Nithyanandam Ramasamy
Monza delivers again! The Italian GP was a fitting end to the first triple-header after the summer break. The race weekend had dramas, euphoria, and controversies. It’s becoming more and more evident that whenever there is a sprint race, there is a crash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Let’s not forget mentioning McLaren, who had an impeccable weekend to win the race on merit. Now let’s delve into the data from the 2021 Italian GP.
Sprint Qualifying: Perez then, Gasly now, and who is next?
The second-ever sprint wasn’t a cliffhanger, but it did spoil Pierre Gasly’s weekend. Moreover, the ratio to risk is more when it comes to the sprint qualifying. Sergio Perez had a similar fate as Pierre Gasly at the British GP. We have to ask ourselves who could be the next victim at the Brazilian GP. The risk to reward factor could force drivers to be cagey and make it nothing but a procession. However, the jury is still out for our verdict on the sprint qualifying. Probably, the only notable actions from the sprint qualifying were Gasly’s accident and Fernando Alonso’s move on Sebastian Vettel.
The race start: Gio’s nightmare
Antonio Giovinazzi had a near-perfect weekend until the first lap. A brilliant qualifying and sprint qualifying set him up a tone for his home weekend. However, the heroic weekend turned its head when a tiny mistake in the first lap led him to drop down the grid and earn a 5-place grid penalty for rejoining the track dangerously. For the second week running, he lost ground in the first lap itself. We can call him unlucky, but Alfa Romeo will not consider his misfortunes while picking Valtteri Bottas’ partner for 2022. Time is ticking for the Italian to improve his racecraft.
The flying Finn:
The Italian GP felt like Valtteri Bottas was released from his shackles. We might ask ourselves, is this what the liberal Bottas could do? Undoubtedly, Bottas had one of his best weeks in Formula 1. A brilliant start to the weekend as he finished the qualifying on top and was able to replicate the same performance during the sprint qualifying. Unfortunately, due to an engine change, he was forced to start the race from the 19th.
He made a terrific fight back in the race passing cars after cars to finish on the podium. The Finn made as many as 11 on-track overtakes and gained 16-places in the race. He’s had the pace to challenge for the top. Is this what Bottas going to offer for the remainder of the season? One last hurrah with Mercedes! The porridge man spoiling Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton’s party is what we are living for!
Stint 2:
Daniel Ricciardo had beautifully orchestrated the Italian GP after taking the lead at the start. The papaya coloured McLaren had their best weekend in a decade as they brought their cars home 1-2. The second stint was terrific for both Ricciardo and his teammate Lando Norris. Their average lap times were separated by only 0.034s during the second stint. Undoubtedly, McLaren cars have hit their sweet spot at Monza.
Behind them, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas were separated by only 0.015s per lap during the second stint. After passing Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, Bottas struggled to pass Perez. As F1 simulations predicted, it was an improbable task to pass the car with similar performance characteristics at Monza. Mercedes will take the podium happily, thanks to Perez’s penalty. A huge boost for their constructors’ championship aspirations.
The 2021 Italian GP will reverberate for a lot of reasons. The jury is still open for fans to decide who is at fault for the Verstappen – Hamilton crash. However, be careful it’s like opening the pandora’s box. Mclaren leave Italy as the happiest team, but AlphaTauri had a forgettable return to Monza. Last but not least, Netflix must have enjoyed the race more than anyone, and probably we have to watch out for this particular episode in DTS. The 2021 Italian GP will be known for the Mclaren win that even Tifosi loved!
