Italian Grand Prix – Qualifying

It’ll be the third race in three weekends, following on from Belgium and Holland.

There was a minute’s silence before FP2 to mark the Queen’s death, as well as many tributes on the cars and on social media. [F1]

Free Practice results:

1. FP1: LEC (1:22.410), SAI, RUS, HAM, VER, OCO, ALO, TSU, BOT, RIC
2. FP2: SAI (1:21.664), VER, LEC, NOR, RUS, PER, HAM, OCO, ALO, ALB
3. FP3: VER (1:21.252), LEC, PER, SAI, ALO, NOR, RUS, TSU, OCO, HAM

There were a lot of drivers taking engine-related penalties recently, but there are even more this weekend!

• 5-place penalties: OCO, VER
• 10-places: PER
• 15-places: BOT, MAG, SCH
• All the way to the back: HAM, SAI, TSU*

*Although it’s worth noting that TSU penalties are due to him receiving his fifth reprimand of the season, as well as a penalty for not slowing sufficiently under yellow flags in FP2… which means he now has 8 penalty points on his super-licence; he’ll get a one-race ban if he hits 12 points in a 12 month period.

BBC reports “Williams driver Alex Albon will miss the Italian Grand Prix as a result of contracting appendicitis. The British-Thai will be replaced by Mercedes reserve driver Nyck de Vries.” (I’ll use DEV in my notes)

Qualifying session 1 (Q1)
Air temperature 27°C; track 40°C; humidity 36%
STR 1:24.231
TSU 1:22.762
PER 1:22.085
VER 1:22.023
(DEV P5)
SAI 1:21.348
LEC 1:21.280
NOR has a lap time deleted for exceeding track limits
VER 1:20.922
5mins left; bottom 5 are MAG, BOT, STR, SCH, VET
MAG P11 … except that time’s deleted
Chequered flag; bottom 5 are MAG, BOT, STR, SCH, VET
VET P17
BOT P14, RIC P16
MAG P18 … but he loses the time again!
Back of the grid: LAT, VET, STR, MAG, SCH

DEV has a lap time deleted, dropping him to P15

Qualifying session 2
Everyone waiting in their garages, and then they’ll complain about traffic
Sure enough, everyone (except TSU) heads out of the pit lane
PER 1:21.358
VER 1:21.265
SAI 1:20.878
LEC locked up and abandoned his lap
(LEC P2)
5mins left; bottom 5 are BOT, DEV, ZHO, RIC, TSU
They’re all in the pits, preparing for a final run
TSU gets out of his Alphatauri – he knows he’ll start the race P20
Unsafe release – GAS right into the path of NOR
Chequered flag
DEV locks up and cuts the chicane
BOT P11
ZHO P13
RIC P8, OCO P11
Middle of the grid: OCO, BOT, DEV, ZHO, TSU

Qualifying session 3
Top 10 shootout is between SAI, LEC, VER, PER, HAM, RUS, NOR, RIC, ALO and GAS
Everyone except the Mercedes pair heads out, trying to shuffle themselves into team order so they can tow their respective teammates
Great time for the FIA timing page to stop updating!
ALO back in the pits
SAI 1:20.584
LEC P2
HAM P6
RUS P5
Order after the first run: SAI, LEC, VER, PER, RUS, NOR, HAM, RIC, GAS, ALO
Radio from RUS, “Tyres are nowhere, just sliding everywhere”
ALO heads back onto the track
2mins left; everyone now on track
ALO P6
SAI 1:20.429
LEC 1:20.161
RIC P7
VER P2
HAM P5
RUS pits
ALO’s lap time was deleted
Front of the grid: LEC, VER, SAI, PER, HAM, RUS, NOR, RIC, GAS, ALO

Provisional grid: LEC, VER, SAI, PER, HAM, RUS, NOR, RIC, GAS, ALO, OCO, BOT, DEV, ZHO, TSU, LAT, VET, STR, MAG, SCH
…But now there are all the penalties to be applied
* = 5-place penalty to be applied: LEC, VER*, SAI+, PER**, HAM+, RUS, NOR, RIC, GAS, ALO, OCO*, BOT***, DEV, ZHO, TSU+, LAT, VET, STR, MAG***, SCH***

[2022 calendar and line-up]