1093rd F1 GRAND PRIX | 93rd ITALIAN GRAND PRIX | 73rd GRAND PRIX AT MONZA
2022 POLESITTER: CHARLES LECLERC | 2022 WINNER: MAX VERSTAPPEN
The temple of speed. The fastest circuit on the Formula 1 calendar. F1 has raced at Monza in every season except one. The 2023 Italian Grand Prix is set to take place on September 1-3.
2023 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX: WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday 1st September
Free Practice 1 – 1:30pm Local Time / 12:30pm UK Time
Free Practice 2 – 5:00pm Local Time / 4:00pm UK Time
Saturday 2nd September
Free Practice 3 – 12:30pm Local Time / 11:30am UK Time
Qualifying- 4:00pm Local Time / 3:00pm UK Time
Sunday 3rd September
The 2023 Italian Grand Prix – 3:00pm Local Time / 2:00pm UK Time
2023 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX: WEEKEND MILESTONES
If he secures the fastest lap at the 2023 Italian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton would set a new outright record for the most fastest laps at a single circuit. This would be Hamilton’s eighth fastest lap at Monza.
A victory for Ferrari at the 2023 Italian Grand Prix would make them the first team to have taken 20 victories at a single circuit. Ferrari have previously won at Monza on 19 occasions, most recently with Charles Leclerc in 2019.
Victory for Lewis Hamilton at the 2023 Italian Grand Prix would see him set a new record for most Monza victories. He’s currently tied with Michael Schumacher for most victories here, with five.
If Fernando Alonso reaches Lap 10 of the 2023 Italian Grand Prix he’ll become the driver to have raced the most Grand Prix laps at Monza in Formula 1 history. Alonso has completed 880 laps here so far – nine less than Kimi Raikkonen, who currently holds the all-time record.
READ MORE IN MILESTONES AND RECORDS TO BREAK
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE 2023 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX
WHAT HAS CHANGED AT THE CIRCUIT SINCE LAST YEAR?
There have been hardly any changes to the Monza circuit since the 2022 Italian Grand Prix, aside from the removal of speed bumps in the run-off areas at Turns 4, 5, 8 and 10.
HOW MANY DRS ZONES WILL THERE BE AT THE 2023 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX?
Like last year, there will be two DRS zones at the 2023 Italian Grand Prix. There activation zones are located on the main straight and between Turns 7 & 8.
MONZA TRACK GUIDE
‘La Pista Magica’ – ‘the magic track’ – is how Monza is referred to by Italians. The ferocious speed of the Autodromo Nazionale Monza encapsulates the spirit of the sport like no other circuit and requires the drivers to be on the absolute limit throughout the race weekend. Steeped in history and universally loved by Formula 1 fans, Monza has hosted the most Grands Prix in the sport’s entirety.
Italians, in particular the Milan Automobile Club, wanted to host an Italian Grand Prix to rival the already successful Grand Prix of the French Automobile Club. In January 1922, Monza was selected as the location for the new racing circuit, being selected rather than Gallarate or a Grand Prix in the Milan area. Monza was chosen due to its versatility of having a mass of open land – indeed the largest city park in Europe. Construction of the Monza circuit began in February 1922 and was completed by a 3,500 strong workforce during the summer of the same year, despite attempts to stop the construction due to landscape conservation fears.
The track opened its gates for the first time on 3rd September 1922. After six successful years, the 1928 Italian Grand Prix was marred by the death of the driver Emilio Materassi and twenty seven spectators in the worst accident seen in Italian motorsport. The event had a negative impact on the perspective of the sport in the country, leading to the event’s suspension for 1929 and 1930. Tragedy would strike again in the 1933 running, with three top drivers being killed in three heat races leading up to the main event. The terrible events led to chicanes being added to the circuit and, after the 1938 Italian Grand Prix, the banked section was dismantled.
READ MORE IN OUR ULTIMATE TRACK GUIDE
WHO WILL BE IN THE 2023 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX PRESS CONFERENCES?
The world’s media will have the opportunity to talk to the drivers on Friday morning before the opening practice session. The drivers appearing in the press conference are:
Group 1
Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo)
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
Nico Hülkenberg (Haas)
Lando Norris (McLaren)
Sergio Pérez (Red Bull)
Group 2
Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri)
Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
Alex Albon (Williams)
The media will also be talking to prominent members of Formula 1’s teams on Saturday morning. The team members who will appear in the press conference are: Frédéric Vasseur (Ferrari), Andrea Stella (McLaren), Mario Isola (Pirelli) and Christian Horner (Red Bull).
WHO WILL BE THE RACE DIRECTOR AT THE 2023 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX?
Niels Wittich will be the race director at the 2023 Italian Grand Prix.
WHO WILL BE THE DRIVER STEWARD AT THE 2023 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX?
Each weekend a former Formula 1 driver, or a driver from another prominent series of motorsport, joins the stewards to help judge any incidents from a drivers’ perspective. The Driver Steward this weekend is Vitantonio Liuzzi.
WHICH TYRE COMPOUNDS WILL BE USED AT THE 2023 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX?
Pirelli have announced that the C3, C4 and C5 tyre compounds will be used at the 2023 Italian Grand Prix. The C2, C3 and C4 compounds were used in 2022.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME AT THE ITALIAN GRAND PRIX?
Leclerc took a home pole at Monza for Ferrari but the Scuderia could not hold off Verstappen on Sunday, who took his 10th win of the year.
While the teams observed a minute of silence ahead of Free Practice in memory of Queen Elizabeth II, Ferrari sported a special yellow livery to celebrate 70 years of the Italian manufacturer at the Italian Grand Prix. Ferrari also celebrated Monza’s centenary year at the track, with Charles Leclerc taking pole position.
Nyck de Vries was drafted in to replace Alex Albon ahead of Saturday’s action as the Williams driver was suffering with appendicitis. De Vries impressed in qualifying, reaching Q2 and comfortably out-qualifying his team-mate.
Grid penalties for almost half of the grid meant that polesitter Leclerc was the only driver to start in the position that he qualified. George Russell – who qualified sixth – joined Leclerc on the front row.
At the start of the race, Russell pulled alongside Leclerc, but the Ferrari was able to just stay ahead as plenty of drivers behind cut the chicane. Starting seventh, Max Verstappen made up places at the start, passing Daniel Ricciardo for third at the start of Lap 2. Verstappen then passed Russell for second on Lap 5.
Further back, Carlos Sainz was making progress through the field having started near the back and was up into seventh place by Lap 10. Former Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel came to halt on Lap 12 in his final Italian Grand Prix appearance. His stoppage brought out the Virtual Safety Car, under which race leader Leclerc pitted. Verstappen pitted on Lap 26, taking on medium tyres. Leclerc then pitted for a second time eight laps later, rejoining with soft tyres, but was unable to catch Verstappen in the closing stages.
Six laps from the end, Ricciardo stopped on track bringing out the Safety Car. The race finished behind the Safety Car, with Verstappen clinching his tenth victory of the 2022 season. Leclerc and Russell completed the podium, while De Vries picked up points on his debut. After moving up to ninth on the final grid, he finished where he started.
WHAT’S THE FASTEST EVER LAP AT THE ITALIAN GRAND PRIX?
Attending the 2023 Italian Grand Prix? Learn more about visiting Monza in the F1Destinations Travel Guide.
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