Pierre Gasly holds off Carlos Sainz to take astonishing win in chaotic and thrilling Italian Grand Prix
Phil Duncan
·36-min read
AlfaTauri driver Pierre Gasly of France celebrates winning the Italian Formula One Grand Prix, at the Monza racetrack in Monza, Italy, Sunday Sept. 6, 2020 - AP Pool/ Luca Bruno
Lewis Hamilton took the extraordinary step of demanding an explanation from the stewards midway through Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix after he was served a penalty that paved the way for Pierre Gasly to complete one of the most surprising victories in motor racing’s recent history.
Gasly, the 24-year-old Frenchman unceremoniously dumped by Red Bull 13 months ago, celebrated his maiden Formula One win, with McLaren’s Carlos Sainz, and Racing Point driver Lance Stroll completing an improbable podium at Monza. Hamilton finished seventh.
Hamilton had been on course for his sixth victory of the year after establishing a commanding 11-second lead with just 20 of 53 laps on the board. But the world champion and his all-conquering Mercedes team then performed an uncharacteristic error.
With Kevin Magnussen’s stricken Haas car parked in a dangerous position, and the safety car subsequently deployed, Hamilton missed two red crosses to inform him that the pit lane was closed.
Hamilton and the Mercedes pit wall had 12 seconds to react to the order but failed to do so. The Briton dived in for fresh tyres and his fate was sealed.
The stewards hit Hamilton with a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for the infringement, ending his hopes of claiming a 90th career win and moving to within one of Michael Schumacher’s victory record.
Charles Leclerc’s staggering 180mph crash at the menacing Parabolica on lap 24 led to a red-flag period – and a frustrated Hamilton left his Mercedes in the pit lane, before walking up the staircase at the rear of the paddock and heading to the stewards’ office.
“I wanted to see what had been missed because I swore there wasn’t a red light at the entry to the pit lane,” Hamilton later explained.
“The stewards showed me the on-board video and the signs which had a cross through them. I didn’t see them because I was looking elsewhere.
“It feels severe. A stop-and-go penalty often comes if you have done something intentional, driven erratically or put someone in danger. I don’t know if they can make the rule better for the future, but I accept it and move forwards. I hold myself accountable.”
I really want to acknowledge @PierreGASLY for his amazing win. It is so well deserved. For me, whilst I never like to lose I am grateful for the challenge. All we can do is continue to fight and never give up. To my guys, thank you all for continuing to push. 🙌🏾 pic.twitter.com/XEvSNOS1rd
Hamilton’s faux pas was the catalyst for the best race of the year, providing a shot in the arm for the sport after a series of predictable affairs.
Gasly started 10th but he was up to third at the restart after fortuitously stopping for tyres a lap before the safety carwas released. He then made mincemeat of Stroll when the race resumed on lap 28. Hamilton stopped for his penalty, Gasly assumed the lead and held his nerve. Sainz chased him to the line but the Alpha Tauri driver triumphed by 0.4 seconds.
Gasly, who became the first French driver to win a grand prix since the similarly unlikely triumph for Olivier Panis in a Ligier at Monaco 24 years ago, was reduced to tears when he crossed the line. “Oh my God,” he screeched over the radio. “What did we do!? We won the f------ race! Oh, my God. Oh, my God.”
Italian Grand Prix
The victory is the silver lining on what has been a turbulent year and a half for Gasly, sent back to Alpha Tauri after a series of poor performances for senior team Red Bull. Anthoine Hubert, his childhood friend, was also killed in a Formula Two race at Spa-Francorchamps in August last year.
“Honestly, it is unbelievable,” Gasly said. “I cannot believe what is happening right now. “It was such a crazy race. I have been through so much in the space of 18 months. I struggle to realise what has happened. I have got no words.”
Despite Hamilton’s troubles here, his 47-point championship lead remains intact after he passed eight cars and secured a bonus point for the fastest lap following his penalty. Max Verstappen retired with a broken Red Bull, while Hamilton’s team-mate Valtteri Bottas finished only fifth following a poor start.
