick.”

‘Key Reasons’;

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/l...le-239209.html


“Smaller steps” key to progress as McLaren set pace for fourth race running
31 Aug 2024
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Last year Norris said part of the reason Red Bull had become so dominant was because they had such a good car they were able to focus on extracting the best from small details. Now Red Bull have taken a mis-step... ...and McLaren are able to focus on these decisive details.

“We’ve definitely been taking some smaller steps forward,” he said after taking pole position today. “But some of the upgrades we had have been track-specific. The rear wing that we had which was the main part of the upgrade last weekend, we don’t have it again here. So it’s not like what worked perfectly well there, works here. So we had that, but we also had the rear wing again this weekend. So specific things, but it’s not like it revolutionised the car or made the car feel like it’s a lot better. It’s just a bit more efficient.”

“It’s smaller things, but those smaller things really make big differences in the end. If you have one or two smaller snaps [of oversteer] over a single lap, you can gain half a tenth, one tenth quite quickly because the tyres are in a better condition, the temperature’s less, and things like that. They’ve definitely helped.”

“Smaller steps”;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/08/31/...-race-running/


Mercedes understand Zandvoort set-up error after Monza rebound – Russell
1 Sept 2024
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Mercedes understand where they went wrong with their car’s set-up last weekend, says George Russell, after the team’s better showing in qualifying yesterday. “In this sport it runs away from you really, really quickly if you’re just on the wrong side of that sweet spot and that’s absolutely what we found in Zandvoort. As painful as it is, it’s important sometimes to have those disappointing weekends. There’s no guarantees for [the race]. We weren’t a million miles away in qualifying in Zandvoort, but I am confident we’ll be more in the mix and try and keep up with these [McLaren] guys.”

Russell said he was finding time with his car throughout Saturday’s running after sitting out first practice on Friday while Andrea Kimi Antonelli drove his car. Antonelli crashed heavily during the session, and repair work delayed Russell’s start to second practice. “It was a very up and down weekend,” said Russell. “Obviously I missed a lot yesterday, which put me really on the back foot.”

“I had to make a lot of changes from FP3 into qualifying because that was really my first proper session out on track. And Q1 and Q2 was really, really messy. I wasn’t confident, didn’t feel good in the car and just sort of scraped through the session. Then suddenly I managed to get it in the sweet spot for Q3. Both my laps, I think I was third or fourth, and obviously ended up third."

‘Set-up error’;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/09/01/...bound-russell/


'Ridiculous' - Why Hamilton's latest F1 qualifying defeat hit so hard
Aug 31, 2024
Samarth Kanal
The Race

Hamilton doesn’t often hide his emotions after a session; it’s easy to gauge from the tone of his voice and his body language whether he’s elated or deflated by his performance - but he was even more honest about his qualifying shortcomings at Monza.

“I just didn’t extract the maximum. Turn 1 and 2, I lost a tenth and a half to my previous Q2 lap and then I lost another tenth in Turn 11, apex speed, so it was just absolutely ridiculous from my side," he said. “Completely unacceptable. And it’s totally me. Nothing else. Nobody else."

While Hamilton wasn’t in the chase for pole position he might have been able to join Russell on the second row and outqualify the Ferraris. Instead Hamilton will start sixth, on the third row, alongside Carlos Sainz. “I wasn’t expecting more, but I was expecting to do a better job than I did.”

'Ridiculous';

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/l...so-hard-monza/


Mercedes hint at key opportunity for Lewis Hamilton in today’s F1 Italian GP
Important factor pinpointed by Mercedes to give Lewis Hamilton hope
01 Sep 2024
James Dielhenn
Crash.Net

Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director, said: "We knew it was going to be tight at the front [in qualifying]. “It was therefore not unexpected that the field was so close at the end of Q3. Ferrari managed to get both of their cars into the 0.073s gap that was between Lewis and George. McLaren meanwhile have been quick at every track we’ve visited recently so it was no surprise to find that we couldn't quite match them.”

“That is both frustrating and encouraging. The gap to P1 was just over one tenth of a second and pole position was within touching distance for both our drivers. George is well placed lining up in P3. Our starts have been good recently and it's a long run to turn one. If we can get between the McLarens off the line, that will help our chances of a strong afternoon.”

“Lewis has a bit of work to do starting from behind the Ferraris, but the degradation here looks set to be high. There could be plenty of opportunity to get into the fight at the front if that is the case. As we know, he is one of the best at tyre management so we can be excited as to what [Sunday] may bring."

