FORMULA 1

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MCLAREN SEEK ANSWERS FROM RENAULT AFTER HEARTACHE AT SPA

Ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz surprised some in the paddock by saying he “expected more” from Renault’s latest Power Unit upgrade.

The McLaren driver, who raced for the French outfit last year, remarked to Spanish reporters in the Spa-Francorchamps, “There have been three engine evolutions. I didn’t notice the first or the second ones either.”

In the race on Sunday, both Sainz and Lando Norris had issues, the Spaniard’s car suffering power loss on the opening lap, and then o the final lap, while in fifth, Norris suffered a similar fate. It was a cruel weekend for McLaren’s resurgence, and cruelly through no fault of their own.

Shades of the problems that began when things started going south for the Red Bull-Renault marriage not long ago.

After the race at Spa, Sainz threw another undisguised hint the way of his former team, “These two situations are a little unacceptable, so you will have to talk to Renault about that.”

Recently, new McLaren team boss Andreas Seidl said of the team’s engine supplier situation: “In 2020 we have a contract and we will continue with Renault. For 2021, we will see.”

But the Spanish sports newspaper Marca speculates that McLaren could be positioning to secure a customer Mercedes deal, taking over from struggling Williams.

As for the problems at Spa, Seidl said: “We are all in this together and need to analyse what happened.

“Of course it’s disappointing to have two retirements, including a car that could not start the race. But Renault is doing a big effort to get more results this season and that is encouraging.

“It’s disappointing to have penalties and dropouts, but it’s important to have a transparent relationship so we can look at these issues and solve them together. But it was not a problem of excess mileage or the end of engine life, nothing like that,” he added.

Marca said McLaren cannot return to Honda power, because Red Bull negotiated an exclusive deal for five years.

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Valtteri Bottas is still free to fight for title – Mercedes

Mercedes has stressed that Valtteri Bottas remains free to fight for the 2019 Formula 1 title, despite losing further ground in the championship battle.

Bottas won two of the opening four rounds to hold a slender points advantage over Lewis Hamilton, but since then has beaten his team-mate to the chequered flag just once.

In Belgium Bottas finished third, with Hamilton second, meaning the five-time champion now has a 65-point advantage ahead of the remaining eight rounds.

Max Verstappen, after his early exit in Belgium, is now 87 points behind Hamilton.

“We’re going to encourage Valtteri as we did to go flat out, without getting ahead of ourselves,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.

“This is still a championship that is not one, neither – not the Constructors’ nor the Drivers’.

“Both of them have been very intelligent in their driving and fighting with each other, it’s one of the strengths of the team and I’m very proud of how they do it.

“Therefore Valtteri is free to go and fight for victories and for the best possible situation in the championship.”

Mercedes limited its damage to Ferrari in the Constructors’ battle, losing only five points, meaning it still holds a sizeable 145-point advantage.

“If you would have given me a second and third in Spa, I would have taken it before the race, because we know that our package compared to the Ferraris with the straight-line speed is inferior,” he said.

“Look at Turn 1 and then the following straight, Sebastian [Vettel] can’t be more off the line than he was and he was still able to overtake us.”

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Spa failures for Mercedes and Ferrari "surprised" Honda

Honda Formula 1 technical director Toyoharu Tanabe was surprised to see Mercedes and Ferrari suffer immediate failures on upgraded engines given their track record is so strong.
Two of the six new-spec Mercedes engines used at the Belgian Grand Prix were hit with problems, as Sergio Perez’s Racing Point came to a fiery halt in practice and Robert Kubica had a spectacular failure in his Williams.

Ferrari gave both Haas cars and Antonio Giovinazzi’s Alfa Romeo an upgraded engine ahead of fitting the new spec to its works cars this weekend in Italy, and Giovinazzi suffered a failure in qualifying.

Honda has spent years trying to improve its reliability since rejoining the F1 grid in 2015 and had many high-profile problems with McLaren, while Mercedes and Ferrari have excellent track records in the V6 turbo-hybrid era.

Tanabe told Motorsport.com: “I’m surprised, for two reasons. One, their reliability showed in the past, and also this year. We can only use three engines per year, so they must run more than 5,000km.

“They have a lot of experience of how to guarantee the mileage and the reliability using dyno endurance tests.

"The new spec, of course, passed that durability test in the factory, then the engine came [to the track] and had trouble. That is one question and also [why I am] surprised.

“The other is quality control: they supply two or three teams for a long time, they know how to control the quality, how to check it before they ship [to races].”

Honda is still trying to catch Mercedes and Ferrari and has introduced one more upgraded than its rivals this season.

Unlike those two manufacturers, and Renault, Honda does not have a works/customer team split.

Though Red Bull is its de-facto lead entry, Honda treats the senior team and its junior outfit Toro Rosso equally.

Mercedes tends to roll out engines across its works and customer teams at the same time, although Ferrari has traditionally let Haas and Alfa have first use before following one race later.

Tanabe said: “When we introduced the Spec 3 trackside last year, we had some calibration issues.

“We learned from that and tried to make a high-quality calibration for trackside.

“Your own team is important, so you can try something with the customer teams, how the new spec behaves at the track, and then optimise the calibration and later you introduce the engine to your team.

“Ferrari has a mature calibration or they know how to use the engine at the track efficiently, so immediately it performs well. That’s one of the ideas of using the customer teams.

“But at the same time, maybe you think ‘we are perfect, we can apply the engines [on all teams at the same time].”

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Alonso to attend Italian GP with McLaren

Fernando Alonso will return to the Formula 1 paddock at the Italian Grand Prix, with McLaren admitting he could have been an option to stand in for Lando Norris if the Briton’s foot injury had been more serious.

Norris hurt his foot while running over the summer break, and had to wear a boot brace to help his recovery. In the end, the pain subsided and he was given the all clear for Belgium last weekend.

While McLaren has called on Sergey Sirotkin as an emergency replacement for race weekend dramas, its team principal Andreas Seidl says that other options – including Alonso – would have been considered if it had been obvious that Norris could not race.

“With Lando being clear that he felt fine to race, the back-up would have been Sergey,” explained Seidl.

“It’s a different situation if we know early enough, to look for alternatives. But it’s something we discuss when it comes to that situation.

“Our reserve driver is Sergey, so we have the seat ready and everything, and we have prepared him in the simulator.”

