[Official] Italian Grand Prix 2019: Grand Prix Weekend Thread

[Born Racer]

Before Formula 1 jets off around the globe to Asia, North America and South America for its final whirlwind tour that will take in seven Grands Prix in a little over two months, it’s time for the final encounter in Europe in this 2019 season, at Monza, near Milan.

Monza has one of the biggest histories in Grand Prix racing and an enthusiastic crowd (albeit mainly for Ferrari!) flocking to the pistol-shaped circuit every year. The Italian Grand Prix gives us the fastest track in Formula 1 for average speed and the shortest race. In the 50s and 60s, it featured some incredible banked corners that made up a 10km version.

Nowadays, Monza has one of the shortest laps in the season and usually the shortest race time. Michael Schumacher completed the race in 2003 in 1 hour 14 minutes 19.838 seconds, which is a record and he did it a record average speed of 247km/h (153mph). Last year, Kimi Räikkönen also set the fastest ever lap for average speed here in qualifying, at 263.587km/h (163.785 mph). Personally, I always find it a pity that the race can’t be longer, but the sprint race feel gives it a slightly different feel.

Racing began here in the early 1920s and the circuit has hosted more Formula 1 races than any other circuit, on the calendar since the inaugural world championship in 1950 and only missing one year, in 1980, when the race was held at Imola. Therefore, the Italian race has the distinction of being one of only two (with Britain) to exist in every year of the world championship.

Among its dramatic records, Monza also hosted the closest race finish in history; in 1971, Peter Gethin led a six-car train across the line that was covered by a 0.61 seconds. Gethin’s margin over Sweden’s Ronnie Peterson in second was a mere 0.01 seconds.

The track these days is punctuated by three chicanes and apart from that made up primarily of long straights.

It’s a tricky track that has those awkward chicanes to fumble over, on which drivers try not to clatter over any kerbs which may cause damage or penalties. The Lesmos, two fast right-handers (Turns 6 and 7 on the map) are great fun for the drivers, the reward for getting them right, shooting out onto the next straight with a significantly higher average speed for the lap, the punishment for getting them wrong, big problems for the lap as they hit the gravel trap.

The third and final chicane is a very fast one and propels the drivers and cars towards arguably the most interesting corner, the final one – Parabolica. A long, long right-hander, apexing this just on point hangs on a fine thread of grip. The corner tempts drivers to barrel in there, later and later on the brakes as they build themselves up through the weekend, but they also have to get the start-finish straight right.

Charles Leclerc achieved a timely victory in Spa to take Ferrari's maiden win of the season just before the team's home race. Formula 2 resumes action with Anthoine Hubert much in people's memories, following his death in an accident at Spa.

Circuit length: 5.793km
Number of laps: 53
Race distance: 306.72km
Dry weather tyre compounds: C2, C3 & C4
Lap Record: 1:21.046 (2004 – Rubens Barrichello - Ferrari)
First Italian Grand Prix: 1921
First Grand Prix at Monza: 1922
First World Championship Grand Prix: 1950



To join in our predictions contest and Fantasy F1 contest, go here: https://tentenths.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=70

Constructors’ championship standings: https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2019/team.html

Drivers' championship standings: https://www.formula1.com/en/results....9/drivers.html

Italian Grand Prix tyre choices:
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...f3i9bHdKg.html

[Tourer]

Thanks for the great into as ever BR.

Must say that I have a deep affection for Monza - the whole atmosphere of being located in a royal park, the sense of history with the banking still there and the old cobble-stoned garage area and the sound experience from the pit straight is really unusual with the noise bouncing back off bridges and overpasses - just provides a special vibe.

[Mike Bell]

Thanks again for the intro, BR! As above, love Monza and as we will be racing there in couple of weeks, will be studying the on board shots for correct lines...... (Need to slow it down a lot though. )

[Peter Mallett]

Interesting first practice results.

LeClerc
Sainz
Norris
Hamilton
Albon
Kvyat
Verstappen
Vettel
Bottas
Gasly

[E.B]

Great intro much appreciated BR

Monza is another must see for me, along with Monaco, Silverstone and Spa. OK thow in Suzuka and maybe Singapore as well. In fact.....

[CarfanLUFC]

Plenty of chaos in practice 1. Things look to have dried out in time for practice 2 however

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Interesting first practice results.

LeClerc
Sainz
Norris
Hamilton
Albon
Kvyat
Verstappen
Vettel
Bottas
Gasly

That's down to the weather though - I don't think you can read anything in to the results of that session (other than the track is slippy when it's wet ).

[Peter Mallett]

Possibly, I just picked it up from the website, no mention of weather.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Possibly, I just picked it up from the website, no mention of weather.

They’ve have some non-sun......

[S griffin]

I was impressed to see the McLarens up there, until I found out the session was wet

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by E.B

Great intro much appreciated BR

Monza is another must see for me, along with Monaco, Silverstone and Spa. OK thow in Suzuka and maybe Singapore as well. In fact.....

Silverstone is best viewed, if one's bothered, on the TV!

