ROUND 16: 🇮🇹 Italy
FORMULA 1 PIRELLI GRAN PREMIO D’ITALIA 2024
Circuit stats
- Circuit name: Autodromo Nazionale Monza
- First Grand Prix: 1950
- Number of laps: 53
- Circuit Length: 5.793 km
- Race Distance: 306.72 km
- Lap record: 1:21.046 Rubens Barrichello (2004)
- 2023 winner: Max Verstappen
Track Map
Yeah, McLaren is not acting like a front running team at all. I mean they could’ve easily hung 1 or both cars out there and responded to Ferrari pitting.
As for team orders … The balance between a far reaching WDC and keeping both drivers happy enough and just getting the WCC, touch call. I don’t envy Stella/Brown for having to make it.
I don’t see a world where Max doesn’t win the WDC, even with these pace differences
It’s still possible, but Lando needed to actually capitalise on this weekend. Even the extra three points if they had decided to swap places with Piastri could end up being the decider, never mind the win. I think you’re right Verstappen ends up hanging on to the championship, and it will be all due to McLaren incompetence and stubbornness. Such a frustrating season when it should really be a terrific chase to follow. Does my head in.
I really don’t see how Piastri with the ultimate “#2” driver in Webber as his manager is ever going to roll over and help set a status quo where Lando is set to be #1. It’s something that McLaren through Senna and Prost back in the day knows well and the winner in the end is the driver that takes it all. As an Australian I’m very happy for Piastri to have the balls to assert this, he’s maybe not going to win this WDC but it’s all positive for the future!