Italian Grand Prix: Max Verstappen set for another dominant victory at Monza

Formula One moves onto the final European race of the season at Monza’s high-speed Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Ferrari’s home ground.

Monza was part of the inaugural F1 World Championship season back in 1950, three decades after it had first made a name for itself as a prestigious racetrack. Since then, it has been part of the schedule every year bar one - the anomaly came in 1980 when its facilities underwent extensive renovations. 

Located in the verdant Parco di Monza, a short ride from fashionista capital Milan, the Autodromo is known for its lengthy full-throttle sections, challenging chicanes, and passionate local fans called the Tifosi. 

Another home for Ferrari

All eyes will be on Ferrari at the Italian Grand Prix - that’s always the case, given that support of Ferrari in Italy is a national pastime, with sections in newspapers devoted to Maranello’s machines on a daily basis. 

In recent seasons, success in Italy has not been overwhelmingly forthcoming for Ferrari. ‘The Prancing Horse’ has won the Italian Grand Prix just once in the last 12 years courtesy of Charles Leclerc, who delivered an emotional victory in his first year in red in 2019.

Ferrari has already had one chance on home turf in April’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, which took place at Imola – a circuit closer to Maranello than Monza is to Ferrari’s factory. However, Ferrari fumbled its lines as Leclerc spun out en route to sixth while Carlos Sainz retired. Constructor title rivals Red Bull, meanwhile, delivered an emphatic one-two result. 

Surprising recent results

Engine grunt is often the crucial component at Monza, though there is still a need for a car to handle the few corners with a low-downforce set-up, and perform strongly in the heavy-braking zones. 

Mercedes’ recent superiority in Formula One was reflected in its record at Monza with successive victories from 2014 to 2018, including four in five years for Lewis Hamilton.

Ferrari’s rapid power unit paid dividends in 2019 for Leclerc, but the last two years have seen surprise victors. Pierre Gasly captured a shock maiden win in 2020 on home ground for AlphaTauri after a well-timed pit stop prior to a red-flag period, aided by an untimely penalty for the previously dominant Hamilton.

Last year’s race is best remembered for the clash between then title rivals Hamilton and Verstappen, and the crash between the pair. However, even before then, a fired-up Daniel Ricciardo looked like recording a sensational victory and eventually led home Lando Norris to take an unexpected one-two result for McLaren. 

Verstappen in phenomenal form

This year, the reigning World Champion is the indisputable man in form. Max Verstappen has won the last four races with astonishing ease to open a seismic 109-point lead in the Championship race, which should make a second world title a formality.

Verstappen has never triumphed at Monza, but Red Bull has had a rapid car on low-downforce tracks this year and the RB18 - which has hardly been off the pace at any venue - should be well-suited to the circuit. Verstappen consequently enters the weekend as firm favourite, both for pole position and victory. 

Recommended trades

Max Verstappen to claim Pole Position @ 1.49
Max Verstappen to win the Italian Grand Prix @ 1.52