Pushed on whether Alonso would have been a proper candidate due to his ongoing relationship with the team, Seidl said: “I don’t know exactly how the contract is exactly but he is still a part of McLaren.

“Zak [Brown] is still having a lot of exchange with him and other programmes I’m sure. If we would have an issue like that, there would be a discussion happening.”

Alonso’s visit to Monza with McLaren is not to fulfil any particular performance role with the team.

“He will come as an ambassador and visit us,” added Seidl.

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Haas sees no issues with Hulkenberg/Magnussen line-up

Haas Formula 1 team boss Gunther Steiner would have no issues with potentially partnering Nico Hulkenberg with Kevin Magnussen next season, despite a history of animosity between the pair.

Hulkenberg is favourite to replace Romain Grosjean alongside Magnussen at Haas in 2020, should the US-owned team decide to make a change.

Following an incident in the 2017 Hungarian GP, Magnussen famously told Hulkenberg to "suck my balls" after they met in the TV pen after the race.

Hulkenberg and Magnussen's rivalry also formed a key storyline in the Netflix series Drive to Survive, which covered the 2018 season, but Steiner says he's not worried about their history.

"We are running into each other even without history!" he said. "We would manage. I don't think about that, it's not about [them], it's about the team. We are all grown-ups, this is a business.

"I'm sure you have colleagues you don't like to work with. It's a business, I see it like this. You need to be practical with this stuff. But that is not a thing which would influence what we are doing. That is their problem, not ours, should it happen."

Hulkenberg indicated that he'd be happy to partner Magnussen, suggesting that teammates don't necessarily have to be friends.

"I'd love to see that," the German said with a smile. "Honestly, the teammate is the teammate. You have to accept them. With some you get on, but you don't have to get on. Maybe it's better, I don't know. I don't think that would be a deal-breaker for me."

Magnussen also downplayed the rivalry, stressing that there had only been one on-track clash.

"It was dramatised massively, getting really tired of this subject," he said. "Between me and Nico there's really been only once incident in Hungary two years ago. It's incredible we are still talking about it.

"I mean, there's not many drivers who are friends off the track. We say 'hi' to each other when we see each other on the drivers' parade, but there's no issue between us."

Magnussen said he wanted to have a competitive teammate, be it current incumbent Grosjean or someone else.

"Obviously there's no decision on that side so far," said the Dane. "But I'm happy either way, I'm happy with the teammate right now, and I'd be happy with anyone really.

"I think when you're in a midfield team you need a strong teammate, someone who is regarded strongly, rated highly, because that's the only way you can show yourself.

"And if you're not winning races, winning championships, you need someone strong alongside you to show what you can do otherwise it's hard to show what you can do without a strong benchmark next to you. But I feel like I have that now already. So I'm not complaining."

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Formula 1 finally confirms new five-year Italian GP deal

Formula 1 will hold the Italian Grand Prix at Monza through at least 2024 after a long-awaited contract renewal was finally confirmed.

It was revealed earlier this year that the Automobile Club d’Italia had received an agreement in principle to remain on the roster beyond the end of 2019.

Italy was one of five races that entered the year with an expiring contract and its place on the recently revealed 2020 calendar remained subject to a formal agreement.

On Wednesday, ahead of this year’s round at Monza, a new five-year deal was announced.

The news was made public during an event in central Milan to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Ferrari.

FIA President Jean Todt, Formula 1 boss Chase Carey and ACI President Angelo Sticchi Damiani were on hand to announce the development.

A World Championship round has taken place at Monza each year since the inauguration of Formula 1 in 1950, aside from 1980, when the venue was closed for renovation, and was instead held at Imola.

"We are really pleased to have reached an agreement with the ACI which ensures the Italian Grand Prix will remain on the FIA Formula 1 World Championship calendar until at least 2024," said Carey.

"This is one of four Grands Prix that were part of the 1950 championship and still features in the calendar and along with the British Grand Prix, it is the only one to have been held every year since then.

"History, speed and passion are words that motorsport fans associate with Monza. The feeling one gets at this Grand Prix is truly unique, as is the circuit’s distinctive podium.

"I would like to thank the ACI, especially its President, Angelo Sticchi Damiani for its efforts and this five-year deal means that another part of the jigsaw for the Formula 1 of the future, is now in place.

"The championship features many historic venues such as Monza and also new countries in which the already vast fan-base of our sport can grow."

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Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly set for grid penalties in Monza

Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly will start at the back of the grid for the Italian Grand Prix after taking on the new Spec 4 Honda power unit.

Honda has opted to take the penalties at the Monza circuit, likely in order to help better prepare for more favourable circuits such as Singapore and Mexico.

The Formula 1 technical regulations only allow up to three power unit changes within a season before grid penalties are handed out.

Alexander Albon and Daniil Kvyat recently took on the Spec 4 unit at the previous race in Belgium and also started the race at the back of the field.

Gasly has taken on the power unit usage from Albon's former car due to their respective team swaps.

"We now go from one classic track to another, from Spa to Monza for the Italian Grand Prix, which is the last race in Europe this year," said Honda chief Toyoharu Tanabe.

"It is one of the highlights of the season and also the home race for one of our teams, Scuderia Toro Rosso.

"From a PU point of view, the main development is that we plan to run the Spec 4 PU with all four drivers for the first time, after just Albon and Kvyat ran it in Belgium.

"For their first race with Spec 4, Gasly and Verstappen will therefore take grid penalties and start from the back of grid, but we believe they can still race strongly on Sunday.

"We gathered useful data in Spa, which we have used to make changes to PU settings and calibration in preparation for this race.

"We will try to maximize the potential of Spec 4 and hope to get another positive result, maintaining the momentum we gained in Spa."

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Five key talking points ahead of the Italian GP

Formula 1 moves with a heavy heart straight from Belgium to Italy for the high-speed blast around the iconic Monza circuit. Motorsport Week takes a look at some of the key talking points. 

Can Ferrari win again?

