Italian GP: Free Practice #1 - Re-Cap & Times

ITALIAN GP - FREE PRACTICE #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES 

    It was Lewis Hamilton who topped a slightly rainy first practice session at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. The Mercedes driver set a fastest time of 1:21.537. Team-mate, Bottas, was close behind with a 1:21.972. Vettel, Raikkonen and Ricciardo completed the top 5.

    Towards the end of the session, drivers started to report drops of rain falling. There was plenty of rain predicted for the future sessions as well. 

    Haas F1 Team had originally planned on running Italian driver, Antonio Giovinazzi, in place of Magnussen, but changed their minds. It is now said that Giovinazzi will run in Singapore 2 weeks from now.

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:21.537 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

2. Valtteri Bottas - 1:21.972 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

3. Sebastian Vettel - 1:22.652 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

4. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:22.689 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

5. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:22.742 / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Australia

6. Max Verstappen - 1:22.749 / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

7. Sergio Perez - 1:23.317 / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

8. Esteban Ocon - 1:23.400 / Force India-Mercedes / France

9. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:23.465 / McLaren-Honda / Belgium

10. Felipe Massa - 1:23.561 / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil

11. Carlos Sainz - 1:23.680 / Toro Rosso-Renault / Spain

12. Kevin Magnussen - 1:23.973 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

13. Lance Stroll - 1:23.991 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

14. Daniil Kvyat - 1:24.012 / Toro Rosso-Renault / Russia

15. Fernando Alonso - 1:24.015 / McLaren-Honda / Spain

16. Romain Grosjean - 1:24.079 / Haas-Ferrari / France

17. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:24.542 / Renault-Renault / Germany

18. Jolyon Palmer - 1:25.166 / Renault-Renault / Great Britain

19. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:25.223 / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany

20. Marcus Ericsson - 1:25.687 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

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Italian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Renault

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - RENAULT SPORT FORMULA ONE TEAM

Nico Hulkenberg - “(Monza is) a very unique place; incredibly special and holds a lot of history. In terms of the actual track, it’s a high-speed layout which means a low down force configuration for the car, to favour top speed. Having such low down force becomes uncomfortable sometimes as the car feels light and quite floaty, which can be a bit of a struggle. Monza features a lot of hard braking zones and boasts some legendary corner combinations such as the Lesmos and the Parabolica. You can really feel the history, which is something I enjoy.

    Italy has a really good buzz, and that gets even better during the Grand Prix weekend in Monza. It’s a really special atmosphere. I love the whole park and area surrounding the track too. I like my food and, of course, eating a good pizza is mandatory during the weekend! The Italian lifestyle is really cool there and you can feel their passion around town.”

Jolyon Palmer - “It’s a very special track, and one I absolutely love. It’s one of those races which carries so much history, especially when you think of all the great races and all the great drivers who have won there. The crowd carry so much passion – you can hear the fans when you drive round. The track itself is very old school and enjoyable to drive. We take off a lot of down force so parts are flat out and there can be a lot of overtaking.

    I won and took pole at Monza in GP2 plus I’ve won twice in F2, so it’s been a good one for me. I think it’s actually one of my best tracks. Things didn’t quite go to plan there last year but hopefully I can do better this year.

    Monza has some long, fast straights so naturally you need good straight-line speed and then stability under braking. Combined with the speedy straights there are some very slow corners so you need to balance out the low down force with the need to be late and hard on the brakes. It’s all about finding a good top speed, with the optimum down force level for the chicanes.”

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Italian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Haas

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - HAAS F1 TEAM

Romain Grosjean - “Monza may be one of the circuits where we don’t improve the lap time that much compared to the past. It’s going to be fun though, with big straight lines and a lot of low downforce. The Lesmo corner and the Ascari chicane – they’re great fun.

    The good thing with Monza is there’s lots of overtaking opportunities. There’s turn one, three, eight and then the Parabolica. It’s more or less every single braking event.

    I think qualifying’s going to be key to finding the right tow. The race is always fun to play with the tow and having some fun overtaking maneuvers. We’ll see where we are and how well we get the car to work. There aren’t that many corners so it’s very hard to get the tires to work properly, but we’ll be on it.

    The atmosphere is crazy in Monza. The Tifosi, the fans – they’re just great. The track is in the middle of a park. It’s like nowhere else. There are so many people coming and watching, cheering for the drivers and, of course, for Ferrari. The atmosphere is electric. I love it.”

Kevin Magnussen - “Monza is probably the best track for overtaking on the calendar. It’s always exciting racing there. Monza is a track with a lot of history and home to some of Formula One’s most passionate fans. It’s is all about the atmosphere. It’s got so much history and the Italian fans are really into it and they’re extremely passionate. It’s always a fantastic experience racing there. I have been around the old track several times. It’s crazy to think they used to race around that kind of track.”

