PRIXVIEW – Italian Grand Prix

Round fourteen of the season brings F1 to one of its crown jewels the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza for the traditional final race of the European season the Italian Grand Prix. One of the oldest races of the season, Monza has held the most championship Grands Prix and the race along with the British Grand Prix the only two to be held annually since the formation of the Formula One World Championship.

Monza is one of the highlights of the season, high speed and downforce is key again as we have seen all season something which favours Red Bull. The 3.6-mile circuit often sees average see speeds of over 200mph, with the current record in the turbo-hybrid era being 224mph. its often a high-speed chase across the fifty-three Laps often the shortest race of the season in terms of time often between seventy and eighty minutes.

The high-speed nature and demands on the cars often lead to crashes and accidents because of the huge stopping zones at the end of the straights, its also a circuit where the slipstream is powerful. There have been in recent years shambolic ends to qualifying as cars try to get the tow to gain more lap time.

Going into this weekend Red Bull is the favourites they have won every race this season, and the high-speed nature of Monza means that Max Verstappen will be a favourite, he has won every race since the start of the European season. But they need to be careful, Monza is one of the hardest circuits on engines, brakes and tyres.

Ferrari the national team of Italy have won twenty races over the last century, the passionate fans add to the atmosphere of Monza, and they won their first race in 1952.

Pirelli naturally brings their three hardest tyre compounds (hard C3, mediums C4 and softs C5), we have seen tyre failures in the past and that can often push this into a two a two-stop race.

Monza is the third oldest purpose-built circuit in the world, after Brooklands and Indianapolis. The modern Grand Prix circuit currently introduced in 2000, has seen little change since the banking was used last in 1963, caused partly by the threat of industrial action by members of the GPDA.

By its nature and historic prestige, there have been many fatalities during the races hundred-year history. One of the deadliest weekends in the history of Grand Prix racing was the 1933 race when three drivers were killed, more deadly than Spa 1960 and Imola 1994. It became a turning point for Enzo Ferrari whose friend Baconin Borzacchinim, Giuseppe Campari and Polish aristocrat Count Stanislas Czaykowski.

The Italian fans there is only one team they want to win Ferrari, although the Emilia-Romanaga Grand Prix is nearer to Maranello this race feels more like a festival of Ferrari. For the team, this is the most high-pressured weekend and that comes at one of the trickiest circuits to get the set-up right.

The tow around Monza is one of the most powerful of the season, often teams work together to get each driver a tow and there has been incidents in qualifying where drivers have tripped over each other fighting for a tow. To combat this the FIA normally adjust the regulations modified to introduce a maximum out lap and cool lap delta.

In most places the grass and gravel acts as a deterrent to track limits, however, drivers need to remain careful to keep within track limits given there are corners like Ascari and the Parabolica where going off track gains so much lap time. The race in 1934 and 1937 saw the race held on the street circuit in Monza.

Since 1949, expect 1980, the race has always been held at Monza, 1949 saw the introduction of the basis of the Grand Prix circuit. Although there was a period when the Combined Course, the oval and grand prix circuit were used. The final championship race of 1950, saw Giuseppe Antonio “Nino” Farina win, thus becoming the first world champion. Ascari would win three in a row and dominate the 1952 season.

1961 saw a return to the combined circuit, but it was to see yet another tragedy.  Two Ferrari drivers, Hill and Wolfgang von Trips, came into the race with a chance at winning the championship. Fighting for fourth place while Hill was leading and while von Trips approached the Parabolica.

Jim Clark slightly moved over into the path of the German and the two collided. Von Trips crashed into an embankment next to the road and then went flying into a crowd of people standing on it. Von Trips was thrown out of his car and was killed, as were 14 spectators.

A total of twelve Italian drivers have won the Italian Grand Prix; ten before World War II and three when it was part of the world championship; most recently Ludovico Scarfiotti won in 1966. But, that can be made up for the number of wins which Ferrari has with nineteen wins.

1979 saw changes to Monza, run-off areas were added to the Curva Grande and Lesmo corners and the track was upgraded. Scheckter, now driving for Ferrari, won the race and the Drivers’ Championship. 1980 moved to Imola allowing Monza to be redeveloped and modernised, Imola would remain on the calendar until 2006 as the San Marino Grand Prix, re-joining as the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in 2020.

However this years race was cancelled due to the floods in Northern Italy back in May, Monza gives Red Bull and Max Verstappen the opportunity to win every race of the European season, which has never been done.

In 1988, McLaren went into the race in the same position however Alain Prost had gone out with engine problems and his teammate Ayrton Senna had crashed into a backmarker with two laps to go- and Austrian Gerhard Berger in a Ferrari took victory, followed by Alboreto to make it a Ferrari 1–2. This was particularly memorable because Enzo Ferrari had died a month before this event.

1991 saw a battle between Senna and the two Williams drivers of Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese. Mansell won, Senna finished second and Patrese went out with gearbox problems. Senna won again in 1992, and 1993 saw Williams drivers Alain Prost and Damon Hill battle hard, and While leading, Prost’s engine failed and Hill went on to take victory.

The current layout was introduced in 2000, it followed by minor changes in 1995 when the track and run-off areas were widened following Senna’s death at Imola the previous season. That year marks the return to dominance by Ferrari, with Michael Schumacher who won the race five times in seven years.

