After two very different races after the summer break, the Belgian GP Washout and the exciting return of the Dutch GP, Max Verstappen has regained the lead in the F1 Drivers’ Championship by three points ahead of Lewis Hamilton.
In the final leg of the post-summer triple header of F1, the second edition of the sprint race format will also take place, which means that the traditional weekend schedule on the Friday and Saturday before the main Grand Prix on Sunday in Monza will be messed up .
While the focus in Italy is on the second sprint race, the paddock chat will also circulate the latest developments in the F1 driver market.
After Kimi Raikkonen announced that he would retire from Formula 1 at the end of the season, Alfa Romeo signed a multi-year contract with Valtteri Bottas as his successor from 2022.
This paved the way for the overdue official confirmation of George Russell’s move to Mercedes to replace Bottas from next season. The Grove team also confirmed that they will be keeping Nicholas Latifi for a third season next year.
Elsewhere, AlphaTauri announced that both Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda will remain on the F1 team for 2022. The timing is right for Gasly, who is returning to Monza for the first time since his breathtaking first F1 win 12 months ago on the Italian circuit.
Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri AT01, 1st place, brings victory to the delight of his team
Photo by: Motorsport Images
Times for the Formula 1 GP of Italy 2021 and details of the sprint race
The F1 sprint race is essentially a shortened version of a normal race that runs over a shorter 100km distance and without mandatory pit stops compared to the usual 305km Grand Prix distance of F1 (with the exception of the Monaco GP). Here is a full explanation of how the F1 sprint race will play out.
Sprint races are used in many other series to spice up the action, including the F1 feeder series Formula 2, albeit with its own variants. In the F2, for example, the sprint race is 120km and the main race is 170km, although it’s usually no less exciting.
The very first Formula 1 sprint race to be held at Silverstone was won by Red Bulls Max Verstappen ahead of Mercedes-Lewis Hamilton. The Dutchman overtook his World Championship rival on the first lap before defending his position to take official pole position for the Grand Prix and three World Championship points for winning the sprint after Hamilton moved from pole for the Sprint race had started. Hamilton scored two points for second place in the sprint, while teammate Valtteri Bottas scored one point for third place.
The F1 sprint race on Saturday afternoon will be a simple 100 km race that includes up to 18 laps in Monza, with the finish order determining the final grid position for the Grand Prix on Sunday. The race is expected to last around 30 minutes, after a total of 60 minutes “timeout” and if the session is canceled with a red flag, the maximum total time of the session is 90 minutes.
The starting order for the sprint event is determined by qualifying, runs in the traditional Q1, Q2 and Q3 format and takes place on Friday evening at 5:00 p.m. BST. The only big change will be that riders will only use soft tires during the session.
The Italian GP also hosts two practice sessions, one before qualifying on Friday afternoon (1.30pm-2.30pm BST) and one on Saturday morning (11-12am BST) before the Sprint Qualifying race, which starts on Saturday at 3.30pm BST .
Drivers also have a free choice of tires for the sprint race, with Pirelli offering soft, medium and hard tires (in Monza these are the middle three options in the range: C2, C3 and C4) as well as intermediate and rainy weather tires if required.
Friday 10th September 2021
Free practice 1: 1.30pm-2.30pm BST (2.30pm-3.30pm local time)
Qualification: 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. BST (6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time)
Saturday September 11th 2021
Free practice 2: 11: 00-12: 00 BST (12: 00-13: 00 local time)
Sprint races: 3: 30-4: 00 p.m. BST (4: 30-5: 00 p.m. local time)
Sunday 12.09.2021
Race: 2:00 p.m. BST (3:00 p.m. local time)
Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes AMG F1, race winner Charles Leclerc, Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1 celebrate on the podium
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
How can I see the Italian GP?
Channel: Sky Sports F1 HD
Channel numbers – Sky: 406
Channel Numbers – Virgin Media: 506 (Sky Sports F1 HD)
Sky Sports has live and exclusive broadcast rights in the UK, with the set-up of the F1 race starting at 12:30 p.m. before the lights go out at 2:00 p.m.
Sky Sports is also broadcasting the sprint race live in the UK, with the sprint starting at 2:35 p.m. before the lights go out at 3:30 p.m.
When can I see the highlights of the Italian GP?
Channel: Channel 4
Start time: Saturday sprint 6:30 p.m., Sunday race 6:30 p.m.
Channel 4 has the rights to show the Italian GP highlights of the sprint race on Saturday and the race on Sunday.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W11, Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes F1 W11 and Carlos Sainz Jr., McLaren MCL35, on the warm-up lap
Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images
Will the Italian GP be on the radio?
Live radio broadcasts of every practice, qualifying and race for the 2021 F1 season will be available on BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Live Sports Extra or via the BBC Sport website.
Coverage of the Italian GP will begin at 2:00 p.m. BST on BBC Radio 5 Live and the BBC Sport website.
Weather forecast for the Italian GP
Monza is prepared for sunny and cloudy conditions throughout the race weekend, with a low chance of rain on the three days of track action. Highs of 28 degrees Celsius are predicted on Sunday – around seven degrees hotter than the warmest conditions at the Dutch GP.
Most wins in the Italian F1 GP
Michael Schumacher: 5 wins (1996, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006)
Lewis Hamilton: 5 wins (2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018)
Nelson Piquet: 4 wins (1980, 1983, 1986, 1987)