‘Key opportunity’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/105437...-f1-italian-gp

[Fortitude]

Ferrari drivers left frustrated by understeery SF24 in Monza qualifying.
Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz looked strong and competitive all weekend long, but they have already suggested after Friday’s practice sessions that the heavily-upgraded SF-24 needed to be fine-tuned ahead of qualifying.
1 Sep 2024
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

Asked to reflect on his qualifying day at Ferrari’s home turf, Leclerc said: “Disappointed. Yesterday it seemed like it was a positive day, today quite a bit less. P4 was the best we could do, but [it’s] frustrating. I don’t like fighting for these kinds of positions. We are very close to first place, on the contrary of last weekend which is a good step forward. However, it’s not enough, so I really hope that tomorrow we can turn the situation around.”

“I mean, [in Turns] 1, 2, 4, 5 I’ve had so much understeer all weekend, so it’s not like it got worse,” the 26-year-old explained. “But it was just the same and I believe that the others maybe did a step forward that we didn’t do today, and that’s where we paid the price of being on pole or P4.”

‘Ferrari drivers left frustrated’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/25387


Leclerc reveals how Ferrari can compete for the victory: 'Need to do this'
31 August 2024
Nicole Mulder
F1 Blog

Charles Leclerc made rare critical comments on his radio during qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix. Leclerc is certain it will be a close race. "I want to look forward, not backwards," reads Leclerc's clear answer to a question from GPblog. "There are quite a lot of guys that are super quick and that I would have expected to be in front of us today. But at the same time, I think we can have a good race. There weren't too many differences of pace, apart from Lewis, that did a really strong race pace in FP2," says Leclerc, who is expecting the top teams to all be on a similar level in the race.

How can Ferrari fight for the victory tomorrow? When asked what it would take to fight for victory, the Monegasque replied, "A good start and then try and use that DRS to try and stay within the McLaren, which we expect to be very, very strong. And then it will be a tyre management race. Everybody, I think, as I said, has a very similar pace. Apart from any surprises tomorrow, I think we are all pretty similar. However, we've got to do a good job time management-wise because this is what will make the difference tomorrow."

'Need to do this';

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/29834...ualifying.html


Sainz “thought I was on for pole” before cloud cover spoiled lap
SEPT 1, 2024
Adam Cooper's F1 Blog

Sainz thought he was heading for pole at one stage. Carlos Sainz thought he was heading for pole position at Monza before understeer at the Lesmos and the Parabolica spoiled his final lap. “There was just a small moment in the first lap, just bottoming out in a kerb,” he said when asked by this writer about his session. “But from there on, I felt I was flat out in a good place with the car. I did some strong laps in Q2, then in Q3 this cloud started to arrive. The temperature started to drop, the grip was a lot higher. That’s why you saw us going a lot quicker in Q3.”

“But unfortunately in our car, it just induced a lot of understeering in the two Lesmos and Parabolica, and it meant that we couldn’t get the car turned. I did a good purple sector one in that last lap, which I thought I was on for pole. But then even if we added a lot of balance, a lot of flap to the car in the last run, still the Lesmos and the Parabolica gave me big understeer, and I couldn’t get the car turned, and the lap didn’t quite click.”

“Thought I was on for pole”;

https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/09/01/...r-spoiled-lap/


Leclerc frustrated by understeer as Ferrari updates “not enough”
Sept 1, 2024
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports

Charles Leclerc limited by persistent SF-24 weakness. Leclerc plagued by understeer. Speaking after yesterday’s qualifying, the Ferrari driver explained that understeer plagued him throughout the session: “Yeah, disappointed. Yesterday, it seemed like it was a positive day, today quite a bit less. P4 was the best we could do, but frustrating. I don’t like fighting for these kinds of positions."

"We are very close to first place, on the contrary of last weekend, which is a good step forward. However, it’s not enough. So I really hope that tomorrow we can turn the situation around. I mean, [in turns] 1, 2, 4, 5, I’ve had so much understeer all weekend… That’s where we paid the price.”

“Not enough”;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...es-not-enough/


Christian Horner’s reported Zoom call ‘with the entire top’ amid Red Bull’s troubles
1 Sep 2024
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Christian Horner reportedly scheduled a Zoom call with the “entire top” of Red Bull’s engineering and design departments in light of the team’s shattered advantage on the track.

Max Verstappen told the media including PlanetF1.com: “For whatever reason in Q3 I picked up a lot of understeer on both tyre sets, and this is something that I don’t understand at the moment. “It was just not driveable in any corner, so that’s something that is very weird.” This isn’t the first time the reigning World Champion has complained about his RB20 with Verstappen notably frustrated with Red Bull’s “not good enough” upgrades in Hungary.

Doornbos claims such are the concerns, team boss Horner held a Zoom meeting with the “entire top” of Red Bull’s engineering and design departments. “You see that when the car performs less, the gap between Max and Perez becomes smaller. That’s crazy,” Doornbos told Ziggo Sport. “That indicates that there is no balance, and the car no longer listens to its talent. It wants more bite at the front, but those engineers have to do that.”

