Before the 2018 Italian Grand Prix weekend began, I posted five prediction polls on the Lights Out twitter account. How many of the questions did you get right? Find out below!
1. Will the track record be beaten?
1. Will the track record at Monza – a 1:19.525 from 2004 – be beaten this weekend? #LightsOutPredictions #ItalianGP #F1
— Lights Out ●●●●● (@LightsOutF1Blog) August 30, 2018
YOUR PREDICTION: YES
CORRECT ANSWER: YES
As 72% of you correctly predicted, the track record at Monza was beaten over the 2018 Italian Grand Prix weekend. After standing for fourteen years, the record was beaten three times in quick succession, with Kimi Raikkonen ultimately ending up with the fastest time. The lap also goes down in history as the fastest ever Formula One lap, with an average speed of over 163mph. With the changing regulations for 2019, it may be a while before the record is beaten again.
2. Will the polesitter win the race?
2. Will the polesitter at the 2018 #ItalianGP go on to win Sunday’s race? #LightsOutPredictions #F1
— Lights Out ●●●●● (@LightsOutF1Blog) August 30, 2018
YOUR PREDICTION: YES
CORRECT ANSWER: NO
Unlike the polesitter in seven of the previous eight races at Monza, Kimi Raikkonen failed to convert his pole position into a win in Sunday’s Grand Prix. Instead, Lewis Hamilton became the first driver to win from behind the front row since Rubens Barrichello in 2009.
3. Will Haas overtake Renault?
3. Will @HaasF1Team overtake @RenaultSportF1 in the Constructors’ Championship this weekend? #LightsOutPredictions #ItalianGP #F1
— Lights Out ●●●●● (@LightsOutF1Blog) August 30, 2018
YOUR PREDICTION: YES
CORRECT ANSWER: NO
The battle for fifth in the Constructors’ Championship has heated up recently. Haas were just a few points behind Renault in the Constructors’ battle ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, and now lay ten points back after the fourteenth round. Romain Grosjean had finished fifth, but was disqualified from the result due to a technical infringement. The disqualification came after a complaint from Renault about the legality of the Haas car, which the FIA Stewards then investigated and found the floor of the car to have breached the rules. Haas will appeal the decision.
4. Which team will be on pole?
4. Which team will take pole at the 2018 #ItalianGP? #LightsOutPredictions #F1
— Lights Out ●●●●● (@LightsOutF1Blog) August 30, 2018
YOUR PREDICTION: FERRARI
CORRECT ANSWER: FERRARI
76% of you correctly predicted that Ferrari would have the faster car over one lap on Saturday. In the end, Kimi Raikkonen’s pole lap was 0.175 seconds faster than the quickest Mercedes.
5. How many cars will reach the end of the race?
5. How many cars will reach the chequered flag at the 2018 #ItalianGP? #LightsOutPredictions #F1
— Lights Out ●●●●● (@LightsOutF1Blog) August 30, 2018
YOUR PREDICTION: 17 or 18
CORRECT ANSWER: 17 or 18
58% of you correctly predicted that seventeen cars would reach the end of the Italian Grand Prix. Daniel Ricciardo, Fernando Alonso and Brendon Hartley were the three retirements from the race. However, seventeen finishers became sixteen classified cars in the final result, due to Romain Grosjean’s disqualification. Three of the last four races at Monza have seen sixteen classified finishers in the final result.