The 2024 Formula 1 season resumed with the final European race at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. After a four-week break, fans were treated to back-to-back races, and the excitement was palpable as the European season reached its climax. Following McLaren’s recent triumph at the previous round of the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix and renewed optimism at Ferrari, the paddock was buzzing ahead of the weekend’s race.
Race Guide
Race weekend: 30 August 2024 – 1 September 2024
Race date: Sunday, 1 September, 2024
Race start time: 15:00 local time
Circuit: Autodromo Nazionale di Monza
Laps: 53
Circuit length: 5.793km
2023 winner: Max Verstappen
| Pole position | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | |
| Time | 1:19.327 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | |
| Time | 1:21.432 on lap 53 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | |
| Second | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | |
| Third | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | |
If tracks could talk, the stories the Autodromo Nazionale Monza would tell! Built in 1922, this iconic circuit, known as “The Temple of Speed,” was the third purpose-built racetrack in the world after Brooklands and Indianapolis. It has witnessed both moments of sporting triumph and tragedy.
Situated in the picturesque Parco di Monza, the largest walled park in Europe, and just a 10-minute train ride from Italy’s stylish fashion capital, Milan, it’s the ideal Grand Prix to attend for a dose of late summer sunshine, amazing food, and the passionate atmosphere of Formula 1, thanks to the world-renowned Tifosi.
Its apt nickname, the Temple of Speed, perfectly embodies this concept. In 2003, Michael Schumacher set a record at the Italian Grand Prix, achieving the highest-ever average speed over a race distance of 247.585 km/h with his Ferrari. To honour this legacy, the trophies for the 2024 race are fittingly named “VROOOM.”
Weekend schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 30 August 2024 | Free Practice 1 (FP1) | 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm local time |
| 30 August 2024 | Free Practice 2 (FP2) | 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm local time |
| 31 August 2024 | Free Practice 3 (FP3) | 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm local time |
| 31 August 2024 | Qualifying | 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm local time |
| 1 September 2024 | Race | 3:00 pm local time |
In Saturday afternoon qualifying, Lando Norris secured pole position ahead of his teammate Oscar Piastri, leading a McLaren one-two in qualifying. Championship leader Max Verstappen could only qualify in seventh place. Norris delivered two impressive laps in Q3, both fast enough for pole, ultimately edging out Piastri by a tenth of a second. George Russell was unable to prevent McLaren from locking out the front row and lining up third on the grid.
On Sunday, Charles Leclerc secured a sensational victory on Ferrari’s home turf, fending off Oscar Piastri. Lando Norris completed the podium in third place. Leclerc’s win, his second of the season, came courtesy of a strategic one-stop approach that saw him finish 2.6 seconds ahead of Piastri. Despite starting as favourites with a front-row lockout, McLaren’s race strategy faced early challenges when Piastri overtook Norris on the first lap. This left Norris trailing and unable to rejoin the battle for the lead, ultimately settling for third place. The result narrowed Norris’s gap to Max Verstappen in the Drivers’ Championship to 62 points.
Championship background
Lando Norris kicked off the post-summer break with a dominant victory at the previous round in Zandvoort, narrowing his championship gap to 70 points behind Max Verstappen. Meanwhile, Verstappen was experiencing his longest winless streak since 2020, having not won in the last five races. This was putting Red Bull under increasing pressure from McLaren, with low-key performances from Sergio Perez and a peaky car philosophy also not helping.
In the 2024 Constructors’ Championship, McLaren were now just 30 points behind Red Bull, with Ferrari trailing by another 34 points. Ferrari were eager to put on a special performance in front of their passionate home crowd, the Tifosi. Monza, like every year, would be awash in red as fans watched on at speeds of over 200 mph on the straights.
Carlos Sainz, who took a brilliant pole position at the 2023 Italian Grand Prix, would be racing for Ferrari in Italy for the last time before he moved to Williams for the 2025 season.
Adding to the excitement, Italian Formula 2 star Andrea Kimi Antonelli would make his debut for Mercedes during the first practice session, with an expected announcement confirming him as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement in 2025.
Both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were looking to bounce back with a stronger performance at Monza after a challenging Dutch Grand Prix.
Race entries
Mercedes reserve driver Kimi Antonelli participated in FP1, making further preparations ahead of his heavily rumoured 2025 full-time seat for the team. He replaced George Russell.
