Finally, after a long time, Formula 1 enthusiasts and professionals wake up to positive forecasts for this afternoon’s GP. No threat of rain for today’s race, which will see the two Ferraris starting from the first and third positions on the grid at their home event in Monza, the Temple of Speed.
Fans can’t wait to witness the event. Does Carlos Sainz (pole-sitter) and Charles Leclerc (3rd) have a chance to beat Verstappen (2nd)? What strategy will they focus on to aim for a double podium, thus making a great gift to the fans who have gathered at the track to support the Prancing Horse team?
Among the variables that can decide the outcome of a race, the choice of the right strategies is certainly crucial. Let’s see what Pirelli predicts for the F1 Italian GP at the Monza circuit.
According to Pirelli’s predictions, we should be heading towards a one-stop strategy. The fastest strategy is likely to start with the medium tire before switching to the hard tire. In this case, the pit stop window falls between the 20th and 26th lap.
An alternative could be to start with the soft tire and then switch to the hard tire. If teams opt for this strategy, the pit stop window would be advanced by a few laps, from the 14th to the 20th.
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The third option available to the teams, albeit slower than the others, involves starting on the soft tire with a subsequent double stint on the medium tire. In this case, the pit stop window would be between the 10th and 15th lap and between the 30th and 36th lap.
Possible Italian GP Strategies – race distance: 53 laps
Mario Isola: “One-stop race”
As usual, let’s try to summarize the situation through the words of Pirelli’s Motorsport Director, who stated through the company’s columns: “Looking at the possible strategies, we can confirm that a one-stop strategy is the fastest, with the Hard compound as the main protagonist. It remains to be seen if anyone will opt for a start on Mediums to have more flexibility while maintaining good grip at the start or if someone will risk starting on Softs to try to gain a better position in the early phase.”
The two-stop strategy is considered more penalizing due to a fairly long pit lane and the time subsequently lost during the pit stop. However, it could become a valid option in case of neutralizations by a potential Safety Car,” concluded Mario Isola.
The chances of Ferrari achieving a good result are not so much tied to the strategy but to the pace they can maintain on different tire compounds. Looking at what happened on Friday, the pace on the Mediums is not bad. It will be very difficult for Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc to keep Max Verstappen (and Perez on paper) at bay during the race, but if the SF-23 can repeat itself, the podium should be within reach. Much will also depend on the temperatures. If they remain below 40°C (as they have so far this weekend), the chances of witnessing a good race from the two Ferraris would increase.
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