2021 Italian Grand Prix - Monza, Sep 10 - 12

[NathanOlder]

Wow, strange results there. Norris if he didnt have his lap deleted would have been ahead of Max by a few tenths , on a harder tyre!

[Just_a_fan]

Is 4.5 tenths realistic between Lewis and Max, especially with Max being on the softer tyre? If the Merc is actually that much faster then the race ought to be easy for him. Seems unlikely, however.

[Mr.S]

Verstappen will be very happy to be P2 @ the end of the race in Monza when Mercedes has comfortably the best PU & the best car of most of the season (except Baku, Monaco & the 2 Austrian Races), Mercedes have been roughly equal or better than RB in race pace !

So I guess P2 should be good enough. Mercedes should aim for a 1-2 which will give Hamilton some extra points vs Verstappen !

[NathanOlder]

Silly question time - is it perhaps better not to be on pole for the start of the sprint thingy? It's a very long run down to T1 - a tow behind the pole sitter might be better than being the pole sitter punching the the hole in the air. Then taking P1 in to the first chicane. Or is that me overthinking it?

Depends.

These cars are so wide, and T1 so narrow, that the front row will effectively block things, assuming P2 gets off as good as P1 and P3/4.

Something like a Formula Ford or something, for sure.

Yeah, from pole, if you get the initial launch right, you just move over to the right and block the inside. Your'e more safe on the inside from a rear end or t-bone situation. The run isn't anything like the run to turn 1 (turn2) in Sochi. So pole is the way to go.

[Just_a_fan]

We got a bit of a glimpse of a mess we can probably expect at the end of q3.

The sensible thing to do is to just go out and do your lap sooner. Getting in a decent clear lap might not be quite so good as getting a tow, but if everyone is tripping over each other, they are just as likely to not do so well anyway.

[Starkblood80]

Verstappen will be very happy to be P2 @ the end of the race in Monza when Mercedes has comfortably the best PU & the best car of most of the season (except Baku, Monaco & the 2 Austrian Races), Mercedes have been roughly equal or better than RB in race pace !

So I guess P2 should be good enough. Mercedes should aim for a 1-2 which will give Hamilton some extra points vs Verstappen !

Mercedes have the best car? Not sure which season you’ve been watching.

[yelistener]

2019 Q3 or 2020 Q1 happening again today?

Last year W11 was too dominating, so Mercedes in Q3 could afford getting Bottas out first with him still comfortably securing P2 without a tow. That's the main reason why Q3 went smoothly. This year it's obviously a lot different and I wonder if there'll be a ballsy team to do the same, to get one of their drivers out first, because if not, one of the quali sessions (if not all of them lol) will be in trouble.

[Hoffman900]

Wow, the Mercs cars are unbeatable. This like most races this season is theirs to lose.

Well, anything can happen in racing. That’s why we watch.

[Mr.S]

Verstappen will be very happy to be P2 @ the end of the race in Monza when Mercedes has comfortably the best PU & the best car of most of the season (except Baku, Monaco & the 2 Austrian Races), Mercedes have been roughly equal or better than RB in race pace !

So I guess P2 should be good enough. Mercedes should aim for a 1-2 which will give Hamilton some extra points vs Verstappen !

Mercedes have the best car? Not sure which season you’ve been watching.

I would say they were on par with RB at-least. Mercedes had the better race pace car in atleast 3 of the 4 races & probably tied with RB in Bahrain. And better in Silverstone, Hungary. Tied in France & Netherlands.

RB ahead in Baku, Monaco & the 2 Austrian races !

It is 50-50 at best or Mercedes ahead. They surely have the best car in Monza & Sochi with their PU which is quite ahead of everyone else.

[_cerber1]

[WaikeCU]

Red Bull sandbag with tuned down engine I reckon. Typical Friday stuff.

[NathanOlder]

Verstappen will be very happy to be P2 @ the end of the race in Monza when Mercedes has comfortably the best PU & the best car of most of the season (except Baku, Monaco & the 2 Austrian Races), Mercedes have been roughly equal or better than RB in race pace !

So I guess P2 should be good enough. Mercedes should aim for a 1-2 which will give Hamilton some extra points vs Verstappen !

Mercedes have the best car? Not sure which season you’ve been watching.

Please dont reply again to Mr.S , this guy just wants to start a debate. This is the Italian GP thread, lets keep it that way. Thank you.

[Mr.S]

Red Bull sandbag with tuned down engine I reckon. Typical Friday stuff.

Possible, could have higher fuel as well. Hamilton was half a second & then had another half due to tyre difference (Soft vs Medium).

No way Mercedes is 1 full second ahead of RB !

[NathanOlder]

Red Bull sandbag with tuned down engine I reckon. Typical Friday stuff.

RedBull usually top fridays more often than not don't they ? Over the course of the season , isn't it usually Mercedes who find more power come saturday . Very interesting to see, especially as we saw Lando go P2 on the medium before it got removed!

The only positive about the sprint race format is, we only have 2 hours now to wait for qualifying

[Just_a_fan]

Wow, the Mercs cars are unbeatable. This like most races this season is theirs to lose.

Well, anything can happen in racing. That’s why we watch.

Yeah, he doesn't mean it, however. It's an ongoing theme from that forum member.