After the Dutch Grand Prix it was announced that F2 driver Franco Colapinto would race for the Williams team for the remaining nine races of the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship. He became the 49th Grand Prix driver for Williams, the first Argentine driver in F1 in 23 years, and the second Argentine to race for the British team, following Carlos Reutemann. He replaced Logan Sargeant after a series of poor performances.
Aside from FP1, which featured reserve and test drivers and a driver switch at Williams, all the drivers from the start of the season took to the track during FP2, FP3, Qualifying, and the Grand Prix.
Tyre choices
Monza, in 2024, had seen a complete resurfacing of the track as part of a broader renovation and modernisation effort to secure the circuit’s future. The renovation work involved a team of 240 workers and 92 vehicles. After the resurfacing was completed in early August, Pirelli engineers inspected the new surface and shared their findings with the FIA and teams in preparation for the final European race of the Formula 1 season. As is typical with newly-laid asphalt, the surface was smoother and darker, which can cause higher track temperatures, potentially exceeding 50°C on sunny days. The new surface was expected to offer more grip, influencing tyre performance and operating temperature range. Track evolution was likely to be significant throughout the weekend as various racing categories accumulated laps.
At Monza, cars typically run with the lowest aerodynamic configuration of the season to reduce drag and maximise top speed. Stability under braking, traction out of the chicanes, and lateral loads in fast corners like the Parabolica (now named after Michele Alboreto) and Curva Grande would heavily test the tyres. In 2024, the dry tyre compounds selected were the same as in 2023: C3 as hard (marked white), C4 as medium (marked yellow), and C5 as soft (marked red).
Since Monza has one of the longest pit stop times of the year, a one-stop strategy is generally the fastest. In 2023, the race was straightforward, with most drivers opting for the two hardest compounds. Seventeen out of the 20 drivers started on the C4, while only Hamilton, Bottas, and Magnussen chose the C3. Fourteen drivers made just one pit stop, while six opted for two stops—though, in Piastri’s case, this was due to a front wing change after a collision with Hamilton. The remaining five drivers—Gasly, Zhou, Lawson, Hulkenberg, and Magnussen—had to pit twice because of significant tyre performance drop-offs during the first stint.
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Free Practice
In FP1, Championship leader Max Verstappen got off to a strong start, setting a time two-tenths quicker than Charles Leclerc in Ferrari’s upgraded car. After losing the Dutch Grand Prix to Lando Norris by nearly 23 seconds just five days before, Red Bull appeared much more competitive on the newly resurfaced Monza circuit, which featured flattened kerbs that could favour their car’s performance. Norris was third, 0.241 seconds behind Verstappen in the session, followed by Carlos Sainz in fourth, with Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas surprisingly taking fifth place.
Also in FP1, Kimi Antonelli had a dramatic crash during his F1 practice debut for Mercedes. The young Italian, who was anticipated to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025, was behind the wheel of George Russell’s car, generating significant excitement for his first official F1 appearance. However, just 10 minutes into the session, Antonelli lost control of the car at the final corner of the high-speed Monza circuit.
During FP2, Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in the second practice session posting a lap time of 1:20.738, narrowly beating McLaren’s Lando Norris by just three-thousandths of a second. Carlos Sainz, driving an upgraded Ferrari, came in third, followed by Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc to complete the top five. The session was briefly interrupted when Haas driver Kevin Magnussen crashed into a barrier.
On Saturday, during FP3, Lewis Hamilton led the final practice session for Mercedes ahead of qualifying, while Max Verstappen managed only sixth place. After setting the fastest time in the second practice on Friday, Hamilton again topped the leaderboard with a lap of 1:20.117, nearly a tenth of a second ahead of his teammate George Russell. Charles Leclerc finished just behind Russell in third place. His performance stood out as he set his time on significantly older tyres than the Mercedes drivers.
Full Free Practice Reports
Free Practice 1 Classification
FP1 was held on 30 August 2024, at 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm local time.
Free Practice 2 Classification
FP2 was held on 30 August 2024, at 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm local time.
Free Practice 3 Classification
FP3 was held on 31 August 2024, at 12:30 am – 1:30 pm local time.
