F1 returns to Monza, the home of Ferrari, this weekend as the Italian Grand Prix takes centre stage with plenty of intrigue left in the 2024 season.
Lando Norris cruised to his second ever win in Formula 1 with victory at the Dutch Grand Prix last time out and, in doing so, narrowed the gap to championship leader Max Verstappen to 70 points.
Verstappen had to settle for second at his home race while Charles Leclerc did well to fend off McLarenâs Oscar Piastri to seal the third spot on the podium. Leclerc will be eyeing a strong showing at the Scuderiaâs home race, in what will be Carlos Sainzâs last Ferrari appearance in Italy.
Lewis Hamilton can also expect a strong reception ahead of his move next year, while Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli will appear in first practice on Friday for Mercedes ahead of his likely promotion in 2025. Franco Colapinto will also make his debut for Williams after Logan Sargeantâs axing.
Follow live updates from the Italian Grand Prix with The Independent
F1 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX – LATEST UPDATES
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F1 heads to Monza, the home of Ferrari, for round 16 of the 2024 season
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CRASH! Kimi Antonelli hits the wall just 10 minutes into first F1 session
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Second practice started at 4pm (BST)
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Lewis Hamilton hopes Lando Norris can push F1 title race âdown to the wire’
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Max Verstappen has a 70-point lead with nine races remaining
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Carlos Sainz quickest early on!
16:15 , Kieran Jackson
Theyâre all on medium tyres to begin with and Carlos Sainz is fastest with a 1:21:264, 0.341 secs quicker than Lando Norris and 0.346 secs quicker than Max Verstappen.
Lewis Hamilton is in the mix in fourth, as is Oscar Piastri in fifth.
15 mins gone.
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: FP2 underway
16:02 , Kieran Jackson
The Alpine of Esteban Ocon is the first car out on track for this second hour of practice! Ferrariâs Charles Leclerc also gives the tifosi fans in the grandstand a wave as he leaves the pit lane!
George Russell, in the Mercedes garage, is still standing up as the mechanics put the finishing touches to fixing the car from Antonelliâs crash earlier.
Should be about 10 minutes until itâs ready.
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Second practice coming right up!
15:56 , Kieran Jackson
Weâre five minutes away from FP2 in Monza!
George Russell will be back in the car – but is his Mercedes car completely fixed following Kimi Antonelliâs crash earlier?
Another important hour ahead for Williams rookie Franco Colapinto too!
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Constructorsâ Standings heading into the Italian Grand Prix…
15:45 , Kieran Jackson
1. Red Bull – 434 points
2. McLaren – 404 points
3. Ferrari – 370 points
4. Mercedes – 276 points
5. Aston Martin – 74 points
6. RB – 34 points
7. Haas – 27 points
8. Alpine – 11 points
9. Williams – 4 points
10. Sauber – 0 points
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Who is Franco Colapinto? Argentine F1 driver replacing axed Logan Sargeant at Williams
15:33 , Kieran Jackson
Franco Colapinto says this is âwhat dreams are made ofâ as Williams announced the Argentine will replace the axed Logan Sargeant for the remaining nine races of the 2024 F1 season.
The final straw for 23-year-old Sargeant â who has recorded just one point in 36 races since the start of last year â was a crash in practice at the Dutch Grand Prix on Saturday, with the damage to his car so severe that he missed out on qualifying.
Williams boss James Vowles has therefore opted for a change, with the American making way for 21-year-old Argentine Colapinto â who has been racing in Formula 2 this year.
While a seat for next year is not on the cards, with Ferrariâs Carlos Sainz already confirmed to be partnering Alex Albon in 2025, it still represents a tremendous opportunity for Colapinto ahead of his debut this weekend in Monza.
But who is Colapinto, the driver who becomes the first Argentine to race in F1 in 23 years?
