Formula One teams and drivers will gather in the pitlane on Friday afternoon ahead of the first practice session for this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix to pay tribute following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
At 12:50pm in the United Kingdom, all 10 constructors and 20 racers will conduct a minute’s silence, before practice at the Monza track subsequently begins at 1pm.
The longest-serving British monarch’s reign began in 1952, two years after the first ever official world championship F1 race took place at the Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire.
Current F1 CEO and former Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali led the tributes from the world of motorsport after news of the Queen’s death was announced to the public, saying: “Formula 1 mourns the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
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“For more than seven decades she dedicated her life to public service with dignity and devotion and inspired so many around the world. Formula 1 sends its deepest condolences to the Royal Family and to the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.”
President of the FIA Mohamed Ben Sulayem said: “On behalf of the FIA community, I offer our sincere condolences to the Royal Family on the very sad news of the passing of Her Majesty the Queen. We pay tribute to her remarkable life of service. Our thoughts are with the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.”
There are four British-born drivers on the F1 grid in 2022, and two paid tribute to the Queen on social media on Thursday.
“An amazing role model and total dedication to a lifetime of public service,” wrote Williams’ Alex Albon. “Thank you and rest in peace, Her Majesty the Queen.”
Mercedes’ George Russell posted: “I’m so sad to hear about the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Her devotion to our country and her gracious leadership were inspirational to so many generation of people in the UK and around the world.
“My family and I send our deepest condolences to The Royal Family and to all those who admired her service to our country for seven decades. Rest in peace.”
F1 teams will pay tribute to the Queen in the Monza pitlane (Photo: Getty)
Lewis Hamilton paid a tribute of his own.
“How do you find the words to describe the loss of Her Majesty The Queen? She was truly an iconic leader, an inspiration and a reassuring presence for most, if not all, of our lives,” the seven-time world champion wrote on Instagram.
“Since the sad news yesterday, I’ve been reflecting on her incredible life. She was a symbol of hope for so many and she served her country with dignity, dedication and kindness. She was truly like no other and I’m grateful to have lived during her time. Her legacy will be long-lasting and her passing deeply felt.
“I had the incredible honor of being able to spend time with her. It’s something I’ll never forget. We talked about our shared love of dogs and she was incredibly generous with her time. I know the whole nation and many others around the world will be mourning her loss and my thoughts and prayers are with her family and all those close to her who have lost a loved one.”
All 10 F1 teams posted messages of condolences on their social media platforms ahead of the 16th round of the 2022 campaign.
