Italian GP. The fourteenth round of the Formula 1 World Championship will be the last of the year on European soil this weekend. On the legendary Monza circuit, Max Verstappen has the opportunity to become the only driver in history to win ten consecutive races.
[Updated September 1, 2023 11:38 AM] This time it’s the right one. Deprived of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, canceled at the end of May due to the floods which hit the region, Italian fans will be able to vibrate to the sound of the engines this weekend in Monza. The iconic circuit, which has been on the Formula 1 world championship calendar since its inception in 1950, hosts the last race of the season in Europe from September 1 to 3. The paddock will take the direction of Singapore in two weeks and then will not leave Asia and America until the curtain falls on November 26 in Abu Dhabi. Before that, the twenty drivers will do battle in Lombardy, where Pierre Gasly won in 2020 to become the first Frenchman to win a Grand Prix since Olivier Panis in…1996.
It’s hard to imagine the Alpine driver doing it again on Sunday, even if the Rouennais remains on a magnificent podium (3rd) obtained last week in the Netherlands. But he would need countless racing circumstances to win, starting with a poor performance from the untouchable Max Verstappen. In Zandvoort last Sunday, the Dutchman once again disgusted the competition to the delight of his fans who came in large numbers to encourage him. Poleman and winner of his ninth consecutive Grand Prix, the Red Bull driver equaled Sebastian Vettel’s mark. A new success this weekend at Monza and he would become the only record holder for the number of victories in a row.
The Ferrari drivers expected at the turn by the tifosi
Who could stop him in the temple of speed where his single-seater should feast on the endless straight lines of the nearly 5.8 kilometer route? On a regular basis, probably no one. Fourth in the Netherlands due to a penalty which cost him to get on the podium, Sergio Perez too often suffers from comparison with his teammate and struggles above all to convince the leaders of the Austrian team to extend him to the team. from the season. At home, the Ferraris will obviously be keen to achieve great things. But the reality is that Carlos Sainz, fifth last weekend, and Charles Leclerc, forced to retire, are far below expectations in 2023. A podium, also coveted by Mercedes, Aston Martin and McLaren, would already be a good performance for the Reds at home.
In the classification of the world championship, the mass is already said, both for the pilots and for the manufacturers. Max Verstappen, winner of 11 of the first 13 Grand Prix, is no less than 138 points ahead of Sergio Perez. At team level, Red Bull, which has triumphed everywhere this year, already has 540 points when its first pursuer, Mercedes, has 255. A gap that has probably not finished growing.
This fourteenth Grand Prix of the season is therefore the last contested in Europe. The schedules will therefore be quite classic, with the first laps given on Friday from 1.30 p.m. Qualifying on Saturday will begin at 4 p.m., while the start of the race will take place at 3 p.m., as is tradition on the Old Continent.
The Italian Grand Prix will be broadcast exclusively on the channels of the Canal group, holder of the rights to the Formula 1 world championship. The three free practice sessions and qualifying will be broadcast on Canal Sport. Only the race, Sunday from 3 p.m., will have the honors of the premium channel.
Prefer to follow the Grand Prix on your computer, tablet or warm in your bed with your smartphone and duvet? No problem, this fourteenth Grand Prix of the season will of course also be viewable in streaming. You have two options: access to the Canal MyCanal streaming platform or via the official F1 website, F1.com. Both will offer all the practice, qualifying and race sessions live but also in replay. On MyCanal, activating expert mode also makes it possible to combine screens, multi-cameras (including on-board cameras) and data, for example the drivers’ lap times in real time. On F1.com, the live broadcast of the tests and the race is supplemented by replays, documentaries or historical reminders via the F1TV Pro service, offered at 64.99 euros per year or 7.99 euros per month.