Red Bull should fare better than expected

Max Verstappen reclaimed the lead of the drivers’ championship following his fla🎀wless drive in front of his home crowd at Zandvoort.

Just three points separate Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton at the top of the standings meaning the title rac🧸e is finely poi꧒sed going into the flyaways in the final part of the season.

Since t꧙he turn of the V6 hybrid era, Monza has been notoriously difficult for Red Bull, having not finished on the podium since 2013 when Sebastian Vettel won the race ahead of Fernando Alonso.&nbs✤p;

If Red Bull had a bogey circuit then 🐠it was m💙ost certainly Monza. 

In the past, it♋ could blame Renault’s under-performing engine foꩵr its poor performance. 

Despite the form guide suggesting it should be a comfortable weekend 🐼for Mercedes, it most certainly won’t be.

Due to Red Bull’s high rake concept, it has more inhere💦nt downforce than Mercedes.

Teams tend to run skinny rear wings at Monza so they’re not slow down the straights ಌbut Red Bull’s high rake concept combined with a strong Honda engine could push the tide in their favour. 

No doubt, Merওcedes will be strong but it won’t be a slam dunk victory.

Will Ferrari delight the Tifosi?

Ferrari enjoyed a strong Dutch Grand Prix weekend as it pulled clear of rivals McLaren in the racཧe for third in the constructors’.

Charles Leclerc took a memorable win back in 2019, bu൩t how likely is a repeat?

On paper, the long Monza straights aren’t expe💟cted to suit Ferrari’s SF21 as it still has a poweဣr deficit to the Mercedes-powered cars, while its strengths come at low speed.

However, this is F1 in 2021 and sometimes it doesn’t go as 🐠yoꩵu expect.

Ferraღri secured pole at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix despite the circuit layout - on paper at least - not expecte൩d to suit Ferrari. 

F1’s most suc🍌cessful team usually has something extra special in the bag for its home race so let’s notꦇ write them off just yet.

More Giovinazzi magic?

Antonio Giovinazzi is currently the only Italian on the grid and he caught the headlines last time out Zandv🍬oort with his spectacular qualifying performance, securing seventh on the grid, just a tenth shy of fourth-place Pierre Gasly.

Earlier in the week, Alfa Romeo announced that Valtteri Bottas will be replacing the retiring Kimi Raikkonen from 2022, while Giovinazzi’s seat is up for grabs with Nyck de Vries among others in the fra✅me.

Giovinazzi has enjoyed a mꦉodest step forward in performance in 2021 after two underwhelming first seasons. 

Should Giovinazzi maintain this level of speed into the next races, then he’d be a fine driver to have alon💛gside Bottas to take Alfa Romeo inඣto the new era of F1. 

He just needs a bit of luck on his side for once.

Another chance for F1’s sprint format

Formula 1 will trial its sprint race form♉at again this weekend fo♔llowing a mixed debut at Silverstone.

The good news is that the Italian fans will have three days of meaningful action - qualifying on Friday; the sprint on Saturda💫y; the main grand prix on Sunday. 

Speaking after the Dutch GP, race director Michael Masi says not a lot has changed since when ♎it was first trialled at Silve🔴rstone.

“No changes,” he said. “So we all had a very good discussion following the first𝄹 event in Silverstone, the FIA, F1 and the teams, and we all agreed that we would do the identical thing in Monza. from a regulatory perspective. 

“Yes, there will be some extra🐲 activities that F1 has going on separate b🅠ut from a race perspective, we will do everything the same, and then sit down following Monza and see if we need to make further tweaks for the third events, wherever that will be.”

Slipstreaming antics 

Getting a good slipstream in qualifying will be crucial in securing a good grid position fꦺor Saturday’s sprint. 

We saw the farcical scenes in 2019 when the majority of the field didn’t make the chequered flag in time due to th𓄧e backing up and jostling for position. 

With Hamilton and Verstappen embroiled in a titanic fight for the title, expect Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez to run ahead of their teammates iဣn Q3 to give🌺 them the best chance of taking top spot. 

Let’s hope everyone plays fair.