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2021 Formula 1 Italian GP
Sep 9, 2021 to Sep 12, 2021
| Autodromo Nazionale Monza, IT
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Formula 1 Italian GP
F1 Italian GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP2 and Sprint
Saturday's action from Monza, including F1's second sprint event
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Green flag
09:40:44 am
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We're back to green on lap four, with Bottas leading Verstappen, Ricciardo, Norris, Hamilton, Leclerc, Sainz, Giovinazzi, Stroll and Perez.
09:40:03 am
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Race control says we'll be back to green at the end of this lap.
09:39:48 am
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Gasly was a total passenger in that accident as the wing folded under the front wheels - his car effectively turned into a bobsled that could not turn, only scrubbing off minimal speed as the car skittered across the gravel. Not the dream return to Monza that the 2020 winner would have hoped for.
09:38:07 am
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Behind the safety car, Bottas leads from Verstappen, Ricciardo and Norris. Norris got a good initial launch, trying to pass Hamilton down the inside into Turn 1. As Hamilton moved across to cover, unsuccessfully, Norris was forced momentarily onto the grass, while Ricciardo had an unimpeded run down the outside and passed them both. Gasly had got clean ahead of Hamilton into the corner before nosing into the back of Ricciardo - as he checked up, Norris went around him into the second apex.
09:36:41 am
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Meanwhile back in the pack, Tsunoda made contact with Kubica into the second chicane, spinning the Alfa Romeo driver. Tsunoda pits for a new front wing and a fresh set of softs. It's all happening!
09:36:09 am
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Gasly made slight contact with Ricciardo into the first chicane, which damaged his front wing. That then folded underneath his car going into the Curva Grande, sending him straight across the gravel and into the wall.
Safety car
09:35:03 am
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And there's a crash immediately, which brings out the safety car. Gasly is off at the Curva Grande, and radios his team to say that he's okay.
Lights green
09:34:13 am
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And the 18-lap sprint is go! Bottas leads, and it's a great start from Verstappen, who takes second - Hamilton is shuffled back behind the two McLarens!
09:32:13 am
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Alonso is also on soft tyres. Good spot from Alex Kalinauckas there.
09:31:26 am
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We're underway for the formation lap. How are your nerves everyone?
09:31:01 am
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An unusual photo opportunity there for Italy's 100m Gold medallist Marcell Jacobs, who crouches into a sprint position as the engines fire up. He's quickly moved on though. Not sure whose idea that was.
09:29:49 am
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That choice from McLaren could prove hugely significant. The soft rubber will give them a better launch off the grid, and we all know about the potency of the Mercedes engine in a straight line. If either of the orange cars does get ahead of Verstappen, they will be very tough to pass.
09:28:57 am
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Well, in answer to the first question posed, the timing screens have now updated to show tyre choices. The McLarens of Norris and Ricciardo (starting 4th and 5th) have both picked softs - as have both Aston Martins, Vettel and Stroll (starting 11th and 12th). Ocon (14th) and Tsunoda (17th) have also chosen to roll the dice.
09:27:23 am
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Big questions today - who will gamble on tyres? The 'Alonso effect' worked a treat at Silverstone for Alpine, but will anybody elect to copy him? Can Verstappen leapfrog Hamilton into Turn 1 and claim a de-facto pole, with Bottas set to be shunted to the back tomorrow? And who will do the post-race interviews for TV?
09:23:55 am
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If Bottas does get to the finish line first today, then he will officially be credited with his 18th career pole - and surpass the great Sir Jackie Stewart's tally of 17. It would put him level with Rene Arnoux (incidentally, his record as the man with the most poles without a championship could soon be under threat) and 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen.
09:21:00 am
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It's set to be an interesting afternoon for Bottas. He's starting from first after acing qualifying last night, but knows he's facing a grid drop that will put him last for tomorrow's GP. So does he go all out today to prove a point (and get the official recognition for pole that he really ought to have had yesterday), or try and play the team game to help Hamilton?