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Italian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO F1 TEAM

Daniil Kvyat - "I grew up in Italy and it's a country I know well; it's like a second home for me. I lived in Rome for some time when I was younger and I'm fluent in Italian, so I always enjoy going back!

    This race has been on the F1 calendar for many years and it's a legendary circuit: it has very long straights, which means we drive at very high speeds, and it's always an interesting race. The only thing I don't like is the fact that the Parabolica doesn't have a gravel trap any more… It's now all asphalt, so it's not such of a challenge and a compromise if you go off track; in the past it could end up meaning that your race was over!

    I have very good memories from Monza, as I won a few times while racing in junior categories, so it's always special to go back there every year. Having said that, I also have a negative memory from 2014, when my brake disk broke at Turn 1 compromising my race to finish in P11: Starting from the last position on the grid I was able to make my way up, but not enough to score points… A big shame, as we were doing a very good race! I hope to create more good memories this year!”

Carlos Sainz - "The Italian GP weekend is a bit of a frustrating one, because you want to spend the whole weekend eating pizza and pasta but you can't as we're there to race! A part from this, I have to say it's an amazing weekend and one of the things I enjoy the most is the Italian fans and their passion. I seem to have many supporters there – I even have an Italian fan club to whom I send my regards to from here! – and it's great to feel so much support!

    Monza is a circuit that I really like – I wouldn't say it's my absolute favourite, but it's up there in my top 5… It's the temple of speed after all! I haven't been able to score a good result there yet during my F1 career, but I'm confident it will happen one day…sooner or later!

    The entrance to the Paddock is special and different to other circuits, as it's absolutely full of passionate fans who wait for the drivers to arrive each morning. This means that before entering the Paddock we stop to sign autographs for 5 or 10 minutes, which gives me a good boost to start the day!

    The Italian GP weekend always coincides with my birthday – this time it will be on the Friday… It's a good way to spend this special day, doing what I love to do and celebrating it with the team, which is like a second family as we spend so much time together!”

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Italian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - McLaren

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - McLAREN HONDA FORMULA 1 TEAM

Fernando Alonso - “Like Spa, Monza is one of those legendary tracks where everybody loves watching cars going racing. With the new wider, faster cars this year, it will definitely be another circuit where we’ll see a new fastest lap and some incredibly high speeds on the straights.

    It’s the fastest circuit on the calendar in terms of outright speed, and for a driver it’s an incredible feeling racing down those iconic straights punctuated by the tight chicanes and big, fast corners that require a huge amount of commitment. We’ve always said this circuit wouldn’t suit our package, and we expect a tough challenge. Although it’s power-hungry like Spa, it’s also different in many ways. Spa is a long race; the Monza circuit is short and sharp and the race always feels like it’s over very quickly.

    The thing I love most about Monza is the fans. Even when you’re not dressed in tifosi red, the fans come out in force and they’re all super passionate about racing and motorsport. The Italian Grand Prix is a favourite for many people and it really deserves its legendary reputation as a magic circuit for race fans.”

Stoffel Vandoorne - “Monza is a really cool place. I’ve driven there in Formula Renault 3.5 and also in GP2, and I won there in both series, so I know the circuit well and have always really enjoyed racing there. The fans are great, they show a lot of passion, and you feel like you’re swept up by their enthusiasm the whole weekend.

    Spa was definitely a tough race for us, and we’ve always identified Belgium and Italy as two difficult weekends for us. It was hard to manage our pace with the rest of the pack on the straights, and we’re preparing ourselves for the same thing at Monza, but of course we’ll push hard every day throughout the weekend to try and give ourselves the best chance of a good result.

    As usual, the important thing is qualifying, but it’s in the race where we need to work on our pace and make sure we can maintain our position throughout Sunday afternoon. We worked really well as a team in Spa to try to we maximise our progression through qualifying and hopefully influence our prospects for the race, and I hope we’ll be able to do more of that this coming weekend.”

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Italian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Force India

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - SAHARA FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM

Sergio Perez - “I love Italy and I love Monza! It’s one of my favourite weekends of the season and the Tifosi are amazing – they make such a special atmosphere. All the passion you feel throughout the weekend is very special. Also the track is great – you get to experience truly high speeds; you arrive very fast into the corners, with very low down force, and it’s going to be very interesting in these 2017 cars.

