One of the cornerstones of the world championship, this weekend sees the historic Monza circuit host the Italian Grand Prix for the 74th time.
Known for the two ‘S’s – speed and the Scuderia – one of the most famous and beloved circuits on the calendar will have a slightly different look to it this weekend for the 15th grand prix of the 2024 season.
With major driver market news expected and a champion set to be crowned at the venue, this will likely be a memorable weekend both on and off the track…
Ferrari a dark horse?
Although the second of Ferrari’s home races this season, Monza has always been the circuit most synonymous with the team.
Last year was a memorable weekend for Ferrari as well as for team principal Frederic Vasseur in his first Italian Grand Prix leading the team. Although they were beaten by Red Bull in the race, Carlos Sainz Jnr had secured a memorable pole position on Saturday and then emerged victorious from a thrilling late duel with team mate Charles Leclerc to claim the final podium place.
Ferrari have appeared to be just a little behind their rivals over last few months, but they are by no means out of contention as Leclerc demonstrated last weekend in Zandvoort by taking an excellent podium finish in third behind Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. The coming races should, in theory, be stronger ones for Ferrari – including Monza – and a set of upgrades for this weekend will certainly not harm the team’s prospects.
“Until the upgrades, I always said that the priority for us was just to do damage limitation,” Leclerc said after Sunday’s race. “Now I just hope that the upgrades helps us to do a step forward.”
Hamilton’s tofosi
This weekend will be Sainz’s fourth and last in a Ferrari, making it especially poignant for the driver who has enjoyed 21 podiums, five pole positions and three grand prix victories with the team in that time.
The Tifosi have always seemed to appreciate Sainz’s efforts for the team alongside Leclerc over recent years, with his pole and appearance on the podium here last year an obvious highlight of his tenure. With this being his last Monza weekend in scarlet before he moves to Williams for 2025, a similar result this weekend would be a fantastic means of celebrating his time with the sport’s most famous team.
But what will be more interesting will be the reception that Sainz’s replacement for next season – Lewis…
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