Who is Franco Colapinto? Argentine driver replacing axed Logan Sargeant at Williams
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Constructorsâ Standings heading into the Italian Grand Prix…
15:22 , Kieran Jackson
1. Red Bull – 434 points
2. McLaren – 404 points
3. Ferrari – 370 points
4. Mercedes – 276 points
5. Aston Martin – 74 points
6. RB – 34 points
7. Haas – 27 points
8. Alpine – 11 points
9. Williams – 4 points
10. Sauber – 0 points
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Safety car crashes in bizarre scene before Italian Grand Prix
15:10 , Kieran Jackson
The FIA safety car was involved in a heavy crash during high-speed testing in an odd scene prior to the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
Experienced safety car driver Bernd Maylander has been behind the wheel of the Aston Martin Vantage safety car â which slowsdown the pack during a grand prix incident â for a number of years and has never previously crashed.
However, that changed on Thursday when Maylander lost control at the sweeping Parabolica corner â the final turn on the Monza circuit â and was left spinning into the wall.
Full piece below
F1 safety car crashes in bizarre scene before Italian Grand Prix
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Here are the Driver Standings heading into the Monza weekend…
14:58 , Kieran Jackson
1. Max Verstappen – 295 points
2. Lando Norris – 225 points
3. Charles Leclerc – 192 points
4. Oscar Piastri – 179 points
5. Carlos Sainz – 172 points
6. Lewis Hamilton – 154 points
7. Sergio Perez – 139 points
8. George Russell – 122 points
9. Fernando Alonso – 50 points
10. Lance Stroll – 24 points
11. Nico Hulkenberg – 22 points
12. Yuki Tsunoda – 22 points
13. Daniel Ricciardo – 12 points
14. Pierre Gasly – 8 points
15. Oliver Bearman – 6 points
16. Kevin Magnussen – 5 points
17. Esteban Ocon – 5 points
18. Alex Albon – 4 points
19. Zhou Guanyu – 0 points
20. Logan Sargeant – 0 points
21. Valtteri Bottas – 0 points
Who is Kimi Antonelli? Mercedes F1 teen tipped to replace Lewis Hamilton on 2025 grid
14:25 , Kieran Jackson
Kimi Antonelli â the teenager tipped as a potential replacement for Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next year â is one of the highest-rated prospects in motorsport right now.
The Italian driver is racing in Formula 2 in 2024, having skipped F3, for Prema Racing alongside British teen and Ferrari reserve Ollie Bearman.
Antonelli, who only turned 18 last Sunday, is on Mercedesâ books and was signed on to their junior programme at 11 years of age. In the years since, he has won numerous karting and single-seater competitions, which has thrust him into the spotlight at such a young age.
With Hamilton moving on from Mercedes after 12 years to join Ferrari at the end of the season, Antonelli is tipped to replace the seven-time F1 world champion – with Toto Wolff turning down the chance to sign Carlos Sainz and missing out on Max Verstappen, who is staying at Red Bull.
But what is Antonelliâs background â and why is he so highly-rated?
Who is Kimi Antonelli? Mercedes F1 teen tipped to replace Lewis Hamilton on 2025 grid
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Toto Wolffâs reaction to Antonelliâs crash…
14:04 , Kieran Jackson
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Kimi Antonelli crashes after just 10 minutes of first F1 session for Mercedes at Monza
13:52 , Kieran Jackson
Mercedes prospect Kimi Antonelli crashed out of his first F1 session after just 10 minutes of first practice at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.
The 18-year-old, widely expected to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next year, was taking part in his first F1 session on Friday in George Russellâs car.
After shooting to the top of the timesheet early on, Antonelliâs second flying lap ended in disaster as he skidded off the racetrack at the final Parabolica corner.
His car smashed into the TecPro barrier in what was a high-speed impact. Antonelli immediately went on the radio, saying: âIâm OK.â
Full story:
Kimi Antonelli crashes after just 10 minutes of first F1 session for Mercedes
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: FP1 RESULTS IN FULL…
13:41 , Kieran Jackson
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Max Verstappen takes first place!
13:31 , Kieran Jackson
Max Verstappen swoops to the top late on with a 1:21:676, two-tenths quicker than Ferrariâs Charles Leclerc and McLarenâs Lando Norris.
