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Formula 1 event guide – Round 15 Italy

By Thomas Miles

Date posted: September 1, 2023

History beckons as the “Temple of Speed” calls the Formula 1 paddock for the final European round of the 2023 season.

If the status quo remains Monza will be the scene of Max Verstappen becoming the first driver in Formula 1 history to score 10 successive Grand Prix wins.

The flying Dutchman matched the record of nine straight wins in fitting circumstances after a crazy race on home turf at Zandvoort.

If the #1 Red Bull remains in P1 once again Verstappen will go clear of another Red Bull star Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari’s Alberto Ascari.

Download the full Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix event guide HERE with track stats and facts and a full event schedule, plus our extensive driver profiles.

Max Verstappen is chasing a historic 10th straight Grand Prix win.Simon Galloway / LAT Images

Vettel achieved the feat a decade ago in 2013 when he won the final nine races of his fourth straight championship success.

Ascari was the first in 1952 and 1953, but he did not participate in the championship paying Indianapolis 500 of 1953.

Whilst he still won nine straight races he started in, the absence at the Indy 500 was sandwiched  between his seventh win at Argentina and eighth at Holland.

If Verstappen does venture into uncharted territory as expected, Monza will be an appropriate venue given both Vettel (2013) and Ascari (1952) had Italian Grand Prix wins as part of their respective streaks.

The reason why Red Bull and particularly Verstappen is expected to enter victory lane once again is the impact of its special DRS and mainly because Sergio Perez cannot come close to his teammate.

Perez was gifted a race-winning position when he made the right call to jump to inters straight away, but could only finish third on track behind Fernando Alonso.

This soon became fourth as a penalty for speeding in the pit lane dropped him to fourth, promoting an elated Pierre Gasly for Alpine.

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will be racing with a special livery at Monza celebrating the brand’s Le Mans success.

In the tense battle for best of the rest, Alonso gained some much needed breathing space on Lewis Hamilton.

The Spaniard now enjoys a 12-point gap over Hamilton, but Mercedes believed it had a “fast race car” and even matched Verstappen’s pace on the intermediates.

However, “catastrophic” strategy calls meant Hamilton and George Russell had to settle for sixth and 17th respectively.

All eyes will be on Ferrari with the Tifosi to stack the stands around the famous Monza circuit like usual.

The yo-yo like season for Ferrari continued in the Netherlands backing up a strong Spa podium with a fifth place for Carlos Sainz and a frustrating retirement for Charles Leclerc.

Ricciardo

Daniel Ricciardo won at Monza in 2021 but will be out injured in 2023. Photo by Zak Mauger / LAT Images

Last year the Tifosi spirits were up with Leclerc on pole and finishing second only to Verstappen but 2023 could be a different story.

There will only be one Australian on the grid with Daniel Ricciardo staying on the sidelines to recover from his broken hand.

This means Kiwi Liam Lawson will get another chance to shine for AlphaTauri, while Aussie Oscar Piastri will be looking to continue his good form for McLaren.

The alternate tyre qualifying system will return with Hards in Q1, Mediums in Q2 and Softs in Q3.

Just like last weekend rain could be a big factor with showers forecast for race day Sunday, which might be required to give Verstappen a challenge at least.

Photo by Steven Tee / LAT Images

Download the full Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix event guide HERE with track stats and facts and a full event schedule, plus our extensive driver profiles.

Listen to Supercars star David Reynolds in the latest edition of the AUTO ACTION RevLimiter Podcast HERE

    

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