Monza race pace analysis: Ferrari tries to manage tyre degradation

The second session of free practice on Friday didn’t provide many insights into the real performance of the teams. However, the final session on Saturday morning offered a clearer picture of the actual race pace of the cars. Let’s dive into the analysis of the race pace demonstrated by the top 7 finishers at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.

Red Bull in Control, Ferrari tries to manage tyre degradation

As has been the trend this season, Red Bull’s race pace appears to be unmatched by other drivers. As anticipated in the race strategies, the best option was a one-stop strategy, and almost all drivers opted to follow Pirelli’s recommendations. The top 5 finishers started with the yellow tire, allowing for an excellent first stint with a full tank of fuel. Carlos Carlos Sainz’s pace was particularly impressive until he was overtaken by Max Verstappen. With an average lap time of 1:26.4, the Spaniard managed to keep up with a consistently fast Verstappen. Charles Leclerc also maintained a strong pace, staying with the front two for several laps. However, both Ferrari drivers experienced slight rear tire degradation after Verstappen’s pass, causing them to slow down.

Sergio Perez, slightly further back, had to battle with a determined Russell for several laps. Once he completed the pass in turn 1, the Mexican managed to close the gap to the front with a pace of around 1:26.5, approximately 0.2 seconds faster than the two Ferraris. Hamilton, starting on used white tires, maintained a good pace in the early stages, thanks in part to slipstreaming on the straights. His first stint’s pace was consistently around 1:26.6. Between laps 19 and 21, the top 5 drivers made their pit stops to switch to the white tires and complete the race. Here, the two Ferrari drivers conducted a more aggressive tire warm-up, likely causing more wear over the long run compared to the two Red Bulls, which were gentler on their tires. Nevertheless, both Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc managed to maintain a pace around 1:26.2.

Special mention goes to Alex Albon, who started on used yellow tires and delivered an excellent race with a strong pace. In the early stages, his pace matched the frontrunners, but as he lost the slipstream, it increased to around 1:27/1:28, prompting his pit stop. After his stop on lap 15, Albon maintained a superb and consistent pace of about 1:26.5 on used white tires.

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Tension in the Final Laps for Verstappen

Despite his strong race pace, Max Verstappen’s victory was far from assured. In the final laps of the race, he encountered several issues that caused him to lose several seconds to Perez. The Dutchman had been running a consistently strong race until these problems arose. Around the 46th lap, his race engineer, Lambiase, informed Verstappen about an alert regarding temperatures. The most likely cause of this issue was his close pursuit of Sainz, which may have partially damaged the temperature control units. However, there remains some uncertainty, as this alert occurred at the end of the race, while the intense battle with Sainz occurred earlier. It’s probable that these control units began registering errors, culminating in a critical alert that prompted Lambiase to communicate with Verstappen.