‘Zoom call with the “entire top” of Red Bull’s engineering and design departments in light of the team’s shattered advantage’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/christ...-bull-troubles


Marko demands Red Bull investigate 'serious situation' after woeful qualifying
Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko wants Red Bull to identify where it "took the wrong turn" in the F1 development race after being out-qualified by McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari at Monza.
31 Aug 2024
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365

"We have to find the moment when we took the wrong turn," Marko told Sky Sports Germany after the grid-setting session. Then you have to look at Miami, because at that time we were still dominant. The races Max [Verstappen] won after that, he won because of his qualities. But with the complexity of these cars, it becomes very difficult," the 81-year-old added.

"Thank God we have some time towards the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, because now it was practically impossible to implement anything. But the situation is starting to get serious."

‘Where it "took the wrong turn" in the F1 development race’;

https://racingnews365.com/marko-dema...ful-qualifying


Red Bull make Newey confession after alarming loss of form
Dr Helmut Marko has claimed Adrian Newey could have helped the difficult situation Red Bull finds itself in with the performance of the RB20 falling behind the McLaren MCL38.
1 Sept 2024
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365

Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko has said that outgoing chief technical officer Adrian Newey's "experience and knowledge" could have helped stem the tide of McLaren's surge to dominance in F1. Marko does not, however, believe Newey's departure - which was announced in the run-up to the round in Florida - is the root of the issues Red Bull is now facing.

He highlighted the "broad base" the team has to draw from. Although, he did not rule it out as having an impact on some level. "Newey is no longer fully involved in the process," the Austrian told Sky Sports Germany. "That is a factor we have to look at, but we have a broad base. It's true that his experience and knowledge could certainly have helped in this situation."

‘Adrian Newey’;

https://racingnews365.com/red-bull-a...g-loss-of-form


Ecclestone believes in a Verstappen world title, but Max less and less
1 Sept 2024
Ludo van Denderen
GPblog.com

It is not that often that Bernie Ecclestone is in the F1 paddock anymore. When the former Formula 1 owner - now at the age of 93 - does appear, it is always a reunion with many old friends. One after another gets a hug from the Brit, who is still exceptionally fit for his age. And those who ask for a photo or autograph are never disappointed.

As Ecclestone walked through the paddock in Monza with his wife Fabiana on Saturday, GPblog asked him who he thinks will be the world champion in 2024? The billionaire stopped walking and pretended for a moment not to remember the name: "Ehhh, what's that guy's name again?", Ecclestone said teasingly. Only to shout, after a moment of silence, "Max Verstappen!"

Full of confidence, Ecclestone appears confident about title prolongation by Red Bull Racing's Dutchman, who himself seems to radiate less by the week that he believes in a positive outcome to the season.

‘Ecclestone believes in a Verstappen world title’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/29835...-red-bull.html

[Fortitude]

Ferrari stun with Leclerc win in Italian GP as Norris fails to capitalise
Charles Leclerc and Ferrari have stunned McLaren to win their home Italian Grand Prix in front of the Tifosi.
1 Sept 2024
Editor-in-Chief: Matt Gretton
GPblog.com

The man from Monaco rolled the dice with a one stop strategy and it paid off in Monza. Lando Norris lost out to his teammate early and couldn't recover. He finished third, with Oscar Piastri in second.

There was excitement at the end of the race as McLaren attacked Ferrari. The two teams were on contrasting strategies, with the Italians rolling the dice with a one stop race. Piastri used his fresher rubber to close an 11 second gap with less than 10 laps remaining. The gap reduced but Leclerc had enough grip to hold on.

With such a delta between Norris and Verstappen's starting position, it gave the Brit a crucial chance to cut Verstappen's lead in the World Championship. Norris did take a eight point dent but it could've been so much bigger. Norris lost the lead in the opening lap and left the door open for Leclerc to move through. Norris took home 15 points and Verstappen finished sixth. The Brit took the fastest lap point from the Dutchman on the last lap. McLaren did however take another gain on Red Bull in the Constructors Championship with Perez down in P8.

