#F1 Gran Premio @Heineken D’Italia 2020 Preview. #ItalianGP

After Lewis Hamilton cruised to a dominant Belgian Grand Prix victory, round eight of the 2020 FIA Formula 1 World Championship heads to the iconic Autodromo Nazionale Monza for the F1 Gran Premio Heineken D’Italia 2020. This will be the 90^th Italian Grand Prix since 1921 and the 86^th time that the event will be held at Monza.

 

 

A look at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza

 

Built in the Royal Villa of Monza Park in its woodland setting, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza is a permanent racing circuit located near the city of Monza, North Milan in Italy. The circuit has played host to the Italian Grand Prix since the sport of Formula 1 began in 1950 with the exception of 1980 where the race was held at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari (Imola) in San Marino while the Monza circuit underwent refurbishment. The site has three tracks including the Grand Prix circuit, the 2.405km (1.494 mile) short circuit and a 4.250km (2.641 mile) high speed oval with steep banking which has been unused for many decades. The main features of the Grand Prix circuit include the Curva Grande, the Lesmos, Variante Ascari and Parabolica.

 

The first track was built from May 15 to July 1922 and financed by the Milan Automobile Club. The original circuit was 10km (6.25 miles) long with a flat banked oval section and a road circuit all combined into one. Since then it has continuously undergone many modifications and changes due to driver and spectator safety reasons.

 

The 1.6L turbocharged V6 hybrid engines displayed speeds of up to 360 kph (223 mph) in 2016. The circuit is mostly flat but has a gradual gradient from the second Lesmo up to the Variante Ascari. Due to low aerodynamic profile needed, with its resulting low downforce, the grip is very low, and understeer is a more serious issue than at other circuits on the calendar. However, oversteer is also present in the second sector, requiring use of a very distinctive opposite lock technique. Since both maximum power and minimal drag are key for speed on the long straights, only drivers with enough power or aerodynamic efficiency are able to challenge for the top positions. The drivers are full throttle for nearly 80% of the lap due to its long straights and fast corners.

 

The modern Grand Prix layout is 5.793km (3.900 miles) in length with 11 corners and runs in a clockwise direction.

 

Race distance is 306.720km (190.597 miles) in length with 53 laps in total.

 

Rubens Barrichello holds the fastest lap record with a 1:21.046 set at the 2004 event in his Scuderia Ferrari F2004.

 

Michael Schumacher holds the record for most victories at the Italian Grand Prix with five.

 

Scuderia Ferrari is the most successful constructor at its home Grand Prix with 20 victories.

 

Onboard Pole Position Lap of the Autodromo Nazionale Monza

 

Here is the onboard pole position lap of the Autodromo Nazionale Monza from last year’s event, set by Charles Leclerc in his Scuderia Ferrari SF90. The Monegasque-youngster posted a blistering 1:19.307. You can watch the footage right here at the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LCS-7gJ57s

 

The Last Five Winners

 

2019: Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari. 2018: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1. 2017: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1. 2016: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG F1. 2015: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1.

 

Tyres

 

With the Autodromo Nazionale Monza featuring some of the F1 calendar’s fastest straights and the teams running a low downforce/drag setup, F1’s sole tyre supplier Pirelli will be bringing with them the white-branded P Zero C2 Hards, the yellow-marked P Zero C3 Mediums and the red side-walled P Zero C4 Soft tyre compounds along with the green-marked Intermediates and blue-branded Full Wet compounds in case of rain.

 

With high energy loads up to 4.5g and all forces at work encouraging heat build-up through the tyres and big impacts with the kerbs, the tyre compound and structure is tested to its limits throughout the lap and is more demanding than a slow circuit. With a low downforce setup used at Monza, the drivers need to take care of the rear tyres, so they don’t provoke wheelspin especially out of the Variante del Rettifilo and Variante della Roggia chicanes.

 

All drivers will have eight sets of the C4 red side-walled Softs, three sets of the yellow C3 Mediums and two sets of the white C3 Hard rubber.

 

DRS Zones

As in 2019, there will be two DRS zones at Monza. The first zone detection point is 95 metres before turn seven with the activation point 210 metres after turn seven. The second zone detection point will be 20 metres before turn 11 with the activation point 115 metres after the finish line.

 

Pitlane Speed Limits

Pitlane speed limits will be 80km/h during practice, qualifying and the race.

 

ICYMI: Belgian GP Race Report: Hamilton dominates to 89^th-career victory

 

Lewis Hamilton cruised to a dominant Belgian GP victory ahead of Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, with the race interrupted by a big crash for Alfa Romeo Racing’s Antonio Giovinazzi, which also eliminated Williams Racing’s George Russell.

 

It was a processional race at the front of the field, with Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen claiming another third place, while drivers attempting an alternate strategy during the safety car period providing most of the action in the field.

 

When the 44-lap Belgian GP began, Bottas made a slightly better run off the line compared to pole-sitting team-mate Hamilton but was forced to go on the outside and tuck in right behind the Briton at the exit of La Source.

 

Bottas ran very close to Hamilton but the Finn lost momentum running up through Eau Rouge and instantly fell under-pressure from third-placed Verstappen.

 

But assistance from a tow by his team-mate Hamilton allowed Bottas to remain in-front as they reached Les Combes, where Verstappen found himself facing an attack by the quicker-starting Renault of Daniel Ricciardo.

 

The pairing ran wheel-to-wheel through the second part of Les Combes and the next right – with Ricciardo and then Verstappen running right off the circuit at the two respective points – but the Honda-powered RB16 remained ahead, whilst the Mercedes moved clear into the lead.

