New drivers joins the fold

• Round 16 of the 2024 Formula 1 season gets underway this weekend
• The race takes place at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza located near Milan
• Franco Colapinto replaces Logan Sargeant at Williams for the rest of the season

The 2024 Formula 1 World Championship battle continues this weekend with round 16, the Italian Grand Prix.

The race is one of the real highlights of the calendar given its history and the throng of passionate Ferrari fans that show up each year.

It is run at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza located just outside of Milan, a circuit nicknamed the Temple of Speed since the top speeds regularly eclipse 217 mph. The entire track has been resurfaced this year and new curbs installed which may give drivers a chance to carry a little more speed into certain corners.

The Italian Grand Prix, like the British Grand Prix, has been on the F1 calendar since the inaugural 1950 season. It’s been held at Monza every year except 1980, when it was held at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari located at Imola. In recent years, F1 has added a second Italian round held at Imola, known as the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

The current layout stretches 3.6 miles and includes a series of straights and some tight chicanes. The circuit contains just 11 corners, and as a result drivers typically spend 77% of the lap time and 80% of the lap distance at full throttle. Only the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix’s Jeddah Street Circuit sees a higher amount of time spent at full throttle, at 82%.

As a result, cars are set up for low downforce to maximize their top speeds. This in turn makes them more dependent on the mechanical traction from the tires to provide grip through the corners. Pirelli has nominated its softest combination of C3, C4, C5 compounds for the race.

The weather at Monza this time of year tends to be hot, which is good as the long straights mean the tires can cool too much when the weather is milder. The current forecast calls for sunny skies and peak temperatures above 90 degrees F during both Saturday’s qualifying session and Sunday’s race.

There are some new drivers to take note of. Williams has replaced underperforming Logan Sargeant for the remainder of the season with Franco Colapinto. Colapinto, a former Formula 2 driver, has been part of Williams’ driver academy since 2023 and has previously driven for the team during a practice session at the 2024 British Grand Prix.

Mercedes-Benz AMG also had Andrea Kimi Antonelli spend time in George Russell’s car during a Friday practice session for the Italian Grand Prix. He proved to be quick but suffered a crash 10 minutes in. It was the first time in an F1 car for Antonelli who is widely tipped to fill Lewis Hamilton’s seat at Mercedes next season. Hamilton is headed to Ferrari.

Going into the weekend, Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen leads the 2024 Drivers’ Championship with 296 points. McLaren’s Lando Norris is second with 225 points and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is third with 192 points. In the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull leads with 434 points. McLaren is second with 404 points and Ferrari is third with 370 points. Last year’s winner at Monza was Verstappen, driving for Red Bull.