‘Man from Monaco rolled the dice’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/29850...ris-fails.html


Italian GP: Race Results
2 September 2024
Mat Coch

Full results from the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

Pos Num Driver Team Laps/Diff

1 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 53

2 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 2.664

3 4 Lando Norris McLaren 6.153

4 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 15.621

5 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 22.82

6 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 37.932

7 63 George Russell Mercedes 39.715

8 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 54.148

9 23 Alex Albon Williams 67.456

10 20 Kevin Magnussen Haas 68.302

‘Full results’;

https://speedcafe.com/italian-gp-race-results/


Italian Grand Prix: F1 Race Results
An excessive heat warning greets the Formula 1 drivers for today's race at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza
Sept 1, 2024
Hannah May
FormulaNerds

Closing stages: The Spanish Ferrari driver was celebrating his 30th birthday in front of the Tifosi, but unfortunately for him lost third place to Norris at the start of lap 48. However, waiting to pass Sainz puts Norris 4.5 seconds adrift of Piastri ahead. On lap 50, the top ten were: Leclerc in the lead, followed by Piastri, Norris, Sainz, Hamilton, Verstappen, Russell, Perez, Magnussen, and Albon.

As it stands, Red Bull would hold onto their Constructors’ Championship lead by 10 points ahead of McLaren. Leclerc looked to be on course to take the win at his team’s home race. The Monagasque became the tyre whisperer amid roars from the Tifosi.

At the chequered flag, Leclerc crossed the line for victory in Monza. Joining him on the podium were the two McLaren drivers, Piastri in P2 and Norris in P3. Norris also picked up the fastest lap of the race point on the final lap.
History made – AGAIN! ��
The moment Charles scored Ferrari's 21st win at home ��#F1 #ItalianGP pic.twitter.com/eSkQq5uoiB
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 1, 2024

‘Charles scored Ferrari's 21st win at home’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/it.../?nowprocket=1


Leclerc executes one-stop to beat McLaren to F1 Italian GP win
1 Sept 2024
Motorsport Week

Charles Leclerc executed an audacious one-stop race to beat the McLaren drivers to deliver Ferrari a memorable win on home soil at the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix. The top six drivers were all equipped with the Medium compound to begin the race, but Red Bull elected to gamble with the choice to go with the more durable Hards.

The battle at the top was stagnant as the drivers strived to preserve their rubber, but there was a change as Perez seized Russell’s seventh place using DRS on Lap 11. Russell had lost a front wing end plate earlier in proceedings and sliding to the back of the leading pack prompted Mercedes to pit him on that lap to make the repairs.

Norris was told to box to undercut Leclerc and the Briton obliged with that request on Lap 14, gaining the position once the Ferrari emerged out the pits on new Hards. McLaren responded to that with Piastri coming in on the next lap, while his compatriot Ricciardo was given 10 seconds extra due to RB serving his penalty incorrectly.

‘Leclerc executed an audacious one-stop race’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...talian-gp-win/


Charles Leclerc wins Italian GP in Ferrari masterclass as Max Verstappen rages at Red Bull
Charles Leclerc held off the threat of McLaren in a grandstand finish at the Italian Grand Prix.
1 Sept, 2024
Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express

Charles Leclerc held off the charge of Oscar Piastri to claim a fairytale Italian Grand Prix victory in front of the Tifosi. Lando Norris rounded out the podium, while Max Verstappen finished sixth.

For the second race in a row, Norris started on pole, and for the second race in a row, there was a different name leading at the end of lap one. Piastri surged around the outside at the Della Roggia chicane, catching his team-mate off guard, while Leclerc followed him through on the corner exit.

While the rest of the top eight drivers started on the medium compound tyres, Red Bull’s duo were on the hards. Max Verstappen made good ground running long, but a six-second pit stop neutralised his good work as he emerged from his first stop just ahead of team-mate Sergio Perez.

‘Fairytale Italian Grand Prix victory’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ian-Grand-Prix


Italian GP: Ferrari stun McLaren at Monza as Charles Leclerc pulls off incredible one-stop win
1 Sept 2024
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Ferrari gambled on a one-stop strategy with Charles Leclerc to end their five-year wait for an Italian Grand Prix win, the Ferrari driver beating the two-stopping McLarens to the line. On a day when McLaren seemed to have the 1-2 in hand, Ferrari threw the dice and it paid off as Leclerc took the chequered flag 2.6 seconds ahead of Oscar Piastri with Lando Norris third.

It was the Ferraris running 1-2 with 10 to go, Leclerc and Sainz on one-stop strategies with the Monegasque driver 15s ahead of Piastri. With eight to go, Piastri used DRS to pass Sainz and was 11.6s behind Leclerc… 9.7s which led to a “leave me alone”… 7.2s with three to go…

Leclerc took the chequered flag three seconds ahead of Piastri, Ferrari’s one-stop gamble paying off for their first Italian Grand Prix win since 2019. Norris, who grabbed the fastest lap point, completed the podium ahead of Sainz, Hamilton and Verstappen. Russell, Perez, Albon and Alonso completed the points as Magnussen dropped out of ninth place when his 10-second penalty was applied.

‘Ferrari stun McLaren’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/italia...24-race-report