Ferrari allowed several opportunities to slip through its fingers during the first half of the season as a car that could have won four races had yet to get the proverbial monkey off its back. But Ferrari was not headed throughout the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, as the team topped every practice session, all three stages of qualifying, and won Sunday’s race, albeit with its achievement naturally overshadowed by Saturday’s tragic events. It was a timely victory for Ferrari and alleviates some of the pressure heading to its home race, where it is cheered to the rafters each lap by the passionate Tifosi. Ferrari had had a potent package on low-downforce high-speed circuits this year and Monza’s layout is perfectly suited to the strengths of the SF90. It shouldn’t just win. It should dominate. But that raises another question.

Who will it be?

Who is now Ferrari’s number one driver? Is it their four-time World Champion who dreams of emulating Michael Schumacher to deliver the crown. Or is it their young protégé who has been developed with the ambition of producing an in-house champion. It has now been a year since Sebastian Vettel triumphed at a grand prix and heads to the venue where he claimed the first of 52 wins 11 years ago firmly on the back foot. Lest we forget how Vettel’s race, and eventual title bid, began to unravel last season at Monza. This time around he has trailed Charles Leclerc through the last six qualifying sessions and nobly played the team game in Belgium as he pulled aside for his younger team-mate, who was able to preserve the tyres in a way that Vettel was not. It did not fit the theme for how previous races have played out. A win for Leclerc would cement him as the present, not the future. Vettel, though, will be keen to show he is not done yet. 

Or could Mercedes spoil the party?

It has not been lost on Mercedes that it has ruled the roost at Monza in Formula 1’s hybrid era. When Ferrari crowed at Silverstone last year about bringing the flag back to Maranello, Mercedes’ win at Monza prompted a formation return on the slow-down lap “just to remind our Italian colleagues”. Ferrari expected victory in 2018 but a mixture of it capitulating under pressure from an inspired Lewis Hamilton meant the party was wrecked. Mercedes is wary that it enters Monza unlikely to hold the fastest package but a team of its stature will not simply roll over and accept defeat. It will recognise opportunities, such as the start and strategy, while the forecast for the weekend is for mixed conditions – presenting more of a chance than stable and warm weather. Never rule out Mercedes. 

Can Ferrari’s customers benefit?

It is not a foregone conclusion that the best engine will necessarily be a huge benefit at Monza. Teams can play around with the set-up, drivers can make mistakes or lack confidence under the vital braking points, or outside factors can influence results. Ferrari held a substantial power advantage in Belgium but its customers missed out. Both Honda-powered Toro Rossos, the Mercedes-aligned Racing Points and a Renault scored points, while fifth should have gone to Lando Norris prior to his engine failure. Alfa Romeo could have been best-of-the-rest but Kimi Raikkonen’s race was scuppered by Max Verstappen while Antonio Giovinazzi’s strong recovery from a compromised grid spot (owing to his Q1 engine failure) ended nine kilometres from home when he shunted. Haas, meanwhile embarked on its usual slide down the order after a strong first lap. 

What about Italy’s ‘other’ team?

Much of the focus is understandably on Ferrari but travel an hour or so along the motorway from its Maranello base and you’ll find the town of Faenza, home to Toro Rosso, nee Minardi, Italy’s ‘second’ F1 team. The squad is unlikely to ever reach the heights of its famous pole/win double with Sebastian Vettel in 2008, but it is enjoying one of its strongest seasons since that pinnacle. Its podium with Daniil Kvyat in Germany boosted its points standings but even so it has been a competitive thorn in a prickly midfield. Kvyat raced to seventh place in Belgium while returnee Pierre Gasly bagged ninth, consolidating Toro Rosso’s fifth spot in the standings, ahead of some more famous names and teams that should be performing better. It is not merely P5 thanks to a one-off result. It has already surpassed 50 points, so can it take another encouraging result on home turf? 

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Ferrari, Mercedes face engine concerns for Monza

The Mercedes and Ferrari Formula 1 teams are likely to head into the Italian Grand Prix with some engine reliability concerns following the failures from its customers at Spa.
All six Mercedes-powered cars took the new Phase 3 power unit on Friday morning in Belgium, with the intention of making it to the end of the season with no further changes and thus no penalties.

However, Racing Point's Sergio Perez suffered a failure in FP2, and then Robert Kubica had a different issue in his Williams at the start of qualifying.

Both drivers had to revert to Phase 2 units for the race while the damaged examples were returned to HPP in Brixworth for analysis.

Mercedes boss Wolff admitted that there were concerns about the other cars heading into the race, and said pending an investigation the situation was not resolved.

"It didn't compromise us massively. It did a tiny bit," Wolff said.

"We were not taking any risks in the race. But it was certainly not a comfortable situation. The failures looked to be different and are not analysed and understood as of yet."

Ferrari introduced its new engine at Spa only in the Haas cars of Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen, and the Alfa Romeo of Antonio Giovinazzi, prior to its planned deployment with the works cars at Monza.

However, Giovinazzi suffered a failure in qualifying on Saturday, and Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto admitted that it was a cause for concern.

"That's a good point, no doubt," he said when asked by Motorsport.com. "We need to analyse what happened because one of these failures should be down to something wrong, quite detectable.

"The engine will be back tomorrow [Monday] in Maranello, the first need will be to disassemble it and try to understand. We've got a few days still to react. But yes, it is a concern."

Earlier in the Spa weekend Binotto stressed that introducing the new engine with customer cars was not a data gathering exercise prior to deploying it with the works team, as it should already be proven.

"The reason we are anticipating is not to get data," he said when asked by Motorsport.com. "By the time that you introduce a unit it should be fully reliable, homologated and validated on the dyno.

"So the reason why we are introducing is simply we are on different scenarios in terms of allocation, in terms of mileage, and certainly by splitting as well the building of the engines makes it a lot easier at the factory."

While the works cars are scheduled to take the new engine in Spa, Alfa Romeo boss Fred Vasseur told Motorsport.com that there are no plans for Kimi Raikkonen to upgrade for the Italian manufacturer's home race. Any future change will earn the Finn a grid penalty.

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Ricciardo: Spa a boost for Renault despite no points

Daniel Ricciardo says Renault should feel boosted by its speed at the Belgian Grand Prix, even though it failed to take home a decent haul of points.
The Australian's own hopes of a top 10 finish were dashed at the exit of the first corner when he was hit by Lance Stroll's Racing Point, badly damaging the right side of his car and leaving him lacking downforce for the rest of the race as he came home 14th.

