Formula 1

F1 2020: Italian Grand Prix

by
Darry Worthington
September 2, 2020

Darry Worthington runs the rule over the Italian Grand Prix which will take place on Sunday the 6th of September.

Image copyright – Steve Haag Sports
Two women looking excitedly at cellphone

Ferrari will be looking to atone for a woeful showing at Spa when they hit their home circuit of Monza this coming weekend. The Prancing stag registered their worst result in a decade with Sebsatin Vettel finishing in 13th and Charles LeClerc in 14th. This is simply unacceptable for one of the most decorated teams on circuit.

While Ferrari are in a whole lot of trouble, things are just peachy over at Mercedes with the Silver Arrows claiming yet another one-two finish out in Belgium. They head into this weekend as hot favourites to dominate the Italian Grand Prix.

Italian Grand Prix

Sunday 6 September
Monza

To Win Race Outright
Lewis Hamilton 9/20

Valterri Bottas 7/2
Max Verstappen 9/2
Daniel Ricciardo 25/1
Esteban Ocon 50/1
Sergio Perez 50/1
Carlos Sainz 66/1

Previous Race
The status quo was maintained in Spa as Mercedes claimed yet another one-two finish with Lewis Hamilton taking race honours and Valterri Bottas claiming second. The podium was rounded out by Max Verstappen while his former teammate, Daniel Ricciardo, put in an impressive shift and brought his Renault home in fifth.

Spa proved to be a very profitable race for Renault as Esteban Ocon took fifth place. He brought his car home in front of Red Bull’s Alexander Albon, who rounded out the Top 6.

The remainder of the points scoring positions were taken by Lando Norris (seventh), Pierre Gasly (eighth), Lance Stroll (ninth) and Sergio Perez (tenth).

Jockeys Ride Horses Track

Located some ten odd miles outside of Milan, the famous Autodromo Nazionale Monza awaits this field.

The circuit has gone through several redevelopments since it was opened in 1922, mainly in a bid to improve safety.

The 5.793km long track is situated in the Royal Villa of Monza park – this park has provided a fantastic backdrop for many a classic Formula one action shot.

Drivers will go head-to-head over 53 laps, which sees them cover a total of 306.729km.

Although the track has been turned into a much more sedate beast over the years, it still has some treacherous aspects to it.

Whilst Monza holds significantly fewer corners to challenge the drivers compared to Spa, it still poses a few of the most infamous turns in F1. Parabolica, in particular, possess a threat; this 180-degree bend is famous for inducing the odd high-speed crash.

Another challenge for drivers is the Variante Ascari sequence which is a culmination of turns eight, nine and ten.

The two DRS activation zones are located on the start/finish straight and the straight between turn seven and eight.

The 2019 edition of the race saw Charles LeClerc claim first – history is certainly not likely to repeat itself this weekend – with Valterri Bottas claiming second and Lewis Hamilton rounding out the podium. LeClerc also claimed pole position, while Hamilton took the fastest lap accolade.

In terms of the weather for this weekend, we’re in for sunny skies for the most part with only a slight bit of rain being forecast to fall on race day.

Value Bet

Podium Finish – Charles LeClerc – Yes @50/1
I’m hoping for a miracle with this as the Ferrari’s are really struggling with their new set up and clocking race lap times that you’d expect from teams like Williams.

I’ve got little hope of LeClerc claiming a podium finish here but at 50/1 he offers a great return for a very small outlay. The Ferrari man also has a healthy record out at Monza having won last year’s race.

To Win Race Outright

Lewis Hamilton @9/20
While Hamilton hasn’t always lit up Monza he does have a solid record at the track winning four of the last six Grand Prix. He has also been all-conquering this season winning five out of the seven Grand Prix raced so far while only missing out on a podium berth once this term.

Bet against the ‘Brit at your own risk.