British driver Lando Norris was fourth on a strong afternoon for the resurgent McLaren team, but a miserable weekend was sealed for Ferrari when both cars failed to complete their home race.
Sebastian Vettel retired with a brake failure on lap six before Leclerc’s seismic shunt. Leclerc went to the on-track medical centre but was given the all-clear.
03:34 PM
Okay, that's it from me today
Need to have a lie down and work out exactly how that all happened. Stay tuned for more race analysis tomorrow and enjoy the rest of your weekends. Thanks for joining me.
03:33 PM
Updated constructor standings
Great weekend for McLaren. Miserable one for Ferrari and Red Bull and obviously not great for Mercedes.
03:26 PM
Updated driver standings: Top 12
03:20 PM
I said there was an "absolute zero" chance of the Italian national anthem being played after the race
Happy to be proved wrong!
03:12 PM
Pierre Gasly reacts to a maiden victory
Honestly, it's unbelievable. It was such a crazy race and we capitalised on the red flag. We had a pretty fast car behind us. I have been through so much in the space of 18 months. I struggle to realise [what's happened]. I have no words. This team have done so much for me. It's crazy, honestly. I am so happy. It's just an amazing day.
He's the first French winner since Olivier Panis won the Monaco Grand Prix in 1996.
03:10 PM
Sainz reacts to his second, a best-ever result
It's incredible that I am half-way disappointed with P2. I wouldn't have believed that I would have got a chance to fight for victory today. I think it's what we deserved. I guess a bit of bad luck with the safety car but we did a good job to recover it after the red flag.
We need to be proud of that, we need to be proud of the pace of the car.
03:09 PM
Is Stroll happy with third? Yes and no.
I am. It's been a couple of years since I stood on a podium. I am so happy for Pierre, I think he really deserves it. It's a bit of a bummer, I think it was mine to lose from second but I just had no grip at the start. I had a good scrap with Carlos at the start. I am happy to pick up third. I think the win slipped away from us today. Great to finish third.
03:06 PM
One of the great wins
One of the most popular wins. After all his turmoil. Congratulated by all and sundry: Grosjean, Leclerc.
A bad day for Mercedes but a much, much worse one for Red Bull, somehow. Who fail to score any points.
03:02 PM
That is astonishing, truly astonishing
What a turnaround in a little over 12 months. McLaren so close but so far. Just 0.415s the gap behind...
What does Gasly have to say about this?
OH MY GOD! WHAT DID YOU DO?! YEEAAAAAH! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD GUYS WE DID IT AGAIN! OH MY GOD YES! WOOOOOHOOO!
03:01 PM
PIERRE GASLY WINS THE 2020 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX!
UNBELIEVABLE! WHAT! A! RACE! WHAT! A! DRIVER!
03:01 PM
CAN GASLY HOLD ON? CAN HE?
SAINZ GETS DRS INTO ASCARI... IT'S CLOSE BUT NOT CLOSE ENOUGH, IS IT?
JUST TWO TURNS TO GO...
03:00 PM
FINAL LAP
AND SAINZ AND GASLY ARE SO, SO CLOSE! GASLY GETS AN EXCELLENT EXIT FROM THE FIRST CHICANE WHICH MIGHT BE SAINZ'S LAST CHANCE...
SAINZ CANNOT GET CLOSE ENOUGH TO TRY ANYTHING, EVEN WITH DRS...
03:00 PM
Lap 52 of 53 - "I want this win, Tom"
Sainz tells his race engineer... he gets within DRS range but he won't get many uses of it. Will he even have it at the detection point? Yes, he gets it...
02:59 PM
Lap 51 of 53 - Sainz NEARLY within DRS range
1.1s... he might just get it on the last lap... but that might not be enough.
TWO LAPS TO GO.
02:57 PM
Lap 50 of 53 - The gap is stabilising
Sainz told he could unload his battery charge to get within DRS range. Or at least a bit more. Bottas not looking like he's going to take Norris and has fallen back.
THREE LAPS TO GO. Sainz STILL 1.5s behind Gasly. Arghh. This is so tense!
02:55 PM
Lap 49 of 53 - Sainz closes a little
But not by any great margin...