And although teammate Nico Hulkenberg managed to take eighth place, Ricciardo is well aware that the whole weekend could have been better - especially if the outfit had not take grid penalties for fresh engines.

Asked by Motorsport.com how he judged the performance of Renault in Belgium, Ricciardo said: "It was promising - and I think even in the race, with such a damaged car, we held on pretty well.

"From the weekend itself, I think it was a very very strong weekend for us on pace. And coming into some of these other more low-downforce circuits, like Monza and that, I think it's promising.

"So we've just got to keep it rolling. Obviously we've missed out on double points, I think we definitely could've got a good handful, but we'll move on."

Ricciardo revealed that the lack of downforce he suffered after being hit by Stroll made his car feel 'wonky', and made going through the Eau Rouge corner each lap very tricky.

"All the right side of the car, the floor, was pretty much missing" he said. "I wouldn't say it was damaged, it was non-existent any more.

"I reported it as soon as it happened and I remember going through Eau Rouge and the car was very wonky, to be polite. So I came in the pits.

"I thought maybe we're going to retire the car because I suspected there was lot of damage, and then we put the mediums on and went out there, and even though it was a handful, it didn't seem the pace of the others was that strong.

"So I think we were like 'well let's just keep going and see what happens', and I think we held on to seventh for a while. I couldn't really believe it, but I was like 'maybe we're going to get some points out of this'.

"Eau Rouge is pretty easy full these days in these cars, but every lap through there if I was full I was holding my breath and otherwise I was lifting. It was a handful. But yeah, I was pretty proud actually we held on for that long, but at the end we couldn't obviously do any more."

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Masi says slow qualifying out-laps not a concern

Formula 1 race director Michael Masi does not share concerns from drivers that the slow speeds they are doing before qualifying laps is unsafe.
Lewis Hamilton said at the weekend that the nature of the slow speeds drivers found themselves having to do in qualifying in Belgium to try to get a tow and prepare their tyres was "dangerous".

Sebastian Vettel added that he thought matters had not been helped by the current generation of F1 tyres having a very narrow operating window.

"Obviously you are fighting for a tow and so on, but you are also fighting to get into the optimum window, which years ago it was not that critical whereas now it is," said the Ferrari driver.

"You are fighting for the best spot on the track which will hit the peak in Monza for finding the right tow because it does make the difference, but that has always been part of those type of tracks.

"But I feel if we had better tyres, we could play with probably a bit more speed and so on."

While Masi is aware of the practice taking place, and the concerns that drivers and their teams have, he thinks at the moment that there is no need to step in and take extra action.

Speaking about the situation, Masi said: "It is something that we have certainly discussed together with the sporting directors and at the current point, I think it is manageable.

"Once it gets beyond that [we may look into it], but at the current point it is something we are continuously monitoring during the season and we will continue to look at it."

Mercedes' trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin said the right track position was very important at Spa because a tow there could have been worth up to four tenths of a second.

Speaking in the team's post-race video debrief, Shovlin said that "no one wants to be that car in front" and when Hulkenberg slowed down it triggered a knock-on effect where "everyone had a very slow outlap, we were all tripping over each other".

"You do get the benefit of the tow, but the issue is your tyres are cold," said Shovlin.

"And that was a problem for us, we lost a bit of time at the first corner just because the tyres weren't in the right window.

"Looking ahead to Monza, it's going to be a similar situation. Very high-speed track, long straights and everyone is going to be trying to get a tow off everyone else.

"So, what you will probably see in qualifying towards the end is people are staying in the garage, they are waiting for the clock to run down, no one wants to go out first but eventually you've got to go, you've got to get that outlap in and you'll see people move.

"Now, what would be good is Ferrari, they are very fast in a straight line, if they would go out first, we can get behind them and get the benefit of that tow."

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Kvyat says Toro Rosso needs to sort qualifying pace

Daniil Kvyat believes that Toro Rosso needs to focus on improving its one lap pace if it is to have any hoping of protecting its fifth spot in the constructors' championship.
The Russian charged from the back of the grid to finish seventh at Spa-Francorchamps last weekend with a performance that he said had lifted his confidence.

But he is well aware that the outfit's hopes of staying ahead of Renault, which is only eight points behind, will rest on it being able to start further up the grid.

"We know [cooler] conditions helped us a little bit, but we cannot always rely on conditions to help us," said Kvyat. "We need to sort out qualifying like here. You know, it can't happen if we want to score more points.

"Hot conditions didn't really suit us on this track. And in theory this track was never going to really suit us, but we managed really to put everything together on the day that mattered the most.

"And to be honest I don't mind being a little bit off on a Friday and Saturday if we get everything right on Sunday."

Although the double points finish for Kvyat and teammate Pierre Gasly close the gap to McLaren ahead to 31 points, he is sceptical about the chances of overhauling the Woking team.

"It would be too optimistic to focus on them right now," he said. "They've been having a very good year. This race is more of a one off for them, we know how good they can be, and I feel we should focus on our race by race basis, not look too much in a constructors championship."

"I know it looks good, probably, now [after scoring in Spa]. But we can't look too deep in there. We just need to focus on what we have."

Kvyat added that one of the factors that left him so happy with the performance at Spa was the fact he was able to do so well from the back of the grid.

"Starting very last on the grid after you know we were missing some pace on Friday and Saturday, and putting everything together on a day like this, battling Red Bull Racing car for most of the race, who started ahead of me.

"It was an extra cherry on top of the cake, so really feeling confident and good at this stage of my career, and I will keep pushing."

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FORM GUIDE: The favourites for pole, points and victory in Italy

Formula 1 heads to another Blue Riband track, in the form of the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, for the 70th Italian Grand Prix. Here’s who we expect to do the business at Round 14 of the 2019 season.

Who’s the top tip for pole?

Okay, so what we’re going to write now is remarkably similar to what we wrote for Spa, but unfortunately there’s no hiding from it. Form-wise, Lewis Hamilton is absolutely the man to beat. Six poles the guy has to his name here, representing his joint-second highest haul for a track (he’s got eight in Melbourne!).

And yet, neither Mercedes driver could get within three-quarters of a second of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari in Spa. And with Monza expected to flatter the Ferrari SF90’s trademark characteristics of massive power married to aerodynamic efficiency even more than in Belgium, if one of the Ferrari boys can put a proper lap together, it’s hard to envisage anyone else getting a sniff of pole.