 

Hamilton was leading by 1.4 seconds at the end of the opening lap and the gap to team-mate Bottas increased and decreased over the next few laps.

 

The Mercedes pairing and Verstappen were the only drivers running in the 1:50’s, before the two F1 W11 EQ Power+ racers dip into the 1:49’s and the gap to the Dutchman rapidly grew to five seconds behind the leader.

 

Hamilton’s gap was at 1.8 seconds on the tenth lap when the race was stabilised after a huge accident for Alfa Romeo Racing’s Giovinazzi, who lost the rear of his Ferrari-powered C39 at the exit of turn 14 and crashed into the barriers on the outside.

 

Alfa Romeo Racing’s Kimi Raikkonen was behind his team-mate and managed to escape damage-free but a wheel that broke off Giovinazzi’s C39 bounced back onto the circuit and into the path of Williams’ Russell.

 

The Briton struck the wheel and his suspension of his FW43 racer was destroyed, then his car went into the barriers on the left of the track, with the deployment of the safety car as the two cars were cleared and the huge amount of debris were swept clear off the circuit.

 

Hamilton, Bottas and Verstappen took the opportunity to pit, with Mercedes double-stacking their drivers and fitted on a set of C2 white side-walled harder compounds.

 

This almost let Verstappen jump Bottas as he accelerated away having put on his own fresh set of hards, but the Finn remained in-front and the order stayed as it was before the safety car deployment.

 

When the race resumed on lap 15, Hamilton already moved clear from Bottas after making a great jump away at the Bus Stop Chicane on the previous lap.

 

This meant Bottas had no chance to fight his team-mate for the lead and at the front, the race settled once again, with Hamilton rapidly rebuilding his lead as the rest of the field could not match the top three who were running in the 1:48’s.

 

But Verstappen was much more satisfied on the hards than he felt on the mediums and was able to keep closer to Bottas as Hamilton moved further away in the lead.

 

Verstappen was able to keep 1.4 seconds behind the Finn for a few laps before both Mercedes turned the wick up and near the second third of the Grand Prix and Bottas pulled away.

 

Mercedes encouraged Bottas to give it “everything he got” as he and Hamilton posted a set of quick times in the 1:47’s but did not come in for another stop.

 

This meant the duo ran all the way to the chequered flag on a one-stopper and whilst it looked like an easy run to the line for the leaders, they both encountered minor issues.

 

Bottas first reported a numb left leg from the effects of braking force, and race-leader Hamilton was concerned about his front-right tyre – with both Mercedes at separate parts of the circuit in the closing laps suffering lock-ups at the Bus Stop Chicane and cutting the second part of the chicane.

 

But these issues resulted in nothing and Hamilton moved comfortably away, crossing the line to claim victory by 8.448 seconds, with Verstappen – who struggled with vibrations on his harder rubber as his second stint continued on, and wound-up seven seconds behind Bottas in third.

 

Renault’s Ricciardo came home fourth – making major overtakes on Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly, who did not opt to stop during the safety car period to jump up the field – posting a series of quick laps including the fastest lap of the race (gaining the bonus point) on the final tour of the Grand Prix.

 

The second Renault of Esteban Ocon snatched fifth place from Red Bull Racing’s Alexander Albon on the last lap with DRS assistance on the rundown the Kemmel Straight and on the outside coming into Les Combes as the Thai-Briton tried to make a soft-medium strategy work.

 

Albon was close to almost finishing fifth but remained ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris to take sixth.

 

Gasly put in several overtakes – mostly with DRS assistance on the long Kemmel Straight – as the Frenchman came from the rear of the field after his green flag pit-stop after he had taken the race-restart from fourth.

 

He fought back passed Racing Point’s Sergio Perez, who also did not opt to pit under the safety car and had to make a longer stint work on old softs and ended up finishing eighth.

 

BWT Racing Point’s Lance Stroll crossed the line in ninth and in-front of team-mate Perez, as Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Daniil Kvyat was 11^th.

 

Alfa Romeo Racing’s Raikkonen came home in 12^th and ahead of Ferrari duo Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc who finished 13^th and 14^th respectively.

 

Vettel finished the race with another battle of words with engineer Riccardo Adami, while team-mate Leclerc had a two-stopper – with the second stop a precautionary topping up pneumatic pressure in his SF1000 racer – en route to 14^th place after he gained a few places at the start.

 

Haas F1 Team’s Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen were 15^th and 17^th respectively with Williams Racing’s Nicholas Latifi in-between the duo in 16^th.

 

McLaren’s Carlos Sainz failed to start the Belgian GP after his MCL35 racer suffered an exhaust issue on the laps to the grid.

 

The Situation

 

Lewis Hamilton returns to Italy sitting on top of the Driver’s Championship with 157 points and has a 47 points lead over Max Verstappen who is second on 110 points while Valtteri Bottas is a further 50 behind the Briton in third on 107 points.

 

Mercedes comes to the Autodromo Nazionale Monza on top of the Constructors Championship with 264 points and a 106-point advantage over nearest rival Aston Martin Red Bull Racing who is second on 158 points while McLaren Racing is third and a further 217 behind the Silver Arrows on 196 points.

 

Click here for Formula 1 2020 World Driver’s (Top 10) and Constructors Championship Standings

 

The Formula 1 Gran Premio Heineken D’Italia 2020 weekend begins Friday September 4 with Free Practice 1 and 2, followed by Free Practice 3 and Qualifying Saturday September 5 and will the 53 lap Race Sunday September 6.