In FP1 at Monza, Verstappen took the lead while Antonelli faced a setback, crashing into the wall on the revamped track.
Under a blazing sun, the Italian Grand Prix at Monza kicked off with temperatures reaching 33 degrees Celsius in the air. On a completely resurfaced asphalt, the track temperature quickly rose to 49.5 degrees.
Numerous teams brought updates, often in the form of specific packages for Monza’s long straights. Red Bull reduced the downforce on both of its wings, while Mercedes F1 focused on the rear wing and its side edges.
Conversely, Ferrari’s package was as significant as anticipated. The sidepods were modified and reshaped, along with changes to the diffuser, floor, and engine cover. Additionally, both wings were redesigned for Monza, along with the mirrors and the placement of the camera on the nose.
McLaren introduced brake ducts and a front wing specific to Monza, as well as a reshaped sidepod. Aston Martin F1 brought a front wing, a rear wing, and a beam wing suited for Monza.
Alpine featured a front wing for the Italian circuit. The rear wing of the A524 was also very aggressive, though not listed as new. Williams also brought front and rear wings, as well as front wing endplates.
RB F1 introduced a collection of parts specific for high-speed circuits: a front wing, floor, rear wing, beam wing, Halo, and drag-reducing mirror mounts.
Stake F1 also brought developments for a better aerodynamic compromise, including a front wing, rear wing, floor, and diffuser. Lastly, Haas introduced a revised front wing and front suspension.
Two rookie drivers took to the track this Friday.
Two newcomers were on track for these EL1 sessions. Franco Colapinto made his Formula 1 debut as a full-time driver for Williams, as he will compete for the remainder of the season, while Andrea Kimi Antonelli had his first EL1 session for Mercedes, filling in for George Russell.
Antonelli immediately hit the track to set a lap and a first-time of 1’23″905. The Italian was assigned number 12, not typically the number for Mercedes’ third driver. Could this be his future number?
Max Verstappen went straight on at the chicane on his first lap, and Charles Leclerc cut the same chicane. Verstappen made the same mistake a second time at the chicane. The Red Bull featured a very aggressive rear wing.
Lewis Hamilton outperformed Antonelli with a time of 1’23″350 on soft tires, while Carlos Sainz also cut the chicane. Clearly uncomfortable with the braking into the first corner, Verstappen failed in his attempt to navigate the chicane.
Lando Norris was only 0″049 behind on medium tires, and Valtteri Bottas secured third place four-tenths behind. Antonelli was on track to better Hamilton’s top time, but the young Italian lost the rear of his Mercedes in the Parabolica.
After a long slide through the gravel, the car struck the tires sideways. Damage was visible on the wings, the right-side suspension, and the sidepod of the car.
The red flag was raised, and replays showed he entered the renowned Curva Alboreto too fast. Toto Wolff intervened over the radio to assure him “all is well,” but the driver could not hide his disappointment on the radio during his first EL1.
Verstappen set the best lap in 1’23″088 on soft tires, overtaken by Alex Albon in 1’22″664 on medium tires. Norris slotted in between, also on medium tires.
Franco Colapinto was significantly behind Albon but made a minor mistake exiting the Variante della Roggia. Valtteri Bottas led on soft tires with a time of 1’22″416.
Hamilton climbed the curb too much at the first chicane, then slightly ran off track at Lesmo 2. Drivers were finding their marks on this resurfaced track, particularly hot underfoot.
Sainz placed second, while Piastri failed to reach the top 10. Norris advanced to second place, just 0″027 behind the consistently leading Bottas. An in-form Bottas improved to a time of 1’22″127.
Hamilton was at 0″087 and Albon at 0″093, both on soft tires. Leclerc, who had a scare in turn 6 on the previous lap, aborted his next attempt and returned to the garage.
Colapinto made a fast lap and ranked ninth, while Guanyu Zhou had moved into seventh position shortly before. Sainz was improving but faltered in the last turn, unlike Leclerc who took second time, just 12 thousandths behind Bottas.
Finding the limit in the Curva Alboreto proved difficult, as after Antonelli’s exit and Sainz’s error, it was Nico Hülkenberg who narrowly avoided an incident in the circuit’s final curve.
Leclerc led with a time of 1’21″904, and Piastri was improving but did not succeed in the third sector, ultimately placing just behind Bottas. Norris slotted in second, 13 thousandths behind Leclerc. Sainz then recorded the third-fastest time.
After early session struggles, Verstappen captured the best time in 1’21″676. The Dutchman was unbeaten and finished ahead of Leclerc and Norris, but the hierarchy still appeared uncertain.
Colapinto made a mistake in the Curva Alboreto but did not hit the wall and managed to continue on his own at the end of the session. Esteban Ocon spun at the circuit’s first chicane.
Mercedes has issued a statement regarding Antonelli and repairs to George Russell’s car: “We are currently in the process of recovering the car as we speak. The impact was quite severe in the high-speed corner. Kimi was at the medical center to ensure everything was alright.”
“We will assess the car and hope it will be ready for FP2. It’s unfortunate that it ended this way. But he was pushing the limit right from the first lap, which is always good to see and is part of the learning process.”
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | 1:21.676 |
| 02 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari SF-24 | 1:21.904 |
| 03 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | 1:21.917 |
| 04 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari SF-24 | 1:22.126 |
| 05 | Valtteri Bottas | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | 1:22.127 |
| 06 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | 1:22.199 |
| 07 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes W15 | 1:22.214 |
| 08 | Alex Albon | Williams Mercedes FW46 | 1:22.220 |
| 09 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | 1:22.311 |
| 10 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | 1:22.315 |
| 11 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | 1:22.572 |
| 12 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | 1:22.605 |
| 13 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | 1:22.714 |
| 14 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault A524 | 1:22.763 |
| 15 | Guanyu Zhou | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | 1:22.854 |
| 16 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | 1:22.864 |
| 17 | Franco Colapinto | Williams Mercedes FW46 | 1:22.880 |
| 18 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault A524 | 1:22.880 |
| 19 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | 1:23.157 |
| 20 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes W15 | 1:23.955 |
- You may also like>Vowles: Sargeant ‘not up to par’, Colapinto and Schumacher ‘not special’
- Also make sure you follow us on social media>Facebook and>Twitter
Monza FP1 – Verstappen Leads Antonelli Crashes Monza FP1 – Verstappen Leads Antonelli Crashes. f1 2024 Monza FP1 – Verstappen Leads Antonelli Crashes