After winning in 2006, Michael Schumacher announced his retirement from Formula 1 racing at the end of the season. Kimi Räikkönen replaced him at Ferrari from the start of the 2007 season. At the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel became the then-youngest driver in history to win a Formula One Grand Prix

Earlier in the weekend, he had already become the youngest pole sitter, after setting the fastest times in both Q2 and Q3 qualifying stages. His win also gave him the record of youngest podium-finisher.

Charles Leclerc is Ferrari’s most recent winner, he took his second win at Monza in 2019 following Lewis Hamilton in taking his first and second wins in a week.

Sebastian Vettel won his first Grand Prix in a Toro Rosso (Alpha Tauri) in the wet becoming then the sport’s youngest race winning a wet race 2008, Pierre Gasly would give the team their second win in a chaotic 2020 race. Daniel Ricciardo took his most recent win in 2021, finishing ahead of Lando Norris

Race & Circuit Guide

Fast facts

• More than eighty Italians have started their home Grand Prix, but the last local winner was Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966. Mario Andretti, who won in 1977, was born in Italy but competed for the USA.
• Monza is a happy hunting ground for Lewis Hamilton, who has taken the win here in four of the past eight races. But he has finished on the podium in each of those, adding an eighth career top 3 at the Italian Grand Prix this time
• The circuit is unique on the current calendar for its mix of long straights and slow chicanes. The low downforce circuit puts strain on engines, which are on full power for 80% of the lap, and gearboxes, which are used heavily in the chicanes.
• The Italian Grand Prix is usually the shortest all season. The 2003 race at Monza holds the record for the shortest F1 race to reach full distance, with Michael Schumacher winning in a time of just over 74 minutes.

Event timetable

What happened in 2022?

Charles Leclerc beat Max Verstappen by almost a tenth and a half to take pole position. The Ferrari driver looked unstoppable as he took his second pole position at Monza, however, the two championship rivals did not start alongside each other because the Dutchman had a grid penalty. With Carlos Sainz third, ahead of Sergio Perez who dropped to fourteenth with his penalty.

Verstappen’s penalty didn’t stop him coming through and winning the race behind the safety car after  Daniel Ricciardo stopped on track between the Lesmos, it was in a difficult position to recover leading to the race being neutralised with three laps to go. Before the McLaren of Daniel Ricciardo stopped on track between the Lesmos, it was in a difficult position to recover leading to the race being neutralised with three laps to go.

Verstappen’s title rival Charles Leclerc finished second almost two and a half seconds behind the Dutchman. However, Ferrari operationally had their best race of recent, where the team appeared to work together to try and stop Verstappen from taking his eleventh win of the season.

Leclerc however during the final stint chipped away steadily at the twenty-five-second lead to finish two seconds behind. Ferrari operationally looked to be at their best after weeks of questionable decision-making, but Verstappen was stronger with the momentum with the car.

George Russell continued his consistent season to finish third, a smart drive saw him not get involved in the title rivals fight and finished nearly a second behind Leclerc.  Sainz was fourth finishing five seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton, both drivers producing an excellent race almost working their way from eighteenth and nineteenth to finish in the race three-tenths apart.

Race Result – 1) M. Verstappen, Red Bull, 01:20:27.511 | 2) C. Leclerc, Ferrari, +00:02.446 | 3) G. Russell, Mercedes, +00:03.405

What to watch for?

Max Verstappen goes into this weekend as the favourite. As we say every weekend what will be the record he will set for number of wins and when will he wrap up the title? This is another circuit that suits Red Bull its high speed and high downforce, looking at the way the Red Bull performs on track it’s difficult for him to be beaten. Red Bull however will be aware this is a tough race on cars and like last weekend be chaotic.

Ferrari always needs a good weekend at Monza, they are I think still in the phase where Fred Vassuer is trying to shape the team into a championship-winning team. But I think they are quick in a straight line, but they aren’t good on tyre management and they still have wobbly moments when it comes to strategy.

Monza is almost like a street circuit given its unique nature, It’s the fastest circuit of the season and that requires good braking and tyre management. We know that this circuit has the highest speed trap figures placing huge pressure on brakes though brake failures aren’t that common now, Monza is the place we are most likely to see them. This again means reacting to a safety car and a event as they unfold is key.

This race is often pushed towards a two-stop, and Pirelli brings the three hardest compounds and teams know tyre failure can happen. Timing the stops is key given the high speed nature you lose a lot of time when the cars are at full racing speed as the tow is powerful.

In qualifying the FIA are likely to introduce given the fact we have a short lap and the chaos we see drivers trying to get a tow has lead to all kinds of shambles. The tow and DRS are so powerful around Monza it can see drivers jostle for track position during qualifying and that can be bad towards the end of the sessions. The track also tends to get faster and faster, in dry conditions, we saw last weekend that hundredths can make the difference.

The battle I think we need to watch is behind Red Bull, Mercedes, Aston Martin and Ferrari all looked close in Zandvoort qualifying. But they will know they will need to be on it as this is a race where anything can happen and this is the shortest race in terms of time unless we get several safety cars.

Its very hard to read that group at the moment as it is really competitive and changes on a weekly basis, but McLaren are the most improved team at the moment so don’t discount them joining that group

2022 vs 2022 Race Data

2022 Lap time comparison

Tyres