Will the sprint race cause drama again?
Max Verstappen could not sit back for long after his victory at Zandvoort last Sunday. Formula 1 immediately travels to Monza for the Italian GP that will be held next weekend. Monza is the fastest circuit of the Formula 1 calendar and a place where the Mercedes have been bloody fast in recent years. And that is bad news for Verstappen who goes into this weekend with a lead of just three points over Hamilton.
Mercedes has the advantage
The speed of Mercedes on the Italian circuit is mainly due to their engine. Monza has a lot of straights and for about 85 percent of the lap the drivers kick the accelerator as far as possible. Five of the last seven GPs in Monza are in the name of Mercedes. Leclerc managed to take the win once and last year it was of course Gasly.
Red Bull has a better chance with the Honda engine this year than in previous years, but it will still be a difficult task. To gain speed on the straights, Red Bull takes downforce away from the car. This is at the expense of cornering speed. So the trick is to find the balance between cornering and top speed. As always, actually.
Chaos in the sprint?
This weekend we will also see the return of sprint qualifying. As in Great Britain, normal qualifying will take place on Friday. That qualifying session determines the starting order of the sprint race on Saturday. The winner of that sprint race takes pole position for the GP on Sunday.
We all remember how it went in Great Britain. Hamilton was fastest in qualifying, but Verstappen took pole in the sprint race. Then Hamilton knocked Verstappen off on Sunday. A little drama (or karma?) at Mercedes would therefore not be wrong for Verstappen. He just has to make sure he doesn’t become the subject of misery.
Dates and times of the 2021 Italian GP
Friday September 10, 2021
1st free practice: 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Qualification: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Saturday September 11, 2021
2nd free practice: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Sprint: 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Sunday September 12, 2021
Race: 3:00 p.m.