Of their two drivers, Sebastian Vettel is predictably the only one with pole experience here – he’s taken three, including that incredible maiden one with Toro Rosso in 2008. But Charles Leclerc has outqualified his team mate in the last six races, doing so in Belgium by a full 0.748s, so we’re calling it for the Monegasque’s second pole on the trot.

However, we’ll add here the caveat that it’s currently set to rain across Saturday and Sunday in Monza, so all of the above may get chucked out the window if that rain disrupts play.

Who’s looking good for the win?

Once again, on form, it’s Hamilton who gets the nod, with five wins in Monza, including an absolute masterclass last year where he broke (three-time winner) Vettel’s resolve and sent him into a spin, before launching a brilliant attack on pole-sitter Kimi Raikkonen to take the win.

However, while Mercedes’s race pace in Spa showed them having a 0.5 second per lap advantage over Ferrari – which Hamilton used to come within a gnat's whisker of unseating Leclerc for the victory – Monza doesn’t have a twisty Spa-sector-two equivalent where Mercedes’s W10 can shine. Quite simply, the Ferrari SF90 is so suited to Italian Grand Prix circuit, it’s practically a Monza special.

That being the case (and ignoring the weather) we’re calling a Ferrari win at Monza for the first time since 2010 – and given the way Leclerc perfectly managed the race in Belgium a week ago as Vettel fell away, we’ll once again call it for the Monegasque.

Who’s a podium outsider?

Unless the predicted rain throws the race into chaos à la Germany, it’s looking a tall order for Red Bull to count themselves in this category. The team have never had a podium at this track in the V6 turbo hybrid era, with their downforce-orientated car and lack of a class-leading power unit meaning their machines are simply poor matches for this ultimate power-rewarding track. Given that Max Verstappen is also set to start the race in Monza from the back of the grid for taking Honda's new power unit, podium prospects are not looking good for the Red Bulls.

A dry podium in a straightforward race we’d therefore expect to be made up of a Ferrari driver on the top step, with probably a Ferrari driver and a Mercedes driver either side – or two Mercedes drivers at a push. Hamilton has figured on the podium every year since 2014 (four times as a winner, the other time in second place) which is a daunting record for anyone to face. But Valtteri Bottas has also podiumed at Monza the past two years for Mercedes, so the race for those rostrum spots could be intriguing in itself…

Who’ll hoover up any points on offer?

While the Red Bull drivers will have their work cut out to make the podium in Italy, they’ll obviously be well-placed after that to claim points (Albon having finished on the podium here in F2 last year, incidentally) while McLaren will also be likely to feature in the top 10, given that Lando Norris came within a lap of taking his career-best result of fifth (and a comfortable fifth at that) in Belgium.

Elsewhere, look out for Racing Point’s duo in the top 10. Sergio Perez got the RP19 going nicely around Spa – a track he loves – but he’s also got great form at Monza, podiuming for Sauber in 2012 while he’s finished in the points here every year since 2014. Similarly impressive is his team mate’s form at the track, Lance Stroll having started from second on the grid here for Williams in 2017, while he’s taken Williams machinery to points finishes on both occasions he’s raced here – a fine record.

The Alfa Romeo cars also look good bets to do a spot of point-hoovering, the car having looked fast in Spa, while Kimi Raikkonen was the last person to take pole in F1 at this track – with the fastest ever F1 lap, no less – and Antonio Giovinazzi won here in GP2 in 2016.

Finally, Renault seemed pleasantly surprised by the pace of their R.S.19 at Spa, Daniel Ricciardo saying that the car appears to thrive in low-downforce set-ups. No set-up of the year is more low-downforce than Monza, so they’ll be hoping to find themselves in the mix too.

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Charles Leclerc expecting a ‘great welcome’ from tifosi at Monza

After winning the Belgian Grand Prix, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc looks set for a hero’s welcome from the tifosi at Monza after ending their wait for a win this season. And the Monegasque driver admits he can't wait for his first race in Italy wearing red.

Of course, this won’t be Leclerc’s first visit to Monza, having raced there for Sauber (now Alfa Romeo) in his debut Formula 1 season. The newly-minted third-youngest winner in F1 history says that was special – but this year should be even better.

“Last year, coming to Monza was probably one of the best experiences of my life,” said Leclerc. “The support I had, even though I was not a Ferrari driver, was unbelievable.

“So I can’t imagine now. Obviously, I just won my first race in Formula 1, so I’m pretty sure the welcome will be as great as it was last year but probably even more now, firstly driving for Ferrari and especially because I had my first win in Formula 1. So I’m really looking forward to arriving in Italy.”

So, another emotional weekend coming up for the 21-year-old, who had to deal with the raw emotions of the loss of his friend and fellow racer Anthoine Hubert ahead of winning in Belgium. But then mental strength seems to be something of a Leclerc trademark.

After winning in Spa, Leclerc described how he compartmentalised the tragic events of Saturday – just as he did when his father Herve died ahead of the Baku F2 race in 2017, which he also won.

“Obviously there were quite a bit of emotions before the race, and then once I got into the car, as I did for my father two years ago, you need to put all the emotions apart and focus on the job, which is exactly what I did.

“And then you realise at the end of the race, and all the emotions come back once you cross the finish line and I was very happy to win, to remember [Anthoine] the way he deserved to be.”

As he now heads to Monza, Leclerc will hope to do it all again, and make it two from two in front of thousands of tifosi.

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To win in Monza, Ferrari have to do ‘everything perfect’ - Binotto

Having broken their 2019 duck in Spa, Ferrari will leave no stone unturned to make it back-to-back Formula 1 wins, even if they have the perceived advantage going into their home race at Monza.

Odds-on to win in Italy, thanks to the power advantage they underlined in Belgium, Ferrari aren’t taking anything for granted after Charles Leclerc took his maiden win, and the team's first of the season, last weekend. Nothing will be left back at Maranello, stressed Team Principal Mattia Binotto.

“The win in Spa is important for our fans, hopefully many will join us in Monza to support us,” he said. “We’ve seen that to win, we need to do everything perfect, from the quali, to the start, to the team management, to the drivers themselves, so nothing can be left. I expect that it will be very difficult in Monza so we will need to be perfect there, knowing that Mercedes may be competitive as well.”