[Mike Bell]

Just trying to work out who has engine change penalties. Norris definitely, and looks like Sainz is swapping to Spec C engine for the race as well...

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/s...monza/4531400/

Who else?

[gert]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Just trying to work out who has engine change penalties. Norris definitely, and looks like Sainz is swapping to Spec C engine for the race as well...

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/s...monza/4531400/

Who else?

Verstappen and Norris will get a penalty I think.
Albon won't since he took it last race.
Sainz and the Renault guys also won't have one since they took a new engine last race but did not use it in the race (just in a practice session)

[GT6]

Should be a good race and thanks for the intro, with maclaren catching up the top 3 teams we might not get a mercedes dominated GP

[Lancsbreaker]

Report of FP2 on the F1 site:
"
Charles Leclerc set the fastest lap of the second free practice session at Ferrari’s home track of Monza, with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton finishing a close second, ahead of Sebastian Vettel, to deny the Scuderia a 1-2 on Friday.
As the threat of rain lingered, Mercedes wasted no time in gathering medium-tyre data, on which Hamilton set the pace with a lap of 1m 21.972s, Bottas just 0.073s slower.
Leclerc began the session on hard tyres, switching to softs after 20 minutes with a flying lap of 1m 20.978s propelling him to the top of the leaderboard. Vettel was 0.201s slower, and eventually ended the session in P3.
Then the rain materialised, sending drivers back to the shelter of the garage after 30 minutes. A brief red flag let marshals safely clear gravel around the second chicane and the rain rescinded, downgrading to a drizzle.
Gradually, the drivers filed back out and gingerly tackled the slippery surface, initially shunning slick tyres. Hamilton and team mate Bottas went on to toy with the tow on soft tyres, Hamilton slipstreaming behind the Finn to set a lap just 0.068s slower than Leclerc’s – a possible rehearsal for qualifying on Saturday.

Bottas was narrowly faster than Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who took his RB15, with its slimline rear-wing and Spec 4 Honda power unit to fifth. Three-tenths away followed his team mate Alex Albon, while Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly was another 0.5s down.
The midfield was muddled due to the range of set-ups used in FP2. Just 0.029s behind Gasly was Haas’s Romain Grosjean, and rounding out the top 10 were Daniel Ricciardo of Renault and Gasly’s team mate Daniil Kvyat.
Lando Norris, 18th and 2.583s back, was stuck in the garage for much of the session due to an oil leak. He was only able to emerge with 15 minutes remaining, but the rest of the grid will also go into FP3 with less data than they’d like thanks to Friday's fragmented pair of practice sessions.
And that could make qualifying a rather unpredictable and exciting affair on Saturday"

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by gert

Verstappen and Norris will get a penalty I think.
Albon won't since he took it last race.
Sainz and the Renault guys also won't have one since they took a new engine last race but did not use it in the race (just in a practice session)

Ah, cheers for that clarification! I'm easily confused...

[bjohnsonsmith]

I'm really looking forward to this, two classic tracks back to back.

[steve nielsen]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Just trying to work out who has engine change penalties. Norris definitely, and looks like Sainz is swapping to Spec C engine for the race as well...

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/s...monza/4531400/

Who else?

Gasly

[E.B]

Slightly off topic, (mods feel free to move elsewhere)but after last weekend at Spa.... As this relates to track/ runoff hazards that the F1 cars will face this weekend, I posted here
This huge crash in this morning's F3 Monza race just did not look right..... no kerb should ever launch a car like this. Especially at Parabolica given the speeds they are travelling.

Peroni hit a curb in the asphalt run-off at the exit of the Parabolica and was launched high into the air before landing upside-down on the barriers. He was bloody lucky not to have been injured the way it landed on the barriers. Fortunately Peroni walked to the meds under his own stem.
(I know he is an Aussie driver, but we dont normally drive round upside down!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6n7Z4L7XB_Y

Edit: A friend of mine actually there today at Monza says the sausage kerb responsible is being removed at this moment. 10 minute delay for P3 start as a result.

[Peter Mallett]

Yes, fp3 started late in order to remove that kerb.

[Richard C]

That was an insane crash. I think should trigger examination of the design and placement of that style of curb beyond just that corner. I wonder if they are not designed to be hit on that leading edge like that.

Richard

[Mike Bell]

Do circuits / FiA / F1 ever carry out ‘Risk Assessments’ like industry and commercial businesses have to? If so, whoever did the one for that kerb placement needs a good talking to......

(I’ve toned the last sentence down a bit!)

[bella]

fwiw, the kerb's been there all year. so there's been a number of series race there and nobody's gone "er, that's a bit dodgy isn't it?".

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by bella

fwiw, the kerb's been there all year. so there's been a number of series race there and nobody's gone "er, that's a bit dodgy isn't it?".

The sausage kerbs? People have been saying they're dodgy for years.

[bella]

i'm referring to that one, in that place, parallel to the track. and just pointing out that there's been plenty of opportunities for it to be assessed and removed in the past. that's all.