Hamilton takes Perez on the pit straight and is up into P9. Kvyat the next man. Gasly putting in good pace here to keep his lead at 1.5s... Sainz just cannot get much closer...
02:54 PM
Lap 48 of 53 - Hamilton now up into the points
But who cares about that? Sainz getting a little bit wobbly on exit in the Lesmos. Can he find the time to get within DRS range? How's your nerve Pierre Gasly?! We're about to find out.
FIVE LAPS TO GO. GASLY LEADS SAINZ BY 1.4S
02:53 PM
Lap 47 of 53 - Sainz not making the time up this lap, either
Within a tenth or so again. This would be one of the great stories in F1 in recent years if Gasly wins this. Or if Sainz wins it, to be fair. The time at the end of the lap is 1.4s...
02:51 PM
Lap 46 of 53 - Sainz closing and closing and closing
1.5s at the start of this lap. Where will it be at the end of it? Bottas still cannot get close enough to Norris to pass, though he keeps having a look.
Hamilton approaching the squabbling Raikkonen - who has very low grip - and Perez. Gasly extends his lead by a tenth at the end of the lap...
02:50 PM
Lap 45 of 53 - Norris under big pressure from Bottas
The Finn has DRS. But the Mercedes doesn't just have the pace on the straights. The gap between Sainz and Gasly is down to 1.8s! Sainz took six-tenths out of him the last time around...
Sainz eating into his lead little by little. 11 laps to go. Will he have enough time to close up and overtake him? Can Gasly hold on? The team (formerly Toro Rosso) won their only other race here with Vettel in 2008. Can they do it again?
02:44 PM
Lap 41 of 53 - Hamilton gets Russell
Bottas within a second of Norris but not reaaaally doing much. Sainz within three seconds of Gasly now. He took three-tenths out of him last time around. Top six runners all on medium tyres, so fairly matched now. Where can Hamilton finish? Points are obviously on here but much more than that? I am not sure. He might catch Bottas, though...
02:43 PM
Lap 40 of 53 - Hamilton gets Albon
And is up into P14. Russell next up...
02:41 PM
Lap 39 of 53 - Hamilton not really making an impression on Albon on the straights
It's running in a set-up designed to run at the front, not at the back. More downforce. He could have overheating issues, too, like Bottas. Sainz taking a little out of Gasly's lead but not exactly much. A tenth the last time around and just under that this time...
02:40 PM
Lap 38 of 53 - Raikkonen falling backwards now
Ricciardo gets him for P6. That Alfa just doesn't have the pace. Hamilton now up to the back of Albon. Well, within a second or so. Bottas looks like he's having overheating issues again. Gasly leads Sainz by 3.3s, Stroll a further 2.3s behind and Norris another three behind him.
Top 10:
GAS
SAI
STR
NOR
BOT
RIC
RAI
OCO
KVY
PER
02:38 PM
Lap 37 of 53 - Bottas takes Raikkonen for P5
He's still 9.9s behind the leader, though. And 1.3s behind Norris.
02:38 PM
Lap 36 of 53 - Norris gets Raikkonen
McLaren in P2 and P4 here. How will it end for them? Hamilton nearly within DRS range of Albon now...
02:36 PM
Lap 35 of 53 - Running order
GAS
SAI
STR
RAI
NOR
BOT
RIC
OCO
KVY
PER
LAT
GRO
RUS
ALB
HAM
GIO
OUT: VER, LEC, MAG, VET
Stroll, who had a poor first lap back, gets Raikkonen at the second chicane and the race is on now! The Canadian is now in third.
02:35 PM
Lap 34 of 53 - Sainz into second!
Raikkonen resists but Sainz gets through at the first chicane, despite being squeezed firmly and fairly by the Finn. Nice move, next up is Gasly, the race leader. YES, that sounds very strange.
02:33 PM
Lap 33 of 53 - Gasly leads Raikkonen by 2.4s
Sainz a further second behind Raikkonen and will surely move up into second in a matter of corners. Russell currently battling with Grosjean ahead and Albon behind. Raikkonen doing well here, actually. Think that Alfa Romeo is pretty trimmed out.
