1117th F1 GRAND PRIX | 94th ITALIAN GRAND PRIX | 74th GRAND PRIX AT MONZA
2023 POLESITTER: CARLOS SAINZ | 2023 WINNER: MAX VERSTAPPEN
The temple of speed. The fastest circuit on the Formula 1 calendar. F1 has raced at Monza in every season except one. The 2024 Italian Grand Prix is set to take place on September 1.
2024 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX: WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday August 30
Free Practice 1 – 1:30pm Local Time / 12:30pm UK Time
Free Practice 2 – 5:00pm Local Time / 4:00pm UK Time
Saturday August 31
Free Practice 3 – 12:30pm Local Time / 11:30am UK Time
Qualifying – 4:00pm Local Time / 3:00pm UK Time
Sunday September 1
The 2024 Italian Grand Prix – 3:00pm Local Time / 2:00pm UK Time
2024 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX: WEEKEND MILESTONES
In its history on the Formula 1 calendar, races at Monza have only previously been held between September 2 and September 16. With the 2024 Italian Grand Prix taking place on September 1, this is the earliest date in the year on which a Formula 1 race at Monza has been held.
Lewis Hamilton currently shares the record for most Italian Grand Prix victories with Michael Schumacher. A win for Hamilton at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix would be a record-breaking fifth Monza victory.
Like victories, Lewis Hamilton is also tied with Michael Schumacher for the most Italian Grand Prix podium finishes. Hamilton will be aiming to become the first driver to finish in the top three at Monza on nine occasions this weekend.
Max Verstappen has won the Italian Grand Prix in each of the last two seasons. Only one driver has won at Monza in three consecutive years: Juan Manuel Fangio, in 1953, 1954 and 1955. A win for Verstappen at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix would see him equal Fangio’s consecutive win record.
READ MORE IN MILESTONES AND RECORDS TO BREAK
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE 2024 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX
WHAT HAS CHANGED AT THE CIRCUIT SINCE LAST YEAR?
The entire track has been resurfaced since last year’s Italian Grand Prix. Bollards in the run-off area at Turn 2 have been replaced with a gravel strip and a gravel strip has been added on the right hand side between Turns 4 & 5.
HOW MANY DRS ZONES WILL THERE BE AT THE 2024 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX?
As usual at Monza, there are two DRS zones at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix. The activation zones are located on the main straight and between Turns 7 & 8.
MONZA TRACK GUIDE
‘La Pista Magica’ – ‘the magic track’ – is how Monza is referred to by Italians. The ferocious speed of the Autodromo Nazionale Monza encapsulates the spirit of the sport like no other circuit and requires the drivers to be on the absolute limit throughout the race weekend. Steeped in history and universally loved by Formula 1 fans, Monza has hosted the most Grands Prix in the sport’s entirety.
Italians, in particular the Milan Automobile Club, wanted to host an Italian Grand Prix to rival the already successful Grand Prix of the French Automobile Club. In January 1922, Monza was selected as the location for the new racing circuit, being selected rather than Gallarate or a Grand Prix in the Milan area. Monza was chosen due to its versatility of having a mass of open land – indeed the largest city park in Europe. Construction of the Monza circuit began in February 1922 and was completed by a 3,500 strong workforce during the summer of the same year, despite attempts to stop the construction due to landscape conservation fears.
The track opened its gates for the first time on 3rd September 1922. After six successful years, the 1928 Italian Grand Prix was marred by the death of the driver Emilio Materassi and twenty seven spectators in the worst accident seen in Italian motorsport. The event had a negative impact on the perspective of the sport in the country, leading to the event’s suspension for 1929 and 1930. Tragedy would strike again in the 1933 running, with three top drivers being killed in three heat races leading up to the main event. The terrible events led to chicanes being added to the circuit and, after the 1938 Italian Grand Prix, the banked section was dismantled.
READ MORE IN OUR ULTIMATE TRACK GUIDE
WHO WILL BE IN THE 2024 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX PRESS CONFERENCES?
The world’s media will have the opportunity to talk to the drivers ahead of the on-track action. The drivers appearing in the press conference for this race are:
Lando Norris (McLaren)
Sergio Pérez (Red Bull)
Alex Albon (Williams)
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
Nico Hülkenberg (Haas)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
The media will also be talking to prominent members of Formula 1’s teams in a separate press conference over the race weekend. The team members appearing in the press conference are:
Fred Vasseur (Ferrari)
Toto Wolff (Mercedes)
Peter Bayer (RB)
WHO WILL BE THE RACE DIRECTOR AT THE 2024 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX?
Niels Wittich will be the race director at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix.
WHO WILL BE THE DRIVER STEWARD AT THE 2024 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX?
Each weekend a former Formula 1 driver, or a driver from another prominent series of motorsport, joins the stewards to help judge any incidents from a drivers’ perspective. The Driver Steward this weekend is Johnny Herbert.
WHICH TYRE COMPOUNDS WILL BE USED AT THE 2024 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX?
Pirelli will supply the C3, C4 and C5 tyre compounds to be used at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix. The C3, C4 and C5 compounds were also used in 2023.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME AT THE ITALIAN GRAND PRIX?
Ferrari were on pole for their home race but Verstappen secured a record-breaking tenth successive victory at the 2023 Italian Grand Prix.
There were two red flags on Friday afternoon at Monza, with Lance Stroll stopping on track at the start of the second Free Practice session and Sergio Perez crashing out towards the end. Carlos Sainz set the fastest time in final practice on Saturday morning and he carried that pace into qualifying. Sainz took pole, with Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc completing the top three. Alex Albon impressed once again in qualifying, setting the sixth fastest Q3 lap time.
On the formation lap ahead of the 2023 Italian Grand Prix, Yuki Tsunoda came to a stop on the back straight. The start of the race was subsequently delayed by around 20 minutes and after three formation laps, the Grand Prix finally got underway.
Sainz led into Turn 1 with all 19 drivers making it safely through the first chicane. On Lap 2, at the second chicane, Albon overtook Oscar Piastri for sixth place while Verstappen challenged Sainz at the first turn on Lap 6. Unable to find a way past that time, Verstappen’s next real attempt did not come until Lap 15 when Sainz locked up at Turn 1. That gave the Red Bull the momentum to get the job done at the next chicane.
Both Perez and George Russell ran off track as the Red Bull attempted to overtake the Mercedes at the start of Lap 14. Perez made a move stick two laps later. The first chicane was a hot spot of action throughout the race, with the two McLarens making contact there on Lap 24. More McLaren contact followed on Lap 43, as Piastri made contact with Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes.
With Russell cleared, Perez set off in pursuit of Leclerc. His overtake came on Lap 32, when he then began hunting down the second-placed Ferrari. Perez had closed in ten laps later and spent a handful of laps attempting to overtake the Ferrari before finally finding his way past five laps from the end.
With the Red Bulls now ahead, the two Ferraris began to battle against one another for the final podium place in front of the Tifosi. Leclerc got past Sainz as the duo nearly made contact and locked up in a thrilling battle. Sainz got back ahead as Leclerc was told to take “no risk” on the final lap.
Verstappen scored an historic tenth consecutive Grand Prix win, leading home Red Bull’s sixth 1-2 finish of the 2023 season.
WHAT’S THE FASTEST EVER LAP AT THE ITALIAN GRAND PRIX?
Attending the 2024 Italian Grand Prix? Learn more about visiting Monza in the F1Destinations Travel Guide.
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