Expectations were high before the victory in Belgium, but to make it two out of two, the team have three major areas to focus on before they take to Monza: making sure the new-spec power unit holds up, working on their long-run and medium-tyre pace, and optimising their low-downforce package.

After Antonio Giovinazzi’s Alfa Romeo went up in smoke during qualifying, alarm bells rang at Ferrari, who will take the same-spec engine to Monza.

“We need to analyse what happened because that’s one early failure, [which] normally should be down to something wrong, quite detectable. So the engine will be back in Maranello and first will be the need to disassemble it and try to understand. We have a few days to react but yes, it is a concern,” Binotto said.

With just 11 turns and a focus on top speed, the Italian Grand Prix demands a package with even less downforce than the one used in Belgium - but Binotto is confident Ferrari have what is needed.

“Certainly Spa, as Monza, is one of the most power-sensitive circuits and we’ve proved that our package is competitive here in Spa, and we may expect to be competitive in Monza as well, no doubt," he said. "We’ve developed some low-downforce packages, some of it has been used here in Spa."

And while Leclerc seemed to have overcome his tyre issues at Spa, which held him back from a podium in Hungary, it was Vettel who was off the pace in Belgium. A concern, as Ferrari’s pace on the medium tyre on long runs was no match for Mercedes’ with Lewis Hamilton catching Leclerc at a rapid rate in the closing laps.

“I think our soft tyres worked very well; it wasn’t the case on the medium,” said Binotto. “Why is that the case? It’s very difficult to understand the tyres this season. And I think if you ask the same question to Mercedes they probably will struggle to answer you why they were not so strong on the soft but stronger on the medium.

"Hamilton seemed as surprised of the good pace he got on the medium. The difficulties on understanding the tyres are long term, we’re discussing it, and we’ve shown again how things may be."

“Certainly Sebastian [Vettel] suffered a bit more [than Leclerc] from degradation this weekend both on Friday and during the race. Seb is normally good in managing tyres especially in the very first laps, to use the tyres later in the stint, so it’s something we will… try to understand, analyse, and certainly if we learn it, we will improve ourselves in the future – but so far – no answer [why].”

A winless drought of 15 races now ended, Binotto still refrained from calling this a milestone in Ferrari’s season. He said, bluntly: “I think as far as to prepare for Monza, or the best way to approach Monza would have been to have won many races before, and not only Spa.”

It’s safe to say that the midnight oil is being burned at Maranello, Mercedes doing the same back at base to spoil the Scuderia’s party in the Italian Grand Prix. Favourites, perhaps, but Ferrari know all too well that such labels can prove fleeting on race day.

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Ferrari are Monza favourites but Mercedes can fight them, says Hamilton

Mercedes surprised themselves with the pace they demonstrated at Spa-Francorchamps. Yes, Ferrari won, but they didn’t have it all their own way as Lewis Hamilton pushed Charles Leclerc very close. It’s for that reason the Silver Arrows reckon they can be a thorn in the Scuderia’s side when Formula 1 rolls into their backyard at Monza…

The final two races of the European season traditionally go the way of the team with the best power unit. It is why Mercedes have had so much success at Spa and Monza in the hybrid era. But there’s a new horse in town, of the prancing variety, this season with Ferrari now top of the pile in terms of power.

At Spa, it was clear their engine gave them an advantage on the straights. Some speculated it was more than half a second per lap. But Mercedes, and in particular Lewis Hamilton, were able to make their tyres last longer, and that made them a threat in the closing stages. Hamilton was less than half a second behind winner Leclerc, and in DRS range as they crossed the line, with Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas third.

Some hope for Mercedes at Monza, then, even though the circuit only has 11 corners compared to Spa's 19.

“It’s all straights, so it’s going to be a happy weekend for Ferrari, most likely in that respect,” said Hamilton. “This weekend, in qualifying we’re losing over a second a lap. So, there’s not much me and Valtteri can do in that instance and there’s not a lot of corners there [at Monza] to catch that up.

“So, it’ll be interesting. In the next few days we’ve got to make some drastic improvements to our straight speed, somehow. I don’t know if that’s possible – but if anyone can do it, it’s our team. So, we’ll do our best. We’ve got slightly better degradation than them and it’s a longer race, so hopefully we can have another close race like we’ve had this weekend.”

Wolff doubts whether Mercedes can make the kind of gains Hamilton is after in the few days before Monza, but the result gives him hope the Silver Arrows can be in the fight in Italy.

“If you would have given me a second and third in Spa, I would have taken it before the race, because we know that our package compared to the Ferraris with the straight-line speed is inferior,” said Wolff.

“I know now a little bit how Red Bull felt in 2014 and 2015 when you are on the back foot on the straights.

Lewis Hamilton: 'One more lap' and we could have caught Leclerc

“I don’t think you can find 15kp/h in the next five days. But it is what it is, no complaining. We have just got to prepare for Monza the best we can, knowing that it is not a track that will suit us.

“It will favour Ferrari but we have got to do the best possible job. On the Sunday we are looking much closer, even on the high power circuits, so I still think that we have got to give it all we have to hopefully win the race in Monza.”

Mercedes suffered two failures during the Belgian Grand Prix, having debuted their new specification engine at Spa with their works team and customers, meaning they didn’t push the unit during the race.

“We introduced Phase 3 of our power unit and we had two failures on Checo’s [Sergio Perez] and Robert’s [Kubica] cars which are not understood,” said Wolff. “It didn’t compromise us massively, it did a tiny bit. We were not taking any risks in their race but it was certainly not a comfortable situation because the failures looked to be different and are not analysed of yet and understood.”

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SAINZ: VERSTAPPEN ALMOST BETTER THAN HAMILTON

Carlos Sainz has made a frank assessment of some of his rivals on the Formula 1 grid and suggests there is little to separate Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton at the top of the list.

“Hamilton, I give a 9 or a 10,” the McLaren driver told the Spanish broadcaster Movistar.

“Since Rosberg left, he’s been at a very high level with less pressure. Verstappen is almost better, but at Spa he did the wrong thing,” Sainz said, referring to the Dutchman’s crash last Sunday with Kimi Raikkonen.

“Bottas is always there, but he doesn’t finish it off,” he continued. “He is at a very high level, but Hamilton has something that is difficult to explain. He’s so relaxed, like he’s smoking a cigar.”