02:31 PM
Lap 32 of 53 - Giovinazzi takes his penalty
Sainz up to P3. Hamilton sets the fastest lap of the race. He should close up on Raikkonen pretty quickly. Bottas behind Norris, trying to close the gap. It's currently 0.7s, within DRS range.
Oh dear. In a race like this you do not want a result like that. Albon in the sister car is down in P14... Hamilton is making a huge impression into Albon.
02:29 PM
Lap 30 of 53 - Running order as Gasly leads
GAS
RAI
GIO
SAI
STR
NOR
BOT
RIC
OCO
KVY
PER
LAT
GRO
VER
RUS
ALB
HAM
OUT: LEC, MAG, VET
"That is some --------," Hamilton says as he is told he's 30 seconds behind Albon. Giovinazzi will have to take a stop/go penalty too. He's doing a good job for Raikkonen in second. Who is the favourite for the race now? I couldn't tell you... Gasly?!
02:27 PM
Lap 29 of 53 - This is brilliant
Gasly leads Raikkonen and Giovinazzi! Then Sainz and then Stroll and Norris! Bottas in second. Hamilton comes out nearly 30 seconds behind Albon in 17th and last...
We should get an unusual winner here unless Bottas does something interesting...
02:26 PM
THE RACE RESTARTS!
Hamilton leads with another good start, Gasly into second, Stroll has dropped back massively here, he's down in fifth behind the two Alfas!
Lance Stroll goes straight on at the second chicane after locking up! What a mess! He came back onto the track at an incredible speed... Sainz tries one inside Stroll but cannot make it stick and has to pull out of the move. Gasly leads as Hamilton comes into the pits to serve his penalty...
02:24 PM
Here we go...
The cars line up for the second time to do their second standing start. In normal times the race would have been over for about 10 minutes now. Norris escapes a penalty for his earlier slowing under SC.
02:23 PM
It will be a standing start
Mercedes have told Hamilton they will take the penalty straight away, or pretty much. Sainz complains of very cold tyres. I'm not surprised. There will be 27 racing laps until the chequered flag. Hamilton has a penalty, reminder. Stroll has changed to the medium tyres.
So here's the top 10:
HAM
STR
GAS
RAI
GIO
SAI
NOR
BOT
LAT
RIC
02:21 PM
Right, they are lined up in the pit lane for another formation lap
I am not sure if it comes off the total of race laps. It should, really.
02:15 PM
Looked like Hamilton went to the stewards in this red flag period
Don't think they are going to change his 10s stop/go penalty though.
Stroll in the box seat, here.
All drivers have pitted, except for Lance Stroll
However, under the red flag, his team is allowed to change his tyres, meaning he will not need to stop after the restart#ItalianGP 🇮🇹 #F1pic.twitter.com/UAeX9gCs4H
Five minutes to go under the race restarts. There will be a formation lap, the cars will form up and then the race will restart again, from standing.
02:10 PM
SESSION TO RESTART IN 10 MINUTES
Make a quick tea, get the popcorn, you are not going to want to miss this.
02:10 PM
Lance Stroll, who had not yet stopped, may be allowed to change his tyres in this period
Which makes him the favourite for this race. Always think that rule, if it still applies, is still a bit odd.
Racing Point's Canadian driver Lance Stroll competes during the Italian Formula One Grand Prix at the Autodromo Nazionale circuit in Monza on September 6, 2020. - JENNIFER LORENZINI/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Hold tight. This is going to be astonishing. And still half the race left to go!
02:05 PM
RED FLAG: Leclerc's Ferrari makes it back into the pit lane
Pretty wrecked. Awful race for Ferrari. They will have to repair the tyre barrier which may take a while. Could be 20 minutes, could be 40. It's that sort of thing.
🚩 RED FLAG 🚩
The race is suspended after Leclerc's accident at the final corner
Hamilton is the leader. When the race restarts he will have two laps to take his 10s stop/go penalty, and it will cost him 30 seconds, with the pack bunched up. That will put him, almost certainly, at the very back of the pack. Bottas isn't exactly in a great position here, either. But he could still win this race.
