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The Italian Grand Prix is set to be a fascinating next chapter in a thrilling title battle.Â?
With F1 barely having enough time to recover from McLaren’s dominance and the news Logan Sargeant is out at Williams, the sport arrives in Monza just three days after leaving Zandvoort.
With Monza’s unique high-speed demands, many teams bring parts specific to this track. Skinny rear wings are, of course, the most visually prominent feature. Designed to increase the airflow on the wing on an already aerodynamically demanding track, teams need low downforce to reach the top speeds.
F1’s second race in the second triple header of the season will once again showcase the ongoing battle between the championship protagonists. But all eyes will be on several teams.
How will Franco Colapinto and Andrea Kimi Antonelli perform on debuts?
Colapinto has the opportunity of a lifetime in front of him. Thrust into the limelight after Williams opted to drop the underperforming Logan Sargeant, he has a steep learning curve ahead of him. With no seat available at the team for 2025, the first Argentinian in F1 since 2001 has a golden chance to secure one of the few seats left on the grid if he performs well in the next nine races.
Having taken one win in this year’s F2 season, Colapinto lies in P6 in the standings but will drop the order in the year’s final races. But the Argentinian is targeting something far more valuable in his nine-race stint with Williams: F1 points.
However, these will not likely come quickly. His main goal at Monza will be to acclimatise to his new car and surroundings. The jump from F2 to F1 is a challenge at the best of times, let alone mid-season. However, Colapinto is familiar with a Williams cockpit. He had a very successful FP1 outing at Silverstone, impressing the team with his speed, gap to Alex Albon, and technical feedback.
Williams has drafted Colapinto because it is banking on him putting in more reliable performances, involving being closer to the potential of the FW46. Points will not be expected in Monza, but showing he is on the right trajectory will be. The Italian Grand Prix will not be a cruise for Colapinto. Expect pressure to be high.
By contrast, Mercedes protege Andrea Kimi Antonelli will only be in a Mercedes for one session. But with the Italian widely tipped to replace Lewis Hamilton next season, all eyes will be on Antonelli and his lap times. This one session has potential career-enhancing implications, and Mercedes will have prepped Antonelli appropriately.
Ferrari on home soil: Is the podium is out of reach?
Seldom in sport is more pressure applied to a team or organisation like Ferrari at Monza. At the Scuderia’s home race, its legions of loyal fans will don team wear and wave flags in honour of their team. Ferrari almost resembles a religion at the Italian Grand Prix, and expectations will be sky high.
However, the team is slipping down the competitive order, falling behind McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes in recent races. Zandvoort allowed a reprieve from the decline. Charles Leclerc scored an unexpected and well-earned P3, holding off Oscar Piastri around�Zandvoort’s tight corners.
But Monza looks set to expose the SF-24’s inherent weaknesses. The car has suffered from bouncing and balance issues between low-speed and high-speed circuits.
While strong at Monaco, where low-speed cornering is crucial, Monza’s high-speed corners and long straights will not benefit the car’s power unit delivery.
Car set-up is crucial at Monza. Ferrari will need a trick up its sleeve if it is to remain in the hunt for the podium. Sadly, A home win is out of the question, as it has fallen too far behind the leading teams.
McLaren vs Red Bull: Can Red Bull fight back?
The 22-second gap at the chequered flag between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen was a devastating display by McLaren. Norris’s emphatic pole position on Saturday acted as a statement of intent before a dominant win on Sunday.
Red Bull must unlock the RB20’s potential at Monza to regain its vice grip on the championship. The team lead over McLaren is now just 30 points, and the team urgently needs to find performance.
The reigning world champion said a “complicated issue” was behind his performance in Zandvoort. He revealed his car did not respond to his inputs. Verstappen likes a car on the ragged edge, so understanding this issue is critical for the team to rediscover its dominance. With barely a week between races, Red Bull will need to dig deep to take the fight to McLaren this weekend.
McLaren has taken a massive step forward over the summer break. Its latest update featured a completely overhauled rear wing. However, Monza’s unique nature will likely require a rear wing considerably different from the Zandvoort specification, so McLaren will face a true test against Red Bull at the Italian Grand Prix.
However, Norris and Oscar Piastri need to improve their race starts. Norris needed to pass Verstappen on track after too much wheel spin in the second phase of his start, while Piastri suffered similar issues.Â? The team will push hard to rectify these issues ahead of race day.
Feature Image Credit: Red Bull Content Pool/Getty ImagesÂ?