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Known amongst motorheads as the Temple of Speed, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza is set to stage the exciting Italian Grand Prix this weekend, as Formula 1 moves into the second half of an exhilarating season.
While three-time world champion and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen sits at the top of the standings, his fourth world championship does not seem as much of a sure thing as it might have been a few races ago.
Here are some of the storylines we are most excited about, for the coming race.
Protégé Debut
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has confirmed that protégé Kimi Antonelli will make his Formula 1 weekend debut on home soil at the upcoming Italian Grand Prix, with the youngster being handed a practice run.
Formula 2 racer Antonelli, who turned 18 on Sunday, has been widely tipped to replace Lewis Hamilton as George Russell’s team mate from the 2025 campaign, though Mercedes are yet to formally announce their plans.
What Wolff has now confirmed, however, is that their junior driver will be given a chance to appear for Mercedes during Friday’s first practice session at Monza next weekend, as one of the two rookie outings which teams are obliged to fulfill each season.
It comes amid a rapid rise for Antonelli, who has impressed on the junior scene via successive titles in Italian F4, ADAC F4, Formula Regional Middle East and Formula Regional European over the last two years.
Asked at Zandvoort what present Wolff is giving Antonelli for his birthday, and whether it could take the form of an FP1 drive in Italy, Wolff said: “That’s a good idea. Let’s do that.”
“It’s going to be a really emotional moment. We’ve followed him since he was 11 and a baby go-kart driver,” Wolff added.
“To see him drive out on Friday in FP1, in Monza, in front of the tifosi, having an Italian kid in a competitive car…. I think that will be something that everybody in Italy can be very proud of.”
Tifosi Turf
With Ferrari on familiar home ground, its drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will be cheered on by a roaring sea of red.
The team is hoping to capitalise on its P3 last weekend and keep Leclerc in the scramble for the championship with a number of new upgrades.
“We come to Monza in good spirits, following our performance in the race at Zandvoort,” team principal Fred Vasseur added.
“Monza is unique in many respects: the track is truly one of a kind, the only ultra high-speed circuit left on the calendar and this year it will present an additional challenge in that it has been entirely resurfaced, with changes also made to the kerbs at some corners.
“But what makes it really special for us is that we know we can count on the support of the tens of thousands of tifosi who will be cheering us on all the way and who, quite rightly, expect great results from us.
“With that in mind, our preparation has been scrupulous and we will be bringing some updates for the SF-24 that we hope will see us make another step forward in terms of performance.”
McLaren Magic?
Last weekend, Bahrain-owned McLaren stunned the motorsport world as its star Lando Norris was first past the chequered flag, bringing him ever closer in the championship standings to forerunner Verstappen.
Norris is in top form at the moment with his precise driving and a car that has been well-tuned over the past couple of seasons. And with a team ethos like the one built with Oscar Piastri, McLaren have quickly become the loudest retort on the racing grid against the Red Bull runs.
And although it’d be silly to dismiss the Red Bulls, it was more than a bit surprising to see the 20-plus second gap between Norris and Verstappen at Zandvoort last weekend.
Monza Madness
The track’s high-speed nature means the Italian Grand Prix is often one of the shortest races of the year. If run uninterrupted, it usually takes around one hour and 15 minutes from lights out to the chequered flag.
Due to the long straights and large portion of lap spent in eighth gear, the Monza lap is one of the lowest for gear changes on the calendar, with just 38, as well as only 11 corners, making for an insanely fast and high octane track. Only Las Vegas and Mexico have a higher maximum top speed reached per lap than Monza.
Monza has the highest percentage time (76 per cent) and distance (84pc) per lap spent at full throttle of any circuit on the 2024 calendar.
Extensive work has also taken place at Monza, with significant upgrades to circuit infrastructure.
The entire circuit has also been resurfaced and new kerbs installed which may give drivers a chance to carry a little more speed into certain corners.
