Analysis: Things we learned from the Italian Grand Prix

Last weekend noticed the Formula One discipline transfer to certainly one of its iconic venues, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza for Round 14 of the 2023 F1 season. F1Technical’s senior author Balázs Szabó picks out the key classes we learned from the Monza F1 spherical.

Vettel’s file – Max Verstappen not solely took his forty seventh profession victory in Monza, however he additionally broke the file of consecutive victories, taking on Sebastian Vettel’s long-standing file of 9 consecutive wins. The Dutch racer has been unbeaten since the Miami Grand Prix which signifies that he has gained ten races in a row.

Unbeaten – Red Bull Racing broke McLaren’s long-standing file of 11 successive race victories earlier this yr. The Milton Keynes-based outfit has managed to increase that file since the Hungarian Grand Prix, and its stands now at 15 victories in a row.

Fourth – Ferrari’s Spanish driver Carlos Sainz secured a well-deserved pole place on Sunday on Ferrari’s dwelling turf which was the fourth pole place of his profession. The one-time F1 race winner clinched his first profession pole eventually yr’s British Grand Prix in very troublesome moist situations earlier than inheriting a primary beginning spot at Spa. He then went on to set the quickest lap in qualifying at the US Grand Prix earlier than delivering an attention-grabbing lap final Saturday in Monza in entrance of Ferrari’s adoring followers.

Fastest lap – McLaren’s rookie driver Oscar Piastri set the quickest race lap at the Italian Grand Prix, recording a 1m25.072s. The McLaren driver would have most likely most popular to not set the quickest lap as a late, unplanned change for contemporary tyres allowed him to get the extra level. The former F2 and F3 champion collided with Lewis Hamilton with the incident which means that he picked up vital entrance win harm.

It marked the first time that the Australian secured a quickest lap in 2023, however he has now joined the group of drivers who’ve already set a quickest race lap this yr a minimum of as soon as with this gang together with Max Verstappen (6), Lewis Hamilton (2), Sergio Perez (2), George Russell (1) and Zhou Guanyu (1), Fernando Alonso (1).

Early retirement – AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda certified P11 on Saturday, and was keen to construct on that end result on race day. However, his possibilities had been dashed on the opening lap when he suffered an influence unit problem popping out of the Ascari chicane. This was the first time this yr that the Japanese driver was unable to complete a race.

Interestingly, he has already had two different DNS instances in his comparatively quick F1 profession. Three years in the past, in his debut season, he was unable to begin the Italian Grand Prix attributable to brake points whereas an influence unit drawback prevented him from beginning the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2022.

Tough weekend – It was a troublesome weekend for Mercedes. The Anglo-German staff struggled for tempo on all tyre compounds all via the weekend. In reality, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza was at all times going to focus on the W14’s weaknesses which is an absence of straight-line velocity.

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton certified 4th and eighth on the beginning grid, and ended the shortened 51-lap race in P5 and P6 respectively. Both drivers had been handed out penalties throughout the race. Russell obtained a five-second time penalty for gaining an enduring benefit after he left the pits following his single pit cease.

The FIA assertion learn: “Russell left the pits, and was on the inside of Ocon at the entry to turn one. However, as Russel approached the apex, he showed some lockup and went straight entering the runoff at turn one and rejoined after turn 2, passing Ocon while doing so and gaining both the position and time. Russell did not give back the position and thus gained a lasting advantage.”

Following a collision with McLaren racer Oscar Piastri, the seven-time world champion additionally obtained a five-second time penalty that was added to his total race time. Furthermore, he was additionally handed out two penalty factors on his license.

“While overtaking Piastri at the entry to turn 4, Hamilton moved to the right in the braking zone and made contact with Piastri while Piastri was moving to the right away from him and was close to the side of the track,” the stewards’ assertion learn.

Penalties – McLaren’s Australian was concerned in one other incident with AlphaTauri’s debutant Liam Lawson which noticed him earn a five-second penalty.

The assertion learn: “Piastri missed the nook at flip 1 and rejoined after flip 2 having gained a bonus towards Lawson. Piastri gave the place again at flip 3 then tried once more to overhaul Lawson at flip 4.

“However, Piastri was not ahead at the apex and thus, in the opinion of the stewards, did not have the right to the line at turn 5, the second part of the chicane. He left the track at turn 5 and gained the position over Lawson and did not subsequently give it back, thus leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage.”

Elsewhere, Williams driver Logan Sargeant obtained a five-second penalty and two penalty factors for a collision with Valtteri Bottas.

The stewards defined: “Sargeant was attempting to overtake Bottas on the inside at turn 4. Sargeant, who never reached a point where he could have made the overtake, missed his braking point and hit Bottas who was already in the turn and to his right. Sargeant was wholy to blame.”

Driver of the Day – Although his expert defensive driving was not sufficient to take victory on Ferrari’s dwelling turf, Carlos Sainz was nonetheless thought to be the Driver of the Day by the followers. His mighty Monza efforts sa the Madrid-born driver earn 31.5 per cent of the votes, adopted by Sergio Perez, Max Verstappen, Alexander Albon and Charles Leclerc.

Pit cease – After eye-catching performances in latest races, McLaren was unable to maintain up with the tempo of Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes at the high-speed Monza circuit. However, they proved to be the quickest in the pit lane, conducting the quickest tyre change whey they serviced Lando Norris’ automobile in 2.13s.

Ferrari accomplished the second quickest tyre change, intently adopted by Red Bull. An fascinating identify popped up in the sharp finish of the discipline with Alfa Romeo finishing the sixth quickest tyre change at Monza. The Hinwil-based outfit is presently ninth in the total standings of the DHL Pit Stop Award.

Back to McLaren: the Woking-based outfit had been on prime kind for the third time this season after their spectacular work in Spielberg and Silverstone. Norris’ 2.13-second cease on lap 22 was an vital consider a profitable undercut. He raced towards his team-mate Oscar Piastri, who acquired a brand new set of wheels one lap later in a time of two.77 seconds.

Track infringements – A complete of 17 lap instances had been deleted throughout the Italian Grand Prix. The vital corners had been Turns 2, 4, 5, 7 and 10.

Lando Norris and Sergio Perez got here closest to a five-second time penalty as each drivers exceeded the observe limits thrice apiece. Fernando Alonso, Oscar Piastri, Lewis Hamilton had two lap instances deleted whereas Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Valtteri Bottas and Logan Sargeant exceeded the observe limits as soon as apiece.

Return to kind – After a really troublesome Dutch Grand Prix, Ferrari returned to kind on dwelling turf, capitalizing the strengths of their SF23 on a observe the place aero effectivity and straight-line velocity are essential. The Scuderia took their twenty third pole place on Saturday, the most by any constructor at any circuit.

On race day, the Maranello-based outfit was unable to transform their first and third beginning place right into a win, however they nonetheless ended their dwelling race with their largest level haul in 2023. With their third and fourth-place end, Ferrari managed to leap Aston Martin in the standings.