Qualifying
Lando Norris took pole position from team-mate Oscar Piastri in a McLaren one-two in Qualifying for the 2024 Italian Grand Prix, as championship leader Max Verstappen could only manage seventh.
Norris had two laps that were good enough for pole in Q3 and beat Piastri by one-tenth as George Russell couldn’t stop McLaren from locking out the front row.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished fourth and fifth for Ferrari at their home race, while Lewis Hamilton took sixth place.
Sergio Perez was just behind his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen in eighth, with Williams’ Alex Albon and Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg rounding out the top 10.
Full Qualifying Report
Qualifying Classification
Qualifying was held on 31 August 2024, at 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm local time.
2024 Italian Grand Prix Starting Grid
The Grand Prix starting grid, with or without penalties, after the 2024 Italian Grand Prix Qualifying session.
What happened in the 2024 Italian Grand Prix?
After three diverse practice sessions and an incredibly close qualifying session—where Norris and his McLaren teammate Piastri locked out the front row, with the top six cars separated by less than two-tenths of a second—focus shifted to Sunday’s 2024 Italian Grand Prix.
The drivers arrived at Monza on race day to hot and sunny conditions, continuing the weather pattern from earlier in the weekend, with temperatures soaring above 30 degrees Celsius. However, there was a 40% chance of rain, adding an element of uncertainty to the 53-lap race.
In addition to the potential for thunderstorms, strategy choices were also up in the air. While Pirelli recommended a one-stop strategy as the fastest option, the high tyre degradation observed over the weekend suggested that some teams might opt for a two-stop strategy.
As the cars lined up on the grid and tyre blankets were removed, it was revealed that most of the field would start on the medium compound tyres. However, Verstappen, Perez, Ocon, Tsunoda, Stroll, and Bottas had chosen to start on the hard tyres.
Determined to avoid another poor start like at Zandvoort, Norris moved swiftly off the line to cover Piastri, maintaining the lead into Turn 1. Meanwhile, Russell, starting from third, locked up while trying to avoid Piastri’s rear, forcing him to take the escape road and drop down the order.
Moments later, Piastri made a bold move at the second chicane to take the lead from Norris. Leclerc capitalised on the situation as well, passing Norris and pushing him down to third. Further back, Russell, now in seventh place, appeared to have sustained damage to his front wing endplate.
The stewards were quickly busy, noting an incident between Ricciardo and Hulkenberg at the start. Replays showed Ricciardo squeezing Hulkenberg, causing contact.
“Hulkenberg was pushed into the gravel by Ricciardo,” the Haas driver reported, before being noted for a second incident involving Tsunoda after they collided into Turn 1. Hulkenberg became the first to pit on Lap 6 for a new front wing and hard tyres.
Up front, Piastri was leading Leclerc by just under a second by Lap 8, with Norris holding onto third, about two seconds behind his teammate. Meanwhile, Tsunoda retired following his contact with Hulkenberg, and Ricciardo received a five-second penalty for his collision with the Haas driver.
The stewards remained busy as Hulkenberg was hit with a 10-second penalty for causing the incident with Tsunoda. The on-track action was equally intense, with Perez overtaking Russell for seventh place. As a result, Russell pitted on Lap 12 for a new front wing and hard tyres, rejoining in 16th place.
By Lap 14, Piastri had extended his lead over Leclerc to more than three seconds. Norris, aiming to close the gap to Leclerc, attempted an undercut by pitting, though he locked up heavily entering the pit lane. After switching to hard tyres, he rejoined in eighth place.
Leclerc soon responded by making his own pit stop, re-entering the race behind Norris in seventh. Piastri then pitted on Lap 17, and while he remained ahead of Norris on track, the gap had noticeably decreased.
Leclerc expressed frustration over the timing of his pit stop via radio, as the undercut by Norris had cost him a position. Meanwhile, Ricciardo was handed a 10-second penalty for failing to serve his initial penalty correctly.
At the front, Sainz pitted from the lead on Lap 20, dropping to sixth, which promoted Verstappen and Perez, who had yet to stop, to first and second. Norris received a radio message referring to “papaya rules,” hinting at potential team orders, with Piastri leading by one and a half seconds.
The stewards continued their busy afternoon, noting an incident between Magnussen and Gasly. Magnussen had attempted an inside pass on the Alpine but locked up, resulting in contact between the two cars.
