Official 2021 Italian Grand Prix Thread **SPOILERS**

[Piginapoke]

Round 14 and we’re already at Monza. Max and Red Bull will be full of confidence after a perfect performance in Zandvoort, but the Mercedes’ low rake concept may pay dividends here as it’s all about how little drag/downforce you can get away with. Perez will be hoping to get off the naughty step.

There should be plenty of overtaking, it should be an absolute cracker.

Note Sprint Qualifying is back this weekend, so the usual schedule is all to cock. It doesn't look like Channel 4 is showing highlights on Friday, sadly.

Date(s): Friday 10 September to Sunday 12 September 2021.

UK Broadcast Timings (and local time)

All sessions are live on Sky F1 and Channel 4.





Live timing for all sessions available here:

https://www.formula1.com/en/f1-live.html

Lap times, PU component use, technical reports and Stewards' decisions for the weekend will appear here:

https://www.fia.com/events/fia-formula-one-world-c...

Weather forecast:

https://weather.com/en-GB/weather/today/l/45.58,9....

Tyre options:

Teams have two hard, three mediums and eight soft sets available per driver for each weekend.



2020 race result:



2020 Race Highlights (Forza Gasly!)

https://youtu.be/TB5yhZdF8SI

[Jasandjules]

We are about to see if Red Bull upgrades are really really powerful or just really powerful....

[Carlososos]

Jasandjules said:

We are about to see if Red Bull upgrades are really really powerful or just really powerful....

Let’s hope not to powerful I want some wheel to wheel.

[cgt2]

Merc have a 5-6 kph speed advantage on the straight but the Honda has excellent torque out of chicanes and I'm sure will have phenomenal speed out of parabolica to launch onto the straight. Not quite sure what upgrades RB bought to Spa but Merc definitely have none so this could still be close.

Bottas may have no further interest in helping LH now that his move is confirmed.

[thegreenhell]

Aargh, I'd forgotten that sprint qualifying existed, but it's back again. Oh well.

[Piginapoke]

cgt2 said:

Merc have a 5-6 kph speed advantage on the straight but the Honda has excellent torque out of chicanes and I'm sure will have phenomenal speed out of parabolica to launch onto the straight. Not quite sure what upgrades RB bought to Spa but Merc definitely have none so this could still be close.

Bottas may have no further interest in helping LH now that his move is confirmed.

that was the case in Zandvoort, but I imagine RB will trim that out at Monza. If you’re 6kph down there, you’re in trouble

[cgt2]

Piginapoke said:

that was the case in Zandvoort, but I imagine RB will trim that out at Monza. If you’re 6kph down there, you’re in trouble

Let's see. Merc will have an advantage on latter part of the main straight (I'm assuming RB will have more speed in parabolica as they have been quicker in most of the fast corners recently - Silverstone illustrates this) but it may not be effective into the first corner as there isn't much room there. I predict RB will have great traction out of Ascari. We'll know on Friday.

[anonymous-user]

Have been three times to Monza. Fabulous track

Even found somewhere to park round the back of the track amongst private housing. Just a short walk into the track Local Italian showed me the way to go to get round the carabinieri road blocks!! Got stopped one year and carabinieri asked my wife who was in the passenger seat for her driving licence. He hadn’t appreciated it was a right hand drive car!

[AJB88]

I was hoping to be there this year as a member of the Scuderia Ferrari club. always 2022.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

One year today since Gasly’s epic win, let’s hope for just as much excitement this year.

[DanielSan]

Big improvement needed for Perez this weekend

[poosemon]

Is kimi still self isolating?

Maybe i missed it but is kubica driving again or chance to try out one of the others tipped to join bottas?

[Brainpox]

poosemon said:

Is kimi still self isolating?

Maybe i missed it but is kubica driving again or chance to try out one of the others tipped to join bottas?

If Kimi gets a negative test then he can drive.

[suffolk009]

I do hope it's a better race than Zandvoort.

[Teddy Lop]

The points may be close but max has won 6 of the last 9 races, and the 3 he didn't incidental, it'll be the 10th straight race since Lewis led him home, which is also his worst stint in the turbo hybrid era.

[Gary29]

I think sprint qualifying is best suited to a track like this, it might stop the mickey mouse approach of trying to time your run correctly to get a tow and everyone slowing right down before the Parabolica (spelling?).

Will we see one of the front runners off at the first chicane on Lap 1 of the sprint? Could be exciting, I'm looking forward to it.

[Piginapoke]

Teddy Lop said:

The points may be close but max has won 6 of the last 9 races, and the 3 he didn't incidental, it'll be the 10th straight race since Lewis led him home, which is also his worst stint in the turbo hybrid era.

Very true. In the past 9 races, Mercedes has only won 1 (Silverstone) and the last time it won with a quicker car was Spain. If you take out the Bottas/Hamilton/Baku tyre incidents, Max would be cruising.

[M3ax]

Be interesting to see how Bottas behaves regarding giving Hamilton a tow.

[cgt2]

So Max has seven wins to LH's four. It could realistically be said two more were very likely for Max until the tyre exploded and he was t-boned. Red Bull are still bringing developments whereas Merc are not.

Perhaps Hamilton's ability is flattering the Merc to look closer than it is now, if LH does win the title this year it will be a fantastic achievement.

I'm not convinced Mercedes will have an advantage in Monza. Top speed is only one factor and even if there a slight advantage it does not mitigate all the other factors that make up a lap. Monza 2011 showed us that a slightly quicker car is not enough, there needs to be significant variation and with this years front wings even more so.

[BrettMRC]

All-or-nothing Bottas giving it everything into the first corner at the sprint...taking out Max, Lewis and himself.

Perez wins on Sunday.