As for Esteban Ocon, Sainz said he was not overly surprised that Renault signed the Mercedes-backed Frenchman.

“I was not surprised because last year I heard those stories at Renault. They really wanted to sign him and have a Frenchman as a bonus. But I was surprised that they didn’t keep Hulkenberg.

“He was not able to take advantage of those first races next to Ricciardo,” he added.

On the situation at Ferrari, Sainz said: “If I was Vettel I would worry about Sundays the most. On Saturday, a young guy like Leclerc can beat him, but if Leclerc also has that pace on Sunday then it’s a big worry.”

Finally, Sainz criticised FOM’s coverage of Formula 1 in 2019, arguing that for some reason he is rarely depicted on television.

“I get quite angry because when I watch the races back at home I do not see myself. They’ve missed important moments completely, like Austria when I went from 20th to eighth and they showed nothing,” he said.

But Sainz said he is not disappointed to have now left the Red Bull driver stable, even if it means missing the chance to be Max Verstappen’s teammate at the senior team.

“I’m doing well, I’m happy, I don’t miss Red Bull,” said the former Toro Rosso driver. “I was at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

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VETTEL: I AM VERY HAPPY HERE, I FEEL AT HOME, IT’S A FAMILY

Sebastian Vettel says he might stay at Ferrari even beyond the end of his 2020 Formula 1 contract with the sport’s most famous team amid speculation about the German’s future.

It is a difficult period for the quadruple world champion, as he loses the faith of the influential Italian media and struggles to keep onto his number 1 status inside the Maranello team.

Spa-Francorchamps winner Charles Leclerc is certainly not going anywhere.

“I see myself at Ferrari for five more years, and as world champion,” the 21-year-old said at the team’s pre-Italian GP celebrations in Milan on Wednesday.

The street event was attended by many former Ferrari drivers including Eddie Irvine, Jean Alesi and Alain Prost, and even ex president Luca di Montezemolo.

“The fact that they invited me? I was very pleased, and means they do not look back to the past with resentment,” Montezemolo said.

When asked about Leclerc, Montezemolo added: “He reminds me of a young Lauda, quickly learning from his mistakes.”

And Alesi said: “There is no doubt, the future belongs to Charles at Ferrari.”

Fernando Alonso was a notable absentee as he tested for the Dakar rally in Poland, and his fans were angry that the official poster of the event featured only a tiny depiction of his helmeted likeness.

But Chase Carey and Jean Todt were there, chiefly to announce the five-year extension of the Italian GP.

“There are 22 races, but only one Monza and only one Italian audience,” F1 CEO Carey said.

That Italian audience is now analysing Ferrari’s current situation, but Vettel insists that he can still play a leading role.

“It is very important that we all work together, especially for the development of the car,” Vettel said, referring to Leclerc.

“Charles was stronger at Spa and I don’t like that obviously, but I hope the situation is reversed at Monza. He is very fast and there’s always something to learn.”

When asked to promise to win Ferrari’s home race on Sunday, Vettel answered: “For a German it is not possible to promise something, but I am very happy here, I feel at home, it’s a family.

“Whether I am going to continue? Why not?” the German smiled.

Boss Mattia Binotto is also confident, saying there is “no reason” that Ferrari can’t follow up its strong showing at Spa with a similar performance at Monza.

As for the title? Former president Montezemolo said: “In this sport, you can never say never.”

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Pastor Maldonado claims he 'expected' Ferrari switch in 2014

Ex-Formula 1 driver Pastor Maldonado says he expected to move to Ferrari in 2014, insisting discussions had taken place between his team and the Italian outfit, but were ultimately scuppered by management changes.

Maldonado joined the F1 grid with Williams in 2011 as the then reigning Formula 2 champion. However Williams, having finished sixth in 2010, experienced a dip in performance which contributed to the Venezuelan scoring just a single point. 

He spent a further two seasons with the Grove outfit, famously taking an unexpected victory at the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix, but admitted the relationship fell apart as it became clear Williams were struggling to recover from their plight.

That led to a switch to Lotus, but Maldonado revealed in an episode of F1’s Beyond The Grid podcast that a potential move to Ferrari was on the cards.

"We were expecting to have the best car ever in the history of Williams," said Maldonado. "And we had the worst car ever.

"I was the new guy in F1. It’s like [Max] Verstappen at the moment. Like Robert Kubica at his time. I was the guy at the time. People were coming to me, they were happy to talk to me, and they were happy to discuss me.

"At some point we got very close to Ferrari. I was expecting the move at the time. That was my time. It was the moment to have a second chance, not to fight to try to show [my ability] every day, because it was impossible."

However he says those plans were scuppered when team boss Stefano Domenicali stepped down, which was then followed by Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo.

"We lost the contacts and the communication and we focused on [elsewhere]," he added. "I’ve never been to Maranello but we had a few meetings at the track. I met Domenicali a few times and I met also di Montezemolo."

Although admitting he is "happy" with what he achieved in the sport, despite often being the subject of memes, Maldonado says he still looks at drivers and thinks he could achieve more than them.

"When you see drivers in F1 you said ‘oh my God, I can do that better than this’. Even now. But maybe it’s not my moment anymore."

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Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari a 'potential future option'

Lewis Hamilton isn't ruling out a change in teams during his career, but says that being part of the Mercedes family is important to him.

The five-time World Champion joined the sport in 2007 with McLaren and spent six years with the British team before moving to Mercedes, where he's spent the last seven years and is contracted for just one more season – 2020.

Hamilton has admitted he sees himself competing in F1 until at least 2023, opening up the possibility that he could see out his career with another team, and with many drivers dreaming of Ferrari, the Briton is often asked about his future plans and whether Ferrari could tempt him.

"I don't know if it's about being tempted," he said. "I think if it's about whether it's part of the game plan.

"I was just asked the question upstairs, 'how would you feel if you ended your career without being at Ferrari', and honestly, when you're part of Mercedes, you're part of a family for a lifetime, provided you stay with them obviously.

"If you look at Stirling Moss, even [Juan Manuel] Fangio is still honoured within the family. You're part of their history, and they look after you for the rest of your life. That is important to me. Loyalty is a very, very key part."