Anyone curious about the earlier radio message to Norris soon got some clarification when the 24-year-old was told, “You are allowed to race Oscar. Papaya rules.” At this point, Piastri had regained the lead after the Red Bull drivers made their pit stops for hard tyres, leaving Verstappen in sixth and Perez in eighth.
Perez then overtook Ocon on Lap 25, with the Alpine driver seemingly committed to a one-stop strategy. Meanwhile, at Haas, Magnussen joined his teammate in receiving a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision. Despite this setback, Magnussen managed to move ahead of Bottas to take 12th place.
Ricciardo was also making aggressive moves, battling with Gasly for 14th. However, a lock-up by Gasly forced him to go straight on at the chicane, handing the position to Ricciardo.
As the race reached Lap 29, Piastri remained in the lead with a 2.5-second advantage over Norris, while Leclerc and Sainz followed in third and fourth for Ferrari. Hamilton, with Mercedes struggling for pace, was in fifth.
Further back, Colapinto had overtaken Gasly for 15th place in his F1 debut for Williams. Meanwhile, Russell was pressuring Perez for seventh, and Norris, having locked up, lost time to Leclerc, allowing the Ferrari to get closer.
In response, Norris made a second pit stop on Lap 33, rejoining the race in sixth place with fresh hard tyres. It was a slow stop for Norris, and Russell, who pitted soon after, also had a slow stop, emerging in 12th place.
Norris quickly began closing the gap to Verstappen in the battle for fifth, prompting Verstappen to ask if he should defend against the McLaren. “Race him,” was the team’s response. Meanwhile, Piastri was asked about the possibility of a one-stop strategy, to which he replied, “I don’t think so, the front left is pretty dead.”
Piastri then pitted from the lead on Lap 39. Despite a slightly slow stop, he rejoined ahead of the battle between Verstappen and Norris. Russell managed to take eighth from Perez at Turn 1, despite being squeezed by the Mexican driver.
Norris was now focused on overtaking Verstappen for fourth place, with the Ferrari pair of Leclerc and Sainz in first and second, having not yet made a second stop. Using DRS on the main straight, Norris overtook Verstappen into Turn 1 on Lap 41.
Verstappen then pitted again, rejoining in sixth on medium tyres. Meanwhile, at the front, Ferrari was attempting to make a one-stop strategy work, maintaining a one-two formation with Leclerc leading.
With 10 laps to go, Leclerc held an 11-second lead over Sainz. However, Sainz had Piastri close behind, and Norris was a few seconds further back in fourth. Behind them, Verstappen was gaining on Hamilton in fifth with fresh tyres.
Despite defending hard on his aging tyres, Sainz could not prevent Piastri from overtaking him for second place on Lap 45 of 53. Sainz, celebrating his 30th birthday, began to struggle for pace as Norris closed in to challenge for third.
Norris didn’t take long to make the move, passing Sainz and setting off in pursuit of Piastri, who was three seconds ahead. Piastri, in turn, was seven seconds behind Leclerc, with the Tifosi cheering every time the Monegasque passed by.
Verstappen, meanwhile, was worried about Russell closing in from behind. “Even though it’s a **** position, it’s important,” Verstappen said, reflecting on his sixth-place standing.
As the final laps unfolded, tension mounted for Ferrari as Piastri continued to close in on Leclerc. However, the gap wasn’t shrinking fast enough for the McLaren driver to challenge, allowing Leclerc to hold on for a remarkable victory in front of the ecstatic Ferrari fans.
Piastri finished 2.6 seconds behind Leclerc, with Norris another three and a half seconds back in third. A small consolation for Norris was earning an additional point for setting the fastest lap of the race.
Sainz finished fourth on his birthday, followed by Hamilton in fifth and Verstappen in sixth, rounding out a tough day for Red Bull. Russell came in seventh, with Perez, Albon, and Magnussen completing the top ten.
Alonso missed out on points, finishing 11th for Aston Martin, while Colapinto concluded his F1 debut in 12th for Williams. Ricciardo finished 13th after serving two penalties, ahead of the Alpine duo of Ocon and Gasly in 14th and 15th, respectively.
Bottas, a strong contender for a future seat at Sauber, took 16th place, ahead of Hulkenberg in 17th, Zhou in 18th, and Stroll in 19th. Tsunoda was the only driver to retire from the race, withdrawing after a collision with Hulkenberg.