Lando Norris under investigation for going unnecessarily slowly under the safety car...
01:59 PM
HAMILTON AWARDED 10s STOP/GO PENALTY!
THAT'S HUGE! With the pack closed up as well. He won't be able to take it under the safety car, so it has to be taken under racing conditions. That is going to cost him an awful lot of time and that has thrown the race wide open! Very, very wide open!
⚠️ PENALTIES ⚠️
Lewis Hamilton and Antonio Giovinazzi both receive a 10-second stop-go penalty for entering the pit lane when closed
And it'll take a little while to sort it out. Sensible decision to red flag the race.
01:57 PM
RED FLAG: Current order
HAM
STR
GAS
RAI
GIO
SAI
NOR
BOT
LAT
RIC
VER
OCO
KVY
PER
RUS
ALB
GRO
OUT: LEC, MAG, VET
01:56 PM
With the race red flagged...
More intrigue from the Hamilton situation - there apparently was no red light on the pit entry, so perhaps that is why their potential penalty is taking longer to administer. The engineers would have known the pit lane was closed, though. Bit of an odd one, I don't think Hamilton is even going to be looking at that light board on the outside of the Parabolica.
01:54 PM
Lap 26 of 53 - RED FLAG
Race has been stopped. Hamilton has been told he will have to serve a penalty, or at least his team thinks he will. The barriers looked pretty hammered down there.
01:53 PM
Lap 25 of 53 - Not a brake failure for Leclerc
He lost the back end and steered into it and couldn't keep it going in the right direction.
10s stop/go penalty for Giovinazzi so you would expect the same for Hamilton, surely?
01:52 PM
BIG CRASH AT THE PARABOLICA
LECLERC GOES INTO THE BARRIERS. MASSIVE, MASSIVE CRASH. IS THAT ANOTHER BRAKE FAILURE? IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS...
That's awful... he's moving in the cockpit and speaking. But will be a little dazed. He's out of the car, gingerly.
01:51 PM
Lap 24 of 53 - Racing restarts
I really don't know how this is going to pan out but Hamilton is miles ahead already, Stroll hasn't pitted - weirdly - and is likely going to hold everyone else up or be a sitting duck. Leclerc is up to P4 now after all this. What's happened to the McLarens here? Down in P7 and P8 but with slower cars ahead who pitted a little earlier...
01:49 PM
Lap 23 of 53 - Safety Car in this lap...
So the field need to catch up pretty quickly. Hamilton leads Stroll and Gasly. Gasly has stopped. Stroll hasn't. Very slow stop for Perez and he comes out behind Bottas and Ricciardo. This is going to be interesting...
Hamilton, if he gets a penalty, will be in trouble because the field have closed right up.
01:48 PM
Looks like the pit lane WAS closed when Hamilton stopped
As with Giovinazzi. I think he seemed to realise this when he came in... he threw his hand up into the air a bit as if to suggest bafflement. Pit lane now open and the rest of the field come in... this is going to be very, very interesting.
Hamilton will regain the lead but will get get a penalty?
01:47 PM
Lap 22 of 53 - SC still out
Current running order:
SAI
HAM
NOR
PER
RIC
BOT
VER
STR
OCO
KVY
ALB
GRO
RUS
GAS
GIO
RAI
LEC
LAT
OUT: MAG, VET
If this is a penalty it should be a big one for Hamilton. Not only has he come through the pit lane when he shouldn't have, he will have gained a pit stop when others cannot.
01:45 PM
Lap 21 of 53 - Safety Car
The marshals have still not cleared the Haas out of the way, they are pushing it towards the pit lane, which is why the entry was closed and why hardly anybody else stopped. Have Hamilton and Mercedes made a mistake here? That will make it an interesting race...
Yes, Giovinazzi and Hamilton under investigation for entering the pit lane when it's closed... that's surely a certain penalty? And a big one?
01:44 PM
Lap 20 of 53 - Full safety car deployed
So that'll be everyone into the pits... and any intrigue with the pit stop window disappears. Shame. Hamilton makes it in but Sainz and Norris decide not to come in... that's... strange? Will they pit the second time around?
