With a show stopping summer of racing and a delightful Dutch Grand Prix complete, Formula 1 moved on to the Gran Premio d’Italia (Italian Grand Prix) at the historic Autodromo Nazionale Monza.
Following the Dutch Grand Prix, Williams announced that it would be dropping American driver Logan Sargeant for the remainder of the season. Sargeant, who had struggled all season, was close to being dropped after the summer break, prior to the Dutch Grand Prix where he had — once again — crashed in a practice session. This seemed to be the final straw for Williams, as they replaced him with F2 driver Franco Colapinto; this is a weird choice, considering the availability of reserve drivers like Mick Schumacher and Oliver Bearman, both of whom have Formula 1 race experience. It’s an interesting choice for the British team and only time will tell if it was the correct one or not.
Following an inevitable driver change from Williams, the race weekend started out with a bang — literally. F2 driver, and favorite candidate for the 2025 race seat at Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli filled in for Mercedes driver George Russell in Free Practice 1 (FP1). However, Antonelli’s first F1 session didn’t go according to plan as he managed to spin and crash on just his first lap causing a red flag. Even though Antonelli showed some pace prior to the crash, it was not a good look for the 18-year-old. The second Free Practice session of the weekend followed in similar fashion as Haas driver Kevin Magnussen spun and crashed, causing yet another red flag.
Even after his disappointing crash in FP1, Antonelli was announced to replace seven-time world champion and Ferrari bound Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next season. Though the decision was expected by many fans, it still came as a bit of a shock considering Antonelli will become the third-youngest driver in Formula 1 history. The promotion comes with challenges and pressure for the young driver; he’ll not only be the first rookie driver to race for Mercedes in over 70 years, but he’ll also be replacing arguably the greatest driver the sport has ever seen. It is sure to be an interesting season for the Italian driver next year.
The third and final Free Practice session was uneventful, but as the teams went into Qualifying, McLaren became the clear favorite with the home team, Ferrari, just behind. Colapinto did not have the start he’d hoped for his Formula 1 career, as he went out in Q1. McLaren driver Lando Norris took another pole position, his second in a row, with his teammate, Oscar Piastri, completing a front row lockout for the team. Russell followed up in third and home favorite Charles Leclerc took fourth in his Ferrari.
The race marked the 75th edition of the Italian Grand Prix and the 74th held at Monza. The track is one of the most fast-paced circuits on the calendar and always makes for an action-packed race. In fact, the track is so fast it holds 18 of the 19 fastest races in terms of total race time in Formula 1 history.
This year’s Italian Grand Prix lived up to its expectations, as the race started and ended in thrilling fashion. Norris got out of the gates quickly and maintained his lead into the first few corners, but his teammate, Piastri, was close behind. Russell locked up into turn one and nearly collided with Piastri, barely escaping a crash, breaking his front wing and losing some positions in the process. Piastri then made an astonishing and brilliant move around the outside of Norris to take the lead, leaving Norris vulnerable to Leclerc, who moved into second place. A little farther down the pack, Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg locked up into turn one and slammed into the side of Visa Cash App RB driver Yuki Tsunoda. Tsunoda was forced to retire his car shortly after; the track always seems to be a dark spot for the Japanese driver. It makes you feel bad for him, as he has only ever started in two of his four trips to Monza, managing to only finish one of them.
Following an intense and action-packed start, the race only became more enthralling. Strategy was super important this race, with most teams opting for a two stop strategy. The McLarens were clear favorites, but Leclerc was keeping up with the two Papaya cars. His teammate, Carlos Sainz, moved into fourth after the first round of pit stops. Hamilton and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen both struggled to keep pace with the McLarens and Ferraris. The former championship rivals were forced to battle it out between themselves for a top-five finish.
As all the drivers, including the two leading McLarens, headed into the pits for their second round of pit stops, both Ferraris stayed out and gambled a one stop strategy. It was a puzzling move as Monza has very high tire degradation and the decision could have come back to haunt the home favorite team. Luckily for them, the decision paid off big time as neither Piastri or Norris were able to catch Leclerc toward the final laps of the race.
It was a surreal experience because you could hear the Tifosi — the Ferrari fans — screaming as Leclerc rounded every turn with five laps to go through the TV screen. Ferrari brought an upgrade package that they said would significantly boost their pace, and they didn’t lie. Leclerc rounded the infamous Parabolica and took victory for Ferrari in Monza. The roars of the Tifosi were deafening. As he crossed the line you could sense pure elation from the home crowd. It wasn’t just a team victory, it was a victory for the country of Italy. This not only seems to be the pride of Ferrari, but the pride of Italy with chants of “Forza Ferrari” and “Forza Italia” ringing out throughout the circuit and the entire nation. Leclerc was elated on the radio, speaking Italian as he enjoyed the victory. He is a Ferrari driver through and through.
Piastri took second in yet another controversial call from McLaren, as they elected to not swap him and Norris who finished third. With the gap between Verstappen and Norris growing ever closer in the championship, every point matters, and McLaren once again made the wrong call. Magnussen ended up securing a points finish for Haas, but picked up another penalty during the race. Therefore he will serve a one race ban at the next race, due to an accumulation of penalty points.
When the top three took the podium, fans could see just how much it meant to the Tifosi, as they belted out the Italian national anthem and flew massive Ferrari flags along with Italian flags — the pride of a nation.
It was truly an impassioned Italian Grand Prix. With the season now officially two-thirds of the way through, it looks to be a three-way race for the top spot in the championship. Next, the teams head to Baku for what should be an enticing Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