2024 Italian Grand Prix race results
The 2024 Italian Grand Prix Race was held on 1 September 2024 at 3:00 pm local time.
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 53 | 1:14:40.727 | 25 |
| 2 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 53 | +2.664s | 18 |
| 3 | 4 | Lando Norris1 | McLaren Mercedes | 53 | +6.153s | 16 |
| 4 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 53 | +15.621s | 12 |
| 5 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 53 | +22.820s | 10 |
| 6 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 53 | +37.932s | 8 |
| 7 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 53 | +39.715s | 6 |
| 8 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 53 | +54.148s | 4 |
| 9 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 53 | +67.456s | 2 |
| 10 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen3 | Haas Ferrari | 53 | +68.302s | 1 |
| 11 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 53 | +68.495s | 0 |
| 12 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Williams Mercedes | 53 | +81.308s | 0 |
| 13 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo2 | RB-Honda RBPT | 53 | +93.452s | 0 |
| 14 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 16 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 17 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas Ferrari | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 18 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 19 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
| NC | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB-Honda RBPT | 7 | DNF | 0 |
2Daniel Ricciardo received a five-second time penalty for forcing another driver off track and a further 10-second time penalty for failing to serve the first penalty correctly.
3Magnussen received a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision.
2024 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings for Drivers’ and Teams after the 2024 Italian Grand Prix.
2024 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings
| Pos | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | NED | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 303 |
| 2 | Lando Norris | GBR | McLaren Mercedes | 241 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | MON | Ferrari | 217 |
| 4 | Oscar Piastri | AUS | McLaren Mercedes | 197 |
| 5 | Carlos Sainz | ESP | Ferrari | 184 |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | GBR | Mercedes | 164 |
| 7 | Sergio Pérez | MEX | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 143 |
| 8 | George Russell | GBR | Mercedes | 128 |
| 9 | Fernando Alonso | ESP | Aston Martin Mercedes | 50 |
| 10 | Lance Stroll | CAN | Aston Martin Mercedes | 24 |
| 11 | Nico Hulkenberg | GER | Haas Ferrari | 22 |
| 12 | Yuki Tsunoda | JPN | RB-Honda RBPT | 22 |
| 13 | Daniel Ricciardo | AUS | RB-Honda RBPT | 12 |
| 14 | Pierre Gasly | FRA | Alpine Renault | 8 |
| 15 | Oliver Bearman | GBR | Ferrari | 6 |
| 16 | Kevin Magnussen | DEN | Haas Ferrari | 6 |
| 17 | Alexander Albon | THA | Williams Mercedes | 6 |
| 18 | Esteban Ocon | FRA | Alpine Renault | 5 |
| 19 | Zhou Guanyu | CHN | Stake F1 Team | 0 |
| 20 | Logan Sargeant | USA | Williams Mercedes | 0 |
| 21 | Franco Colapinto | ARG | Williams Mercedes | 0 |
| 22 | Valtteri Bottas | FIN | Stake F1 Team | 0 |
2024 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings
| Pos | Team | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 446 |
| 2 | McLaren Mercedes | 438 |
| 3 | Ferrari | 407 |
| 4 | Mercedes | 292 |
| 5 | Aston Martin Mercedes | 74 |
| 6 | RB-Honda RBPT | 34 |
| 7 | Haas Ferrari | 28 |
| 8 | Alpine Renault | 13 |
| 9 | Williams Mercedes | 6 |
| 10 | Stake F1 Team | 0 |
Sources:
- In Monza Formula 1 goes VROOOM! Pirelli.com
- Italian GP schedule: UK time, when to watch Monza F1 weekend live on Sky Sports as 2024 season continues. Skysports.com
- Italian GP: Max Verstappen fastest after Andrea Kimi Antonelli crashes on Mercedes practice debut at Monza. Skysports.com
- Italian GP: Lewis Hamilton fastest in second practice ahead of Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz. Skysports.com
- Italian GP: Lewis Hamilton tops Practice Three for Mercedes as Max Verstappen struggles for Red Bull in Monza. Skysports.com
- Italian GP: Lando Norris takes pole from Oscar Piastri in McLaren one-two with Max Verstappen down in seventh. Skysports.com
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