Pit lane entry now closed meaning others cannot pit... great. Wait. Is the pit lane entry closed? Other cars are coming in?
01:41 PM
Lap 19 of 53 - Hamilton leads Sainz by 12s
I mean, it's not a contest between them. And everyone knows that. But still, great job from Sainz. Norris now 1.4s ahead of Perez and with a bit of breathing room. The crucial time will come pretty shortly when the pit stops happen.
Magnussen pulls up towards the pit lane, can't make it there but is very close to a gap in the barriers so might just be double waved yellows rather than VSC or full SC.
01:40 PM
Lap 18 of 53 - McLaren are nearly back to good-not-great McLaren
LAP 12/53@McLarenF1 currently occupy second and third 👏
You have to go back to the 2014 British Grand Prix for the last time the team ran with two cars in the top three!#ItalianGP 🇮🇹 #F1pic.twitter.com/98BVMg8v2n
None of the frontrunners stopping yet. Leclerc does and is now in P17, ahead of Magnussen and Latifi.
01:39 PM
Lap 17 of 53 - Top 10
HAM
SAI +11s
NOR +15S
PER +17s
RIC +18S
BOT +19s
VER +20s
STR +22s
OCO +24s
GAS +25s
Bottas says he cannot race with his current engine settings. Albon takes Leclerc for 13th. Giovinazzi about to overtake Leclerc as well...
01:37 PM
Lap 16 of 53 - Bottas told to move off line
Overheating still a problem and now he has Verstappen right behind him. A contrasting afternoon for both Mercedes drivers. Hamilton sets another fastest lap and is 11s ahead of Sainz now.
01:36 PM
Lap 15 of 53 - Approaching the pit window
But don't see why Hamilton would duck in just yet. He can wait and see with the way the race is going. Sainz almost has that luxury too, although not quite as much of it. Norris has put some space between himself and Perez as the gaps between the rest of the runners immediately behind them increase. Verstappen 0.6s behind Bottas, as he has been for the last seven or eight laps.
01:34 PM
Lap 14 of 53 - This is going to be such an easy race for Hamilton
But imagine if he retired! What a race we'd have. Extremely wishful thinking, though. Anyway, Sainz doing well in that McLaren. Raikkonen holding position ahead of Leclerc.
Suggesting an overheating car. Verstappen is behind but not all over the back of him. Bottas was earlier told to run long but not sure running in traffic like this for so long as making that an optimal strategy.
01:30 PM
Lap 11 of 53 - Running order
HAM
SAI
NOR
PER
RIC
BOT
VER
STR
OCO
GAS
KVY
RAI
LEC
ALB
GIO
GRO
RUS
LAT
MAG
OUT: VET
01:29 PM
Lap 10 of 53 - Hamilton leads Sainz by 5.6s
Norris with his rearview mirrors full of Sergio Perez. Bit of a train developing behind those two. Bottas closing in on Ricciardo but not especially quickly. Mercedes set-up works well in qualifying but now he's in traffic and with a bit more downforce he's not scything through the field and that is a bit of a problem for him. He doesn't have the speed on the straights to get an overtake done.
01:28 PM
Lap 9 of 53 - Perez getting very close to Norris in S1
He can't make a move stick. This is helping Sainz, for sure. He's out of undercut window here, pretty much. Bottas not really making great progress on those ahead of him. He hasn't gone very well here traditionally.
Albon's penalty was for an incident in turn one, with debris coming off Grosjean's car. Definitely squeezed and probably a penalty.
01:26 PM
Lap 8 of 53 - Top 10
HAM
SAI
NOR
PER
RIC
BOT
VER
STR
OCO
GAS
Yellow flags in sector one, not sure what for - possibly for the debris from Vettel's incident. Hamilton 4.7s ahead of Sainz, who is 3.2s ahead of Norris, who is struggling a bit here.
01:25 PM
Lap 7 of 53 - Vettel pulls into the pits without brakes
And will have to do so very, very slowly. Perez within DRS range of Norris, Ricciardo within DRS range of him and Bottas within DRS range of him and Verstappen within DRS range of him.
