Is there a chance for Williams to claim victory at Monza?
In the first training day of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, the race track saw some exciting action as teams prepared for the upcoming event.
Mercedes, despite not dominating the training session, was competitive, with George Russell finishing closely behind the top contenders. The team preferred the hard C3 mix for their race simulations, indicating a strategy focused on endurance.
Besides McLaren, the best-placed teams on the first day were Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc closely behind McLaren's Lando Norris, Red Bull with Max Verstappen, and Mercedes. Sauber also showed a strong performance, with Gabriel Bortoleto in sixth place. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) was seventh, and Ferrari's local driver Kimi Antonelli was ninth.
McLaren led the rankings, but not as dominantly as usual. Lando Norris beat Max Verstappen by two and a half tenths in the long run, with Carlos Sainz three tenths behind Norris in the same run. If Ferrari, Red Bull, and Williams can maintain their form, McLaren faces serious competition.
Ferrari was in the mix, fighting for the fastest laps, but did not engage in a direct comparison during the training session. Charles Leclerc completed his race simulation on soft tires, while Lewis Hamilton completed his on the hard compound.
Organizing a slipstream in qualifying is almost impossible, according to Frédéric Vasseur, the team principal of Ferrari. However, qualifying could see the slipstream playing a role, gaining up to three tenths. Preparing tires optimally for qualifying is already challenging, Vasseur noted. The timing of a slipstream is crucial, it should be either on the preparation lap or the out lap to avoid losing time in the corners.
The training session in Monza had fewer corners, leading to smaller time differences, as noted by Vasseur. The top 6 drivers in the training session at Monza are separated by 0.199 seconds, indicating a close race. The gap between the 1st and 17th drivers is 0.933 seconds.
Red Bull made a strong impression on the first day of training, with Max Verstappen showing promising speed. Williams also made a strong impression, hinting at a potential comeback.
As the Italian Grand Prix approaches, the competition is heating up. With McLaren leading, Ferrari and Red Bull close behind, and Mercedes not far off, the race promises to be an exciting one. Stay tuned for more updates as the weekend unfolds.
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