However Hamilton didn't rule a move to Ferrari out should he feel a change is required, adding: "But if there's a point in my life where there's something I want to change, then that [Ferrari] could potentially be an option. I don't know if that is at the moment though."

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Lando Norris to run Valentino Rossi-inspired helmet design for Italian GP

McLaren Formula 1 driver Lando Norris is to sport a Valentino Rossi-inspired helmet design at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.

Norris, 19, has often spoken of the nine-time motorcycle World Champion as his idol, and recently visited the Yamaha rider at MotoGP’s British Grand Prix.

Norris will run Rossi’s fluorescent design and his personalised number – 4 – has been tweaked to mirror Rossi’s font style.

“It’s something I’ve always loved doing: [designing] my own kit, in karting I used to have different helmets, boots, sticker kits, whatever. You’re more limited in car racing.

“But for the races I can I want to have special helmets and boots.

“For this one I already spoke to Valentino quite a while ago on social media about trying to sort this as I have to ask him if I can do it.

“It was just an opportunity to make this race more special, something to remember it by, and that was by having more of a connection with Valentino, the guy I’ve always looked up to, my hero, from Italy, so it was more of a dedication to him than anyone else.”

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Alfa Romeo unveils tweaked livery for Italian GP

Alfa Romeo Racing will run a tweaked livery for its ‘home’ Formula 1 event in Italy this weekend.

Alfa Romeo returned to Formula 1 last year as Sauber’s title sponsor and this season took on naming rights at the Switzerland-based team.

On Thursday morning a tweaked livery, with additional green to better represent Italy’s Tricolore, was unveiled at Monza.

Kimi Raikkonen and local representative Antonio Giovinazzi will sport the livery on the C38 at Monza.

Alfa Romeo currently holds eighth place in the Constructors’ Championship.

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Daniil Kvyat doesn't think Alexander Albon deserved praise in Belgium

Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat doesn't believe his former team-mate, Alexander Albon, deserved the praise he received after the Belgian Grand Prix.

Albon was promoted from Toro Rosso to Red Bull at Spa, taking up Pierre Gasly's seat after the Frenchman was demoted.

The Anglo-Thai racer started started from 17th position – thanks to engine penalties – and went on to finish fifth, behind the two Ferraris and Mercedes – a result that earned him plaudits from Red Bull boss Christian Horner.

Kvyat though, who started 19th and finished 7th – also a gain of 12 places – doesn't feel the praise was truly justified.

"I don’t know why you call it such a good start," said the Russian. "He spent 36 laps behind me in a Red Bull Racing car, and he started in front of me as well. I don’t know, maybe in the future he will do better.

"We were fighting the whole race in Spa. If he had stayed at Toro Rosso then yeah it would have been an amazing race for him, but he was in a Red Bull, so…"

Although Kvyat agreed fifth was likely the maximum Albon could achieve under the circumstances, he hinted that his own race was more deserving of such praise.

"I’m just commenting on what I saw. Maybe it was the maximum, probably it was the maximum that the car could achieve that day. But the fact that we were fighting and I held up a Red Bull car for most of the race in Spa – where the car really matters a lot – behind me, it was a very pleasing race for me to be honest."

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George Russell: Williams losing two seconds per lap on straights

George Russell says Williams is relinquishing two seconds per lap on Formula 1’s front-runners due to the level of inherent drag on the FW42.

Williams has struggled for performance through the 2019 campaign amid a lack of downforce but its FW42 has also lacked straight-line speed amid the drag present on the car.

Williams displayed increased potential in Hungary, where there is only one major straight, but in Belgium was once again left marooned at the rear of the pack.

“It’s probably an even harder weekend than Spa,” said Russell, looking ahead to this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.

“Everyone knows we’re struggling with downforce but probably people don’t know we are incredibly slow on the straights.

“We were [losing] up to two seconds on the straight versus the quickest cars, a second slower on the straights versus anyone else, so it was incredibly difficult for us.

“It was clear after Hungary we had a very good performance but a lot of that was down to the straights, the deficit didn’t seem as great.

“This is probably going to be the toughest one of the year.”

Russell nonetheless stressed that Williams can still gather data and understanding from its car in spite of its limited on-track potential.

“You can always learn something from everywhere you go,” he said.

“Last weekend was tough for us, we still learned a lot from the race, tyre degradation, difference between the Medium and Soft, the C3 and C2.

“Like I said, you’re always learning stuff and no lap is wasted.”

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Ricciardo bothered by Spa crowd cheering in Hamilton crash

Daniel Ricciardo has urged spectators to behave better and like ‘true fans’ rather than celebrate crashes as they did when cheers erupted after Lewis Hamilton’s practice crash at the Belgian Grand Prix.

The issue of the fan celebrations after Hamilton's final practice accident caused controversy at the time, and the behaviour by some prompted further debate in the wake of the death of F2 driver Anthoine Hubert later that day.

Hamilton took to Instagram after Hubert’s crash and suggested that many people, including fans, did not appreciate the dangers that drivers faced.

Reflecting on the events of last weekend, Ricciardo said he was far from impressed at the way fans cheered Hamilton going off – thinking it showed a lack of respect.

“Whether you like someone or not, it is not nice to cheer for someone’s downfall or mistake,” said the Renault driver. “He [Hamilton] thinks the crowd assume the crash happens and we are okay or whatever, and it is not like that.

“Every time we go on track there is a risk and every time we do hit a wall, whether we are okay or not, it still plays something on your mind when you crash. 

"Every time you go back to that corner, maybe there is something psychological there. So it does have an impact one way or the other, physically or mentally and I guess that is where he was coming from with that.

“I do agree with him. But it is also so hard because the fan, unless you race and put yourself in that position, they never experience what we do.

“It is just the nature of being a fan of a sport you don’t compete in. It is hard to grasp or understand. All we can ask for is that if you are a fan, then be a true fan and respect what we do: not only the skill but also the risk. That is probably all we can ask.”

Ricciardo said he never experienced fans celebrating any incidents he had had, as he suggested it was behaviour more akin to children than adults.

“I don’t wish it upon anyone and I only knew it happened with Lewis because I read that he said it had,” added Ricciardo. 

“Having rivals and whatever, yeah, you don’t have to like every driver. But to behave like that, you would expect it from kids but not adults. You would hope they would behave better.”