Monza hosted the second F1 sprint race on Saturday afternoon, which Valtteri Bottas won ahead of World Championship leader Max Verstappen. However, as the Mercedes driver received a starting penalty for changing the engine this weekend, Verstappen will start the Italian GP from pole position, with the Finn at the end of the grid.
Lewis Hamilton experienced a tough sprint race in Monza and dropped from second to fifth at the finish. After a bad start, he lost positions to F1 world champion rivals Verstappen and the two McLaren drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris.
With this, Verstappen has reduced his championship lead to five points ahead of Hamilton, thanks to the two points he scored for second place in the sprint race, as Bottas got the full three and Ricciardo with third place the single point.
After an eventful start to the sprint race, in which Pierre Gasly retired after losing his front wing after contact with Ricciardo’s McLaren, the action was relatively limited, which led Red Bulls Sergio Perez to criticize the format as “very boring”.
Formula 1 managing director Ross Brawn has spoken out in favor of the sprint race format, insisting that it offers “lots of action” if the series continues with its new format experiment on selected races in 2021.
The sprint race results and subsequent penalties will determine the starting grid for Sunday’s Italian GP, which means Verstappen will start from pole position with Ricciardo in second, Norris in third and Hamilton in fourth.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc starts from fifth ahead of his team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr. Antonio Giovinazzi equalizes his best qualifying result with seventh place for Alfa Romeo.
Perez starts from eighth place for Red Bull, while Aston Martins Lance Stroll and Alpines Fernando Alonso complete the top 10.
Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521, Esteban Ocon, Alpine A521
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
When is the F1 Italian Grand Prix?
Date: Sunday 12.09.2021
Start time: 2:00 p.m. BST, 3:00 p.m. local time
Round 14 of the 2021 F1 season, the Italian GP at Monza, begins on Sunday, September 12, at 3 p.m. local time (2 p.m. BST).
How can I see the Italian GP?
In the UK, Sky Sports will broadcast the Italian GP live, with the race broadcast live on Sky Sports F1.
Sky Sports F1 pre-race coverage begins at 12:30 p.m. CEST before the race starts at 2 p.m. CEST.
• Channel: Sky Sports F1
• Start time: 12:30 p.m. BST, Sunday September 12th
Autosport will broadcast live text coverage of the Italian GP here.
When can I see the highlights of the Italian GP?
In the UK, Channel 4 will broadcast the highlights of the Italian GP on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. CEST. The full program will last two and a half hours and will include the pre-race, racing highlights and first post-race reaction to wrap up the main talking points of the weekend.
During the entire 2021 F1 season, Channel 4 will broadcast the highlights of every qualifying and race on Saturday and Sunday of every event. The highlights will also be available through Channel 4’s on-demand catch-up service.
· Channel: Channel 4
· Start time: 6:30 p.m. BST, Sunday, September 12th
Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo Racing C41, Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB16B, Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR21, Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin AMR21 and the rest of the field at the start
Photo by: Zak Mauger / 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, as well as on the BBC Sport website.
Live coverage of the Italian GP will begin at 2:00 p.m. BST on both BBC Radio 5 Live and the BBC Sport website which is available online, on the radio and on the BBC Sounds app.
Weather forecast for the Italian GP
Current weather forecasts predict sunny and dry conditions in Monza, with a very low chance of rain during the race. At the start of the race, 28 degrees Celsius are expected – seven degrees warmer than the Dutch GP.
How many laps does the Italian GP last?
The race will complete 53 laps on the Monza circuit and cover a total distance of 306.720 km.