Five second time penalty for Albon for failing to leave a car's width at the edge of the track. He's down in P14 at the moment...
01:23 PM
Lap 6 of 53 - Vettel has brake failure
That's not what you want around here. He goes straight on at the first chicane and through the polystyrene boards in the runoff area. Yep, a big fire on the rear of his car. Ouch. He'll be pulling into the pits to retire imminently.
LAP 6/53
Vettel can't get the car stopped at Turn 1, and dramatically smashes through the polystyrene barrier
Norris a further two seconds behind. Superb start from McLaren. In the tight fight for third place in the constructors' championship scoring all the points they can.
01:20 PM
Lap 4 of 53 - This kind of sums up Bottas's season at the moment
Good qualifying yesterday but poor start today. Still time to turn it around and really should finish second here with the pace his car his, but it's not a guarantee from where he is down in sixth...
Verstappen squeezes back past Stroll at the first chicane. Nice and clean work there.
HAM
SAI
NOR
PER
RIC
BOT
VER
STR
OCO
GAS
KVY
RAI
LEC
GIO
ALB
GRO
VET
RUS
LAT
MAG
Vettel has not moved up a single place...
01:17 PM
Lap 2 of 53 - Stroll past Verstappen!
The Canadian up into P7.
That was an awful, awful first lap by Bottas. He's slow at the moment and he lost four places there. Pretty woeful as it goes. Hamilton obviously leading the way and will be absolutely miles ahead in a matter of laps... which is a bit of a shame.
Bottas told his car is in good nick. Not sure his mind is.
01:16 PM
THE 2020 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX IS GO!
We're away!
It's a brilliant start by Hamilton and a poor one by Bottas as he's mugged by Carlos Sainz! Norris up to P4 by the first chicane already! He tries a move on Bottas around the outside in the second chicane and makes it through!
Hamilton leads Sainz who leads Norris. Bottas is making a mess of this as he's dropping back and back and back, he's down into P6 already, running wide in the second Lesmo. Verstappen is the next man... does Bottas have a problem? He thinks he has a puncture but he carries on...
01:13 PM
I've been feeling optimistic about this race since yesterday
But as the start approaches that is receding very quickly...
Ah well, if it's rubbish at least it'll be short...
Well, top 10 all on softs as they used them in Q2 yesterday. Kvyat in 11th and Vettel in 17th on the hards, Ocon and Leclerc on softs and everyone else on mediums.
01:07 PM
Four minutes to go
Can get quite tight into the first couple of chicanes. Let's hope for plenty of action there.
12:58 PM
The starting grid
No penalties etc here. Thanks for that.
Lewis Hamilton
Valtteri Bottas
Carlos Sainz
Sergio Perez
Max Verstappen
Lando Norris
Daniel Ricciardo
Lance Stroll
Alexander Albon
Pierre Gasly
Daniil Kvyat
Esteban Ocon
Charles Leclerc
Kimi Raikkonen
Kevin Magnussen
Romain Grosjean
Sebastian Vettel
Antonio Giovinazzi
George Russell
Nicholas Latifi
12:55 PM
Italian national anthem being played
Before the race. Suspect the chances of it being heard after the race are almost absolute zero.
12:49 PM
Current raw pace ranking after eight rounds
Mercedes - 100.000%
Red Bull - 101.020%
Racing Point - 101.424%
McLaren - 101.441
Renault - 101.677%
Ferrari - 101.740%
AlphaTauri - 101.810%
Williams - 102.912%
Haas - 102.941%
Alfa Romeo - 103.369%
These are calculated by taking a team's quickest time in qualifying and comparing it with the rest of the grid. The quickest time (and team) over the weekend gets a rating of 100%. As Mercedes have taken pole in every race they are averaging 100.000% over the year. Less than 0.4% between Racing Point and AlphaTauri shows that the midfield is very close indeed.
12:39 PM
Isn't this a nice moment?
Claire Williams waving Nicholas Latifi out of the garage on his lap to the grid.
