The hallowed grounds of Monza roared to life as Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jnr stamped his authority on the final practice session for the 2023 Italian Grand Prix. In a thrilling display of pace and precision, Sainz delivered a blistering lap that positioned him at the top of the timing sheets, igniting a surge of optimism among the fervent Tifosi. However, his dominant performance was not entirely without incident, as the Spanish driver received a black-and-white warning flag from the stewards following a minor contact with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
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Sainz’s exceptional 1’20.912 lap time was the fastest recorded across the entire weekend up to that point, a mere nine-hundredths of a second quicker than the reigning world champion, Max Verstappen. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top three, showcasing the competitive landscape heading into qualifying. The incident involving Sainz and Piastri occurred at the challenging Rettifilo chicane, a critical braking zone at the iconic ‘Temple of Speed.’ While Sainz was on a cooldown lap, the minor contact prompted a review from the race stewards, resulting in a black-and-white flag – a formal warning for unsportsmanlike conduct, highlighting the constant need for spatial awareness even outside of hot laps.
A Clear Monza Morning Sets the Stage for Intense Practice
For the third and final hour of practice, drivers were once again greeted by optimal conditions: a dry track bathed in clear Italian sunshine. This provided the perfect canvas for teams to fine-tune their setups and conduct crucial race simulations ahead of the demanding qualifying session. Notably, Lance Stroll, who had endured a frustrating Friday unable to register a single lap time due to technical issues, was among the first drivers to hit the track. His eagerness to catch up on lost mileage was palpable as he worked to find a rhythm around the high-speed circuit.
Following two opening practice sessions where tyre usage was meticulously managed, the majority of the field opted to fit the soft compound tyres for their initial extended runs. This strategy aimed to extract maximum performance and gather critical data on the theoretically fastest tyre available for the weekend. The soft compound, while offering superior grip and pace, also presents a challenge in terms of degradation over a race distance, making its management a key factor in Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Early Pace Setters and Red Bull’s Dominance
Sergio Perez in the Red Bull initially set the benchmark with a 1’22.662, demonstrating the formidable pace of the RB19. However, his lead was short-lived as McLaren’s Lando Norris quickly surpassed him by a tenth and a half, signaling McLaren’s potential. Max Verstappen, known for his methodical approach, was one of the last front-runners to emerge for his first flying laps. True to form, he immediately went fastest of all, shattering the previous times with a 1’21.838. After a brief pair of cooldown laps, Verstappen further refined his pace, improving by over a tenth to establish a half-second advantage over his teammate Perez, who had also managed to improve his time to secure second place briefly.
Following this initial flurry of hot laps on fresh soft tyres, teams began to shift their focus. The priority transitioned towards longer runs with higher fuel loads, replicating race conditions to understand tyre wear and fuel consumption for Sunday’s main event. Amidst this strategic shift, Alexander Albon surprised many by positioning his Williams into an impressive second place, albeit four-tenths slower than Verstappen’s ultimate best, but achieved on the medium compound tyres. This performance underlined the continued progress of Williams and Albon’s ability to extract performance from his package, especially at a low-downforce circuit like Monza where the Williams has historically shown good straight-line speed.
Traffic Troubles and McLaren’s Mixed Fortunes
As is often the case at Monza, traffic remained a persistent concern for drivers seeking clear air for their flying laps. Lando Norris experienced this firsthand, catching up to Zhou Guanyu between the two Lesmo corners. Norris skillfully navigated around the Alfa Romeo, utilizing the kerb to avoid a collision, showcasing deft car control. For his part in the incident, Zhou Guanyu was also shown a black-and-white warning flag, emphasizing the stewards’ zero-tolerance approach to impeding other drivers, even in practice.
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Meanwhile, Norris’s McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri endured a slightly more challenging session. He had an off-track excursion, briefly venturing across the gravel trap at the exit of the fast Roggia chicane. While he recovered without significant damage, the McLaren drivers ultimately found themselves towards the lower end of the timing sheets, suggesting there was still work to be done to unlock optimal performance for qualifying.
Late Session Drama and Sainz’s Final Surge
With approximately 15 minutes remaining in the session, Lewis Hamilton bolted on a fresh set of soft tyres, immediately making his presence felt. He posted what was, at that moment, the fastest time of the weekend with a 1’21.453. However, his reign at the top was brief. Max Verstappen, in another show of strength, comfortably beat Hamilton’s time, breaking the 1’21 barrier and establishing a nearly half-second lead at the top of the standings. The Dutchman’s consistency and ability to find extra pace underscore Red Bull’s formidable form.
In the tense final ten minutes, the Monza circuit was alive with the sound of engines pushed to their limits. Carlos Sainz, eager to make a statement on Ferrari’s home turf, emerged with a fresh set of soft tyres. He delivered a spectacular lap, reclaiming the top spot by going 0.086 seconds faster than Verstappen, much to the delight of the passionate Italian crowd. Yet, this final surge was quickly overshadowed by the earlier mentioned incident with Oscar Piastri at the Rettifilo chicane. The Ferrari driver reportedly failed to spot the rapidly approaching McLaren on a flying lap and turned into the left-hand part of the chicane, making minor contact with Piastri, who was alongside. Piastri vociferously called for a penalty against Sainz, but after reviewing the footage and considering the context, the stewards deemed a black-and-white warning flag sufficient, acknowledging the contact while not attributing malicious intent.
