F1 – Italian GP: circuit, lap times, prize list, stakes

As often at the beginning of September, the Formula 1 world championship ends its European tour with the emblematic Italian Grand Prix in Monza.

Circuit

Renowned worldwide for the popular fervor of its tifosi, the unconditional supporters of Scuderia Ferrari, the Monza circuit highlights the search for pure velocity. Moreover, this earned him the nickname of Temple of Speed, the average lap speed record having been set at 264.363 km / h, during qualifying in 2020, at the initiative of Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes). Since 1950, the Lombard route has changed face eight times, in particular using the famous speed ring during the 1956, 57, 60 and 61 editions. In its current version dating from 2000, after the modification of the Variante del Rettifilo in level of the first braking, it reserves 5.793 km of sequences mixing straight lines, chicanes and fast curves, requiring a generally low level of support. 53 laps are on the program for the Italian Grand Prix for a total distance of 306.720 km.

Chronos

In 2020, Lewis Hamilton therefore set the best lap average ever seen in Formula 1, at 264.363 km/h. To do this, the Briton took pole position with a reference time of 1:18.887. As for Sunday, the current record is much older, since it dates from the 2004 edition! Namely, a best lap in the race recorded by Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari) in 1:21.086. Last season, by way of comparison, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) took pole position in 1:20.161 and Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) the fastest lap in the race in 1:24.030.

Awards

The two drivers placed at the top of the hierarchy of world titles are also those who sit at the top of the list of the Grand Prix of Italy. Indeed, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton, both seven-time world champions, each have 5 victories at Monza: in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006 for the German and in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 for the Briton who has not won for almost two years. Only one other active driver has several victories at Monza, in the person of Fernando Alonso, who won there in 2007 and 2010. It should be noted that the last 5 editions to date of the Italian Grand Prix have given rise to as many different winners with, in chronological order, from 2018 to 2022, Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Pierre Gasly, the first French success for 24 years, then Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen. Last year, the Dutchman won ahead of Charles Leclerc, who started on pole.

Challenges

This Sunday in Monza, Max Verstappen has the opportunity to write an important line in the big book of statistics, in terms of consecutive victories. A week after having equaled the total of 9 successes in a row established by Sebastian Vettel in 2013, the Dutchman is very close to winning the absolute record, in the event of 10th victory in 10 GP, he who has not been beaten since. 4 months. His Red Bull team, already the holder of the greatest unbeaten streak of all time during this head and shoulders dominated 2023 season, can take their record to 15 consecutive victories, including the one acquired in the last 2022 event, in Abu Dhabi. Inevitably, in front of the tifosi, Ferrari has ambitions of success, although the last victory of the Scuderia dates back more than a year, to July 10, 2022 in Austria. Mercedes also intends to return to success, since November 13, 2022 in Brazil, the scene of George Russell’s first victory, just before Red Bull began its insolent series of invincibility.