GP Monza, let's discover the starting grid

Monza is preparing to host the Italian Grand Prix which could prove crucial for the fate of the 1 Formula 2024 championship. With qualifications which have highlighted a highly competitive starting grid, it is time to analyse the positions and understand which strategies could play a decisive role in the progress of the Monza GP.

A fight at the top between McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes

The starting grid sees McLaren in pole position with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who showed great speed in qualifying. Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, starts from the second row and will try to exploit the support of the crowd and the speed of the SF-24 to stay in contention for the victory. Mercedes, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, is in a position of chasing but could insert itself into the fight thanks to effective strategies and tyre management.

Red Bull out of the fight

Red Bull had a tough qualifying session and with issues on all fronts — both in the slow corners and on the straights — a comeback looks set to be difficult. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez will start from seventh and eighth positions respectively. Verstappen expressed concerns about the handling of his car and fears the race could be complicated if the issues are not resolved.

Top 10: McLaren in the front row

Lando Norris took pole position, followed by teammate Oscar Piastri in second. George Russell (Mercedes) will start from third, with Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) in fourth and fifth respectively. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) will start sixth, with Max Verstappen (Red Bull) seventh and Sergio Perez (Red Bull) eighth. The top 10 is completed by Alex Albon (Williams) in ninth and Nico Hülkenberg (Haas) in tenth.

Positions 11-20: The challenges of the outsiders

In the second half of the grid, Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) will start eleventh, followed by Daniel Ricciardo (AlphaTauri) in twelfth and Kevin Magnussen (Haas) in thirteenth. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) will start fourteenth, Esteban Ocon (Alpine) fifteenth, and Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) sixteenth. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) will start seventeenth, Franco Colapinto (Williams) eighteenth, Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) nineteenth and Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo) twentieth.

With such a diverse and competitive grid, the Monza Grand Prix promises to be a race full of unknowns. Tyre management will be crucial to achieving a good result, especially on a circuit like Monza that requires a precise balance between speed and tyre wear. The strategies adopted by the teams to optimise tyre performance could prove decisive. Which team will be able to master this aspect best and turn their starting position into a victory?

The complete grid