The remaining minutes of the session saw no further improvements in times, cementing Sainz’s position as the fastest driver for the second consecutive practice session. Verstappen secured a close second, less than a tenth adrift, while Hamilton confirmed Mercedes’ strong form with the third-fastest time. This bodes well for a thrilling qualifying battle, with the top three teams seemingly very close on raw pace.
Consolidated Practice Results and Qualifying Outlook
Charles Leclerc, in the sister Ferrari, secured fourth place, underscoring the Scuderia’s strong showing at their home Grand Prix. He was followed by Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin, and George Russell for Mercedes, who took fifth and sixth respectively. The Haas cars of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg surprisingly rounded out the top eight, demonstrating the progress of the American team. Alexander Albon’s impressive ninth place continued to highlight Williams’ potential for points, especially if they can replicate this pace in the race. Sergio Perez completed the top ten, though his session was somewhat curtailed by a suspected fuel leak that saw him sit out the final third of practice, potentially compromising his qualifying preparation.
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The final practice session at Monza has undoubtedly set the stage for a captivating qualifying. While Ferrari has shown impressive one-lap pace, Red Bull’s consistency and Mercedes’ strong gains suggest that pole position is far from a certainty. The minor incidents and traffic concerns also highlight the unique challenges of this high-speed circuit, where precision and awareness are paramount. As teams prepare for the all-important qualifying session, the battle for pole at the Italian Grand Prix promises to be an exhilarating spectacle.
2023 Italian Grand Prix third practice result
| Position | Number | Driver | Team | Model | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Ferrari | SF-23 | 1’20.912 | 22 | |
| 2 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | RB19 | 1’20.998 | 0.086 | 23 |
| 3 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | W14 | 1’21.453 | 0.541 | 22 |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | SF-23 | 1’21.486 | 0.574 | 22 |
| 5 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin-Mercedes | AMR23 | 1’21.711 | 0.799 | 24 |
| 6 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | W14 | 1’21.730 | 0.818 | 24 |
| 7 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas-Ferrari | VF-23 | 1’21.884 | 0.972 | 21 |
| 8 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas-Ferrari | VF-23 | 1’21.985 | 1.073 | 27 |
| 9 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams-Mercedes | FW45 | 1’22.054 | 1.142 | 17 |
| 10 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | RB19 | 1’22.192 | 1.280 | 16 |
| 11 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin-Mercedes | AMR23 | 1’22.245 | 1.333 | 31 |
| 12 | 40 | Liam Lawson | AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT | AT04 | 1’22.296 | 1.384 | 28 |
| 13 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT | AT04 | 1’22.297 | 1.385 | 27 |
| 14 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren-Mercedes | MCL60 | 1’22.302 | 1.390 | 17 |
| 15 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams-Mercedes | FW45 | 1’22.380 | 1.468 | 22 |
| 16 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | C43 | 1’22.511 | 1.599 | 29 |
| 17 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes | MCL60 | 1’22.515 | 1.603 | 23 |
| 18 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine-Renault | A523 | 1’22.739 | 1.827 | 19 |
| 19 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | C43 | 1’22.742 | 1.830 | 29 |
| 20 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine-Renault | A523 | 1’22.852 | 1.940 | 21 |
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2023 Italian Grand Prix combined practice times
| Position | Number | Driver | Team | FP1 time | FP2 time | FP3 time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Ferrari | 1’22.703 | 1’21.355 | 1’20.912 | 1 | |
| 2 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | 1’22.657 | 1’21.631 | 1’20.998 | 0.086 | 5 |
| 3 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’23.241 | 1’21.374 | 1’22.515 | 0.462 | 2 |
| 4 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1’23.269 | 1’22.783 | 1’21.453 | 0.541 | 17 |
| 5 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1’22.966 | 1’21.716 | 1’21.486 | 0.574 | 6 |
| 6 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | 1’22.834 | 1’21.540 | 1’22.192 | 0.628 | 3 |
| 7 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’23.446 | 1’21.545 | 1’22.302 | 0.633 | 4 |
| 8 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 1’23.214 | 1’22.071 | 1’21.711 | 0.799 | 8 |
| 9 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1’23.189 | 1’22.176 | 1’21.730 | 0.818 | 9 |
| 10 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas-Ferrari | 1’24.217 | 1’22.574 | 1’21.884 | 0.972 | 11 |
| 11 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams-Mercedes | 1’23.444 | 1’21.979 | 1’22.054 | 1.067 | 7 |
| 12 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas-Ferrari | 1’24.067 | 1’22.291 | 1’21.985 | 1.073 | 10 |
| 13 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin-Mercedes | No time | 1’22.245 | 1.333 | ||
| 14 | 40 | Liam Lawson | AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT | 1’23.833 | 1’23.167 | 1’22.296 | 1.384 | 18 |
| 15 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT | 1’23.271 | 1’22.696 | 1’22.297 | 1.385 | 14 |
| 16 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams-Mercedes | 1’23.661 | 1’22.755 | 1’22.380 | 1.468 | 16 |
| 17 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | 1’23.952 | 1’22.595 | 1’22.511 | 1.599 | 12 |
| 18 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine-Renault | 1’23.931 | 1’22.651 | 1’22.852 | 1.739 | 13 |
| 19 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine-Renault | 1’24.090 | 1’22.716 | 1’22.739 | 1.804 | 15 |
| 20 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | 1’24.232 | 1’23.346 | 1’22.742 | 1.830 | 19 |
| 21 | 34 | Felipe Drugovich | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 1’24.140 | 3.228 | 20 |
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2023 Italian Grand Prix
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