Predictions? I really hope Bottas can get a bit fighty and that the fight for the final podium spot is interesting. Given Red Bull are struggling here this weekend we may see a podium that isn't entirely Verstappen/Bottas/Hamilton in various orders, as it has been for five of the seven races this year. And what if the two Mercedes take each other out on the opening lap? One can only hope...
I can see Daniel Ricciardo making his way through the field. Didn't quite get it right in qualifying yesterday but another tenth and a half and he'd have been on the second row.
12:27 PM
Ferrari won here last year
Winner Ferrari's Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc celebrates with champagne on the podium after the Italian Formula One Grand Prix at the Autodromo Nazionale circuit in Monza on September 8, 2019 - ANDREJ ISAKOVIC
Where did it all go wrong? Well, we know that really but Oliver Brown takes a deeper look at the struggles of the Scuderia. Read that here.
12:20 PM
Strategy chat from Pirelli
Can't see too much variance from the runners today, as ever.
This is going to be a short race. And a quick one. Possibly the shortest race by time in F1 history. Likely around 1h15 or so, depending on Safety Cars and things like that.
12:14 PM
Current driver standings - top 12
12:10 PM
Love this photo of Frank Williams and Patrick Head
From humble beginnings...
739 races, 114 victories, 128 pole positions, and 16 World Championships.
Ahead of this afternoon's race, we say thank you to the Williams family, and everyone who has been a part of this incredible story.
Not a bad list of achievements, really, when you consider it. Last few years have been poor but in 2014 and 2015 they were regular podium finishers, so it's not like the good days are too much of a distant memory. Hopefully the new owners will be able to help them climb up the grid.
12:07 PM
Vettel dumped out in Q1 yesterday
So he went to watch the action from the final corner. Nice.
Antonio Giovinazzi (Ita) Alfa Romeo Racing 1:21.206
George Russell (Gbr) Williams 1:21.587
Nicholas Latifi (Can) Williams 1:21.717
11:48 AM
Good afternoon F1 fans
Welcome to our coverage for the 2020 Italian Grand Prix from Monza. Yet again in qualifying Mercedes were the class of the field, locking out the front row in predictable fashion. Despite this, it was a pretty decent qualifying session overall, with the gap between Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas just 0.07s, with Hamilton the man who was slightly quicker yesterday on his final run.
British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes-AMG Petronas reacts after he took pole position the qualifying session of the Formula One Grand Prix of Italy at the Monza race track, Monza, Italy 05 September 2020. The 2020 Formula One Grand Prix of Italy will take place on 06 September 2020 - Jenifer Lorenzini/Pool/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Here's what he had to say after his 94th pole position.
Fantastic performance from the team today, just in terms of timing and when they put us out on track. It wasn’t the easiest, you saw how close it was between us all and it really demanded a clean lap and I think I got that on both. I’m generally very happy with the laps I did. Valtteri was very, very close, pushing. I made some big changes going into qualifying so I was a little bit nervous going in that it was the right thing to do, but it worked just fine.
One of the main talking points of the weekend has been the ban on engine "party modes" used in qualifying to give teams a power boost when they need it. From this race onwards their usage has been stopped, but it did not seem to alter the advantage Mercedes had over the rest of the field, with Carlos Sainz in third, over 0.8s behind Hamilton. An interesting thing to note is that neither Mercedes driver really improved on their Q2 time in Q3, which they have normally done by several tenths at every race this season.
Perhaps it may be the case, then, that Mercedes run, on average, a similar level of power but it has less of a peak in Q3 as it used to have. So, taking a theoretical 1-5 scale of power modes instead of running levels 2, 3 and 5 in each of the three sessions, they run 2, 4 and 4. In any case, it has not made a jot of difference to the formerly Silver Arrows and may have even disadvantaged Red Bull, who qualified in a disappointing 5th (Max Verstappen) and 9th (Alexander Albon).
As for Ferrari? Even worse than Spa a week ago. Leclerc in 13th and Vettel in 17th, not even making it out of Q1.
What can we expect from the race? Well, barring any chaos the best we can hope for is a tight fight up front with Bottas and Hamilton and then similar from below. I'll be here for the next few hours to take you through it all.
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