4-10: Sainz, Bottas, Piastri, Hamilton, Albon, Perez, Alonso
And thatâs a wrap to what was an entertaining opening practice session!
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Charles Leclerc goes P1!
13:27 , Kieran Jackson
Leclerc raises a cheer from the tifosi crowd as he goes P1!
Lando Norris in second, with Carlos Sainz third.
Final few minutes now…
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Valtteri Bottas quickest!
13:18 , Kieran Jackson
What is happening here….
Valtteri Bottas is quickest with 15 minutes to go, with Leclerc second and Hamilton third.
4-10: Albon, Norris, Sainz, Ricciardo, Tsunoda, Gasly
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: FP1 resumes!
12:58 , Kieran Jackson
Max Verstappen leads the now 19-car pack back out for the remaining half-an-hour or so of practice.
Bit of a shock around the Monza circuit following that heavy shunt for Antonelli…
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Mercedesâ chief communications officer Bradley Lord…
12:56 , Kieran Jackson
âIt was a pretty hefty impact at a high-speed corner, weâll assess the car and hopefully get it turned around for FP2.
âItâs unfortunate that it ended the way it did, he was on the limit and so thatâs a learning curve.â
âItâs a high support environment, itâs all about getting him back into a good place for F2 qualifying later.â
Speaking to Sky Sports
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: FIA UPDATE!
12:52 , Kieran Jackson
The stricken Mercedes car has been removed from the wall and the session will resume in two minutes…
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Kimi Antonelli crashes!
12:49 , Kieran Jackson
Antonelli simply lost control of the car, skidding off track and slamming heavily into the wall!
He immediately went on the radio to let the team know heâs OK – and will now go to the medical centre as a precaution!
Toto Wolff came on the radio to reply: âAll good Kimi, all good.â
Still, quite the introduction to life in Formula 1 for the Italian 18-year-old!
RED FLAG!
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Kimi Antonelli crashes!
12:43 , Kieran Jackson
Oh no!
Antonelli has crashed at the Parabolica corner!
Nightmare for the teenager!
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Max Verstappen misses first chicane
12:38 , Kieran Jackson
The Dutchman comes in too hot at the start of his flying lap and goes straight on at the famous first chicane at Monza!
Kimi Antonelli, with his first flying lap in an F1 car on a grand prix weekend, shoots to the top of the timesheets early on, four-tenths faster than Lando Norris but on softs compared to mediums, while Charles Leclerc also misses the chicane narrowly.
Just eight minutes gone so far…
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: FP1 underway!
12:32 , Kieran Jackson
The Aston Martins – fitted with testing aero-rakes on the wheels – lead out a queue of cars onto the track for the first hour of practice here at Monza!
It is stiflingly hot just outside Milan – around 34C – and there is an excessive heat warning in place!
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: First practice!
12:29 , Kieran Jackson
Itâs time to get the grand prix weekend underway with first practice at the 5.79km, 11-turn Monza circuit!
Itâs also the final European race on the F1 calendar! And a reminder, we have two rookies in this session – Williamsâ Franco Colapinto and Mercedesâ Kimi Antonelli, deputising for George Russell in this session.
There are a lot of cameras and photographers outside Antonelliâs car!
McLaren F1 boss refuses to prioritise Lando Norris as No 1 driver
12:25 , Kieran Jackson
McLaren boss Andrea Stella has ruled out prioritising Lando Norris as the teamâs No 1 driver after the British starâs victory at the Dutch Grand Prix closed the gap on Max Verstappen to 70 points.
Norris is the defending championâs closest competitor and won his second race in Formula 1 by 20 seconds at what is Verstappenâs home race in Zandvoort.
Oscar Piastri, Norrisâ teammate, is 116 points behind Verstappen after putting together a solid run of results around his victory in Hungary in July. As such, the output of McLaren as a team is king for Stella.
Full quotes below:
McLaren boss refuses to prioritise Lando Norris as No 1 driver
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Ferrari upgrades at Monza!
12:21 , Kieran Jackson
Ferrari have brought nine separate upgrades to their car this weekend – a lower drag rear-wing and changes to the floor are the main highlights!
