Special feature

Formula 1 Italian GP

Promoted: Why Alfa Romeo will be worth watching at Monza

Until last season, it had been well over 30 years since a Formula 1 car bearing the Alfa Romeo name had last contested an Italian Grand Prix. And it’s now been eight years since an Italian driver started their home race. All that is set to change in 2019, when Antonio Giovinazzi lines up on the Monza starting grid in an Alfa Romeo F1 car powered by a Ferrari engine.

Edited: Aug 22, 2019, 1:30 PM

Copy link

Share on Viber

Add as a preferred source

Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo Racing C38

With Alfa Romeo being part of the wider Ferrari family, in terms of corporate structure as well as a technical tie-up that means Alfa’s F1 operation utilises Ferrari technology and some ex-Ferrari personnel, being at this year’s race to cheer Alfa Romeo on will effectively make you a cheerleader for Ferrari’s F1 B-team.

Kimi Raikkonen was on pole position and briefly led last year’s Italian Grand Prix for Ferrari, and the 2007 world champion now spearheads Alfa’s attack on the driving front. Giovinazzi was also drafted in from Ferrari, having spent last season as the Scuderia’s simulator driver, which required him to evaluate crucial car set-up changes for Ferrari during race weekends.

“In Italy we have two fantastic brands in Ferrari and Alfa Romeo and there is a lot of support for me also,” Giovinazzi recently told F1 Racing. “I can’t wait for Monza, because it will be crazy for me as an Italian driver racing there in F1.”

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF90, leads Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo Racing C38

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images

Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo Racing

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images

It will be down to you to help will Giovinazzi and his team on to ever greater heights, as part of a mini Alfa Tifosi on the outside of the approach to Monza’s Parabolica. Alfa Romeo currently sits seventh in F1’s constructors’ championship, embroiled in a close fight for fifth with Toro Rosso, Renault, Racing Point and Haas. Only 17 points separates these five teams, which means a good result at Monza could make a big difference to Alfa’s 2019 fortunes.

Raikkonen himself lies eighth in the drivers’ standings, with only McLaren’s Carlos Sainz having scored more points among the 14 drivers racing outside of F1’s ‘big three’ teams (Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull). Raikkonen has crossed the finish line in a points paying position in each of the past five races (Alfa is appealing a double disqualification from the top 10 in Germany), so he will likely be a nailed-on top-10 contender at Monza if he and Alfa enjoy a smooth weekend.

Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo Racing and Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari before the drivers parade

Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images

Giovinazzi has found the going tougher during his first full season in F1 (he did two races for Sauber in 2017 subbing for an injured Pascal Wehrlein), scoring only one point so far, subject to a successful appeal against his own German GP exclusion. But the Italian is certainly capable of being a top-10 threat at his home race if he keeps his head together.

Giovinazzi has spent the first part of this season closely observing experienced team-mate Raikkonen, even adjusting his own technique after watching onboard videos of Kimi’s driving, and Giovinazzi feels he is “growing up a lot” with every passing race.

There’s every chance you could witness his best one yet in F1, while experiencing the unique thrill of the Italian Grand Prix with other Alfa Romeo fans.

For more information click here.

Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo Racing C38

Photo by: Charles Coates / LAT Images

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

Take our 5 minute survey.

- The Motorsport.com Team

Share Or Save This Story

Copy link

Share on Viber

Previous article Verstappen sees other future F1 rivals besides Leclerc

Next article F1's current process for deciding tyre spec "wrong" - Ferrari

Latest news

GT2 European: Maserati ends on a high note at Portimao, with titles for Hartling/Thilenius and Gialdini/Njor

Sponsored

Sponsored

Portimão

25 min

GT2 European: Maserati ends on a high note at Portimao, with titles for Hartling/Thilenius and Gialdini/Njor

Inside the competition building F1’s future engineering talent

Formula 1

F1 Formula 1

United States GP

1 h

Inside the competition building F1’s future engineering talent

Toyota clinches 2026 NASCAR Cup manufacturer championship early after dominant season

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup

Phoenix II

8 h

Toyota clinches 2026 NASCAR Cup manufacturer championship early after dominant season

Tyler Reddick really needed NASCAR Phoenix win for several reasons

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup

Phoenix II

8 h

Tyler Reddick really needed NASCAR Phoenix win for several reasons

Feature

Discover prime content

How levelling the playing field isn’t antithetical to the principles of F1

Formula 1

By Pat Symonds

How levelling the playing field isn’t antithetical to the principles of F1

Lights, Camara, action: How Haas picked F1's latest rookie for 2027

Formula 1

Singapore GP

By Jake Boxall-Legge

Lights, Camara, action: How Haas picked F1's latest rookie for 2027

Employing team orders can simply be a matter of common sense

Formula 1

By Kevin Turner

Employing team orders can simply be a matter of common sense

Why Christian Horner sees history repeating itself for Adrian Newey at Aston Martin

Formula 1

Singapore GP

By Ronald Vording

Why Christian Horner sees history repeating itself for Adrian Newey at Aston Martin

Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.

From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.

You have 2 options:

Become a subscriber.
Disable your adblocker.

Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here

Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page

Manage Alerts