It’s an exciting weekend for Formula 1 fans, as the qualifying and final races of the Italian Grand Prix will take place on August 31 and September 1, respectively. The three practice races will take place on August 30 and 31.
The Italian Grand Prix is the curtain-closer for the European Grand Prix season this year. It will be the 74th Italian Grand Prix in Monza, held at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, popularly known as the Temple of Speed.
Here’s all you need to know about the upcoming Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix.
Italian Grand Prix History
The Italian Grand Prix is the fifth oldest GP of all time behind the French Grand Prix, the United States Grand Prix, the Spanish Grand Prix, and the Russian Grand Prix. The first-ever Italian Grand Prix took place in the year 1921.
Italian Grand Prix 2024 Schedule
Friday, August 30
Free Practice 1: 12:30 – 13:30 BST
Free Practice 2: 16:00 – 17:00 BST
Saturday, August 31
Free Practice 3: 11:30 – 12:30 BST
Qualifying: 15:00 – 16:00 BST
Sunday, September 1
Race: 14:00 BST
Teams and Drivers
| Team | Drivers |
| Red Bull Racing | Max Verstappen, Sergio Pérez |
| Mercedes | Lewis Hamilton, George Russel |
| Ferrari | Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz |
| McLaren | Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri |
| Alpine | Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly |
| RB | Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda |
| Aston Martin | Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll |
| Williams | Logan Sargeant, Alexander Albon |
| Kick Sauber | Valtteri Bottas, Guanyu Zhou |
| Haas | Nico Hulkenberg, Kevin Magnussen |
Monza Circuit Overview
This year, the iconic track at Monza has been slightly modified, and some areas have been resurfaced. The track length is 5.793 kilometres. Rubens Barrichello of Ferrari holds the lap record, having completed it in 1 minute 21.046 seconds in 2004. Lewis Hamilton leads with the most pole positions, at 7, while Michael Schumacher and Hamilton share the record for the most wins, each with 5 victories at the Italian Grand Prix. Hamilton secured pole with McLaren in 2009 and 2012, and then with Mercedes from 2014 to 2017, as well as in 2020. All of Schumacher’s victories were achieved with Ferrari, occurring in the years 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003, and 2006.
Additional statistics include a pole run to the Turn 1 braking point measuring 472 meters, 49 overtakes completed in 2023, a 50% probability of a safety car deployment, a 38% chance of a virtual safety car, and an average pit stop time loss of 23.71 seconds, based on the last eight races at Monza.
To tackle the demands of the fresh surface, tire supplier Pirelli has opted to provide its three softest compounds: the C3 will serve as the Hard tire, the C4 as the Medium, and the C5 as the Soft for this weekend’s race.
Current Championship Standings
The final race at the Italian Grand Prix is scheduled to take place just a week after the finish of the Dutch Grand Prix. Lando Norris of McLaren secured a victory at the Dutch Grand Prix, marking his second career win and first since May, after initially losing the lead to Verstappen due to wheel spin at the start.
This win has helped Norris reduce the gap between him and title leader Verstappen of Red Bull as they head to Monza. Verstappen currently holds the lead with 295 points – 70 points ahead of Norris.
Meanwhile, in the Constructors’ Championship, Norris’ win at the Dutch Grand Prix has brought McLaren’s total to 404 points, placing them just 30 points behind Red Bull. Ferrari sits in third place with 370 points.
Historical Moments at the Italian GP
Lewis Hamilton has won the Italian Grand Prix on five occasions. His first win in 2012 came with McLaren, while the remaining four came in 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018 with Mercedes. The British driver is currently tied with Michael Schumacher, with both having secured five victories each. Hamilton will be competing on Sunday while looking for his sixth win.
In addition to Hamilton, five other drivers who have previously won the Italian Grand Prix will be competing this weekend. Fernando Alonso triumphed in 2007 with McLaren and again in 2010 with Ferrari. Charles Leclerc secured a victory for Ferrari in 2019. Pierre Gasly achieved his first Grand Prix win at Monza in 2020 while driving for AlphaTauri, and Daniel Ricciardo claimed victory with McLaren in 2021. Additionally, Max Verstappen from Red Bull Racing has won the last two races held at this circuit.
Ferrari has won the Italian Grand Prix on 19 occasions and is ranked in first place. McLaren is second with 11 wins, while Mercedes is third with seven.
Four other active drivers have begun the Italian Grand Prix from the front of the grid. Fernando Alonso secured pole position in 2007 with McLaren and again in 2010 with Ferrari. Charles Leclerc achieved pole for Ferrari in both 2019 and 2022. Last year, Carlos Sainz contributed to the Scuderia’s tally by claiming their 23rd pole at this event.
Hamilton recorded the fastest lap in F1 history during qualifying for the 2020 Italian Grand Prix. The British driver averaged a speed of 264.362 km/h (164.267 mph) to claim his seventh pole position at Monza. His final Q3 lap time of 1:18.887 seconds surpassed Kimi Räikkönen’s previous track record and the fastest lap in F1 by 0.232 seconds.
Debuts at the Italian Grand Prix 2024
Andrea Kimi Antonelli is set to make his Formula 1 debut during the first practice session (FP1) of the 2024 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, taking over George Russell’s car for Mercedes. This marks a significant milestone for the 18-year-old Italian driver, who has impressed Mercedes with his performances in previous F1 machinery. Antonelli’s participation in FP1 will coincide with a busy weekend, as he is also competing in Formula 2 for PREMA, where he currently ranks seventh in the Drivers’ Championship.
Franco Colapinto is set to make his Formula 1 race debut this weekend with Williams, stepping in for Logan Sargeant. Currently sixth in the FIA Formula 2 championship, Colapinto will be the first Argentinian driver to compete in F1 since Gastón Mazzacane in 2001. He will also become the 23rd Argentinian driver to participate in a Grand Prix and the second from his country to drive for Williams, following Carlos Reutemann.
7Bet Odds
If you would like to familiarize yourself with the odds, 7bet offers various picks on this race. Note that the odds are always being updated, so make sure to check the latest odds before placing a bet.
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