    In many ways Italy is quite similar to the Mexico race in terms of the atmosphere and passion of the fans at the circuit. I’ve had some special days in Monza too, when I finished on the podium in 2012 and beat both the Ferraris. I guess that wasn’t great for the Tifosi but I still received a lot of support when I was standing on the podium.”

Esteban Ocon - “I always have special emotions when I visit Monza. I used to live in Italy and raced with an Italian team in my junior career so I know the country really well. I also speak Italian and I enjoy Italian food too!

    It’s one of the classic Formula One tracks. My favourite parts of the lap are the two Lesmo curves and the Ascari chicane. These are the corners that can make or break your lap. The combination of corners through Ascari feels very nice in a Formula One car.

    The atmosphere in Monza is always special. The Italian fans give so much support to all the drivers and you feel their energy. There is so much history and tradition in the country linked to Motorsport and you get to appreciate this in Monza.”

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Italian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Felipe Massa - “Monza is a track I love and a country I love to race in. I managed to have two podiums for Williams in Monza and it would be really nice to have another one. It’s a nice track with amazing Formula One fans so it’s always an amazing pleasure to race in Monza.”

Lance Stroll - “You just can’t get away from the history of the track and the passion of the tifosi who love the Scuderia. The atmosphere hits you as soon as you arrive and it is a great feeling for all of us drivers. I have been there in Formula 3, so this is another circuit that I have raced on, in fact the fifth and the last of the year that I know from a racing point of view. I think our car should be good there from what I have seen, and hope we can get a good result.”

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Italian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Red Bull

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - RED BULL RACING FORMULA ONE TEAM

Max Verstappen - “It’s maybe not the most positive track for us in terms of top speed but it’s always good to feel the atmosphere of the fans who are very passionate there.”

Daniel Ricciardo - “The atmosphere in Italy is pretty awesome. I normally like more technical tracks, but Monza is still fun. It’s a track I’ve always enjoyed and it’s quite unique. The drivers’ parade in Monza is always special as well. Everyone is shouting Ferrari, but it’s still pretty awesome to experience it.”

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Italian GP: Circuit Preview

ITALIAN GP - CIRCUIT PREVIEW + 2016 STATS

Name: Autodromo Nazionale Monza

Location: Monza, Italy

Opened: September 3rd 1922

Length: 3.600 Miles

Capacity: 113,860

Runs: Clockwise

Turns: 11

Race Laps: 53

2016 STATS

Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton

1st Place: Nico Rosberg

2nd Place: Lewis Hamilton

3rd Place: Sebastian Vettel

Retirements: Felipe Nasr (Collision Damage), Jolyon Palmer (Collision Damage), Pascal Wehrlein (Oil Leak) & Daniil Kvyat (Battery)

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Italian GP: Track Schedule

ITALIAN GP - TRACK SCHEDULE

August 31st / Thursday

12:20 - 12:50 - F1 2-Seater (3 x 2 Laps)

15:00 - Drivers Press Conference (Located in the Press Room)

16:00 - 18:00 - Public Pit-Lane Walk (3-Day-Ticket-Holders Only)

18:30 - 19:00 - Pit-Lane Walk (F1 Experiences) (F1 Experience Guests Only)

19:00 - 19:30 - Track Tour (F1 Experiences) (F1 Experience Guests Only)

September 1st / Friday

08:45 - 09:45 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

10:00 - 11:30 - Free Practice #1

12:45 - 13:45 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

12:45 - 13:15 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

13:15 - 13:30 - F1 2-Seater (1 x 2 Laps)

14:00 - 15:30 - Free Practice #2

15:45 - 16:00 - F1 2-Seater (1 x 2 Laps)

16:00 - 17:00 - Press Conference (Located in the Press Room)

September 2nd / Saturday

08:20 - 08:50 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

08:30 - 09:15 - Team Pit-Stop Practice

08:30 - 09:35 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

11:00 - 12:00 - Free Practice #3

12:05 - 12:10 - Honda 50th Anniversary Parade

13:00 - 13:45 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

13:00 - 13:30 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

14:00 - 15:00 - Qualifying

15:10 - 15:30 - F1 2-Seater (3 x 2 Laps)

17:10 - 17:30 - Fan Forum

18:45 - 19:15 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

September 3rd / Sunday

12:05 - 12:10 - F1 2-Seater (1 x 2 Laps)

12:10 - 12:15 - Honda 50th Anniversary Parade

12:20 - 13:05 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

12:25 - 12:55 - Ferrari Historic Parade (1 Lap)

12:30 - Drivers Track Parade

13:00 - 13:15 - Starting Grid Presentation

13:46 - National Anthem

13:47 - Frecce Tricolore (TBC)

14:00 - 16:00 - Race

(Subject to change)

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