09:19:02 am
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We must give a shoutout to the Ferrari mechanics for repairing Carlos Sainz Jr's battered car after his mysterious off at Ascari in FP2 earlier. That was quite the job, but Sainz has taken up his P7 on the grid.
09:17:26 am
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Air temperature is a toasty 28.2 degrees Celcius, with track temperatures sitting at 43.1 degrees Celcius. Barely a cloud in the sky, the Tifosi in song. Just as F1 should be.
09:15:53 am
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The cars are on the grid and we've just 15 minutes to go until the lights go out for the 100km race to decide the grid for tomorrow's Italian Grand Prix.
09:15:03 am
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Good afternoon, we hope you've enjoyed your lunches and are ready for F1's second sprint 'race'.
06:13:43 am
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That's it from us for the time being, but do join us again just after 3pm BST as we will bring you all the build-up to F1's second-ever sprint race. Bye for now.
06:12:24 am
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Here's our complete rundown of that session, with the Mercedes drivers once again outperforming Red Bull around Monza:
06:11:28 am
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That's practice all done and dusted for Monza, and now we have the sprint race to look forward to. Last time out there was one at Silverstone, there was a brief, but frantic, battle between Hamilton and Verstappen. Will we get more of the same this time around?
06:04:08 am
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And the rest of the order, including Sainz's crashed Ferrari at the very bottom:
11. Leclerc
12. Ricciardo
13. Latifi
14. Russell
15. Tsunoda
16. Mazepin
17. Stroll
18. Vettel
19. Schumacher
20. Sainz
06:03:19 am
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For what it's worth, here's the top 10 from FP2:
1. Hamilton
2. Bottas
3. Verstappen
4. Perez
5. Ocon
6. Kubica
7. Giovinazzi
8. Alonso
9. Gasly
10. Norris
06:02:12 am
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So, what have we learned in that session? Not very much - besides Ferrari having a busy few hours ahead as it works to ready Sainz's car for the sprint race in three and a half hours' time.
Checkered flag
06:00:58 am
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And that's it, the chequered flag is now out.
06:00:10 am
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Meanwhile, Hamilton is another driver to get the Roggia chicane wrong as he goes all the way round the middle of the corner.
05:59:36 am
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There is a late improvement! And it's from Verstappen as he stays third but closes to within four tenths of pacesetter Hamilton, using the medium tyres.
05:56:45 am
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We've now got less than five minutes of this disjointed session remaining. Time for a few more quick laps.
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05:55:37 am
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"I need to stop," says Leclerc, adding he can't explain why on the radio. Not sure what's up with the other Ferrari driver.
05:53:19 am
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The Aston Martins aren't looking particularly fast in this session - even Mazepin is currently faster than the green cars, not that we know what fuel loads etc they're using.
05:49:31 am
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After completing that lap, Leclerc then tucks in behind Hamilton through Curva Grande before getting ahead into the Roggia chicane.
05:48:06 am
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Leclerc was joining his crashed team-mate Sainz at the very bottom of the leaderboard but has now improved up to 10th on the medium compound.
Stopwatch
05:47:23 am
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Hamilton now goes half a second quicker than Verstappen on the soft tyres with a 1m23.246s, as Bottas goes two tenths slower than his Mercedes team-mate.
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05:46:13 am
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"In terms of de-rates, the car is doing what it wants," reports Vettel - sounds like he's not sure when the Aston Martin is slowing to harvest energy.
05:45:19 am
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Kubica now joins his Alfa team-mate Giovinazzi at the sharp end of the timesheets, going two tenths quicker to take fourth spot.
05:44:27 am
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But now Ocon goes quicker, the Alpine instead taking third behind the two Red Bulls.
05:44:01 am
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Giovinazzi and Latifi are the first notable improvers and go third and fourth after that pause in proceedings.
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05:43:19 am
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"Carlos has been preliminary cleared but they will do another check in an hour," Ferrari informs race director Michael Masi.
Pagination
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By: autosport.com staff
Published: Sep 11, 2021, 2:40 PM
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