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Who is Franco Colapinto? Argentine F1 driver replacing axed Logan Sargeant at Williams
12:13 , Kieran Jackson
Franco Colapinto says this is âwhat dreams are made ofâ as Williams announced the Argentine will replace the axed Logan Sargeant for the remaining nine races of the 2024 F1 season.
The final straw for 23-year-old Sargeant â who has recorded just one point in 36 races since the start of last year â was a crash in practice at the Dutch Grand Prix on Saturday, with the damage to his car so severe that he missed out on qualifying.
Williams boss James Vowles has therefore opted for a change, with the American making way for 21-year-old Argentine Colapinto â who has been racing in Formula 2 this year.
While a seat for next year is not on the cards, with Ferrariâs Carlos Sainz already confirmed to be partnering Alex Albon in 2025, it still represents a tremendous opportunity for Colapinto ahead of his debut this weekend in Monza.
But who is Colapinto, the driver who becomes the first Argentine to race in F1 in 23 years?
Who is Franco Colapinto? Argentine driver replacing axed Logan Sargeant at Williams
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Big day in store for Kimi Antonelli
12:00 , Kieran Jackson
The 18-year-old will replace George Russell in first practice this afternoon….
Toto Wolff reveals âconversationsâ with Max Verstappen over Mercedes F1 move
11:43 , Kieran Jackson
Toto Wolff has revealed that talks have taken place with Max Verstappen about a move to Mercedes â but the Dutchman will not move teams in 2025.
Three-time F1 world champion Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season but, amid tension within the team this year particularly involving his dad Jos and team principal Christian Horner, he has been linked with a move away.
In recent weeks, Verstappen has insisted he will stay at Red Bull next year but was less clear when asked about 2026 (when new engine and chassis regulations come into force) and beyond.
Mercedes boss Wolff has long held an interest in Verstappen and admits he did pursue signing the 26-year-old to replace Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton.
Full piece below:
Toto Wolff reveals âconversationsâ with Max Verstappen over Mercedes F1 move
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Constructorsâ Standings heading into the Italian Grand Prix…
11:30 , Kieran Jackson
1. Red Bull – 434 points
2. McLaren – 404 points
3. Ferrari – 370 points
4. Mercedes – 276 points
5. Aston Martin – 74 points
6. RB – 34 points
7. Haas – 27 points
8. Alpine – 11 points
9. Williams – 4 points
10. Sauber – 0 points
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Safety car crashes in bizarre scene before Italian Grand Prix
11:21 , Kieran Jackson
The FIA safety car was involved in a heavy crash during high-speed testing in an odd scene prior to the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
Experienced safety car driver Bernd Maylander has been behind the wheel of the Aston Martin Vantage safety car â which slowsdown the pack during a grand prix incident â for a number of years and has never previously crashed.
However, that changed on Thursday when Maylander lost control at the sweeping Parabolica corner â the final turn on the Monza circuit â and was left spinning into the wall.
Full piece below:
F1 safety car crashes in bizarre scene before Italian Grand Prix
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Here are the Driver Standings heading into the Monza weekend…
11:10 , Kieran Jackson
Driver Standings
1. Max Verstappen – 295 points
2. Lando Norris – 225 points
3. Charles Leclerc – 192 points
4. Oscar Piastri – 179 points
5. Carlos Sainz – 172 points
6. Lewis Hamilton – 154 points
7. Sergio Perez – 139 points
8. George Russell – 122 points
9. Fernando Alonso – 50 points
10. Lance Stroll – 24 points
11. Nico Hulkenberg – 22 points
12. Yuki Tsunoda – 22 points
13. Daniel Ricciardo – 12 points
14. Pierre Gasly – 8 points
15. Oliver Bearman – 6 points
16. Kevin Magnussen – 5 points
17. Esteban Ocon – 5 points
18. Alex Albon – 4 points
19. Zhou Guanyu – 0 points
20. Logan Sargeant – 0 points
21. Valtteri Bottas – 0 points
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Lewis Hamilton hopes Lando Norris can take F1 title race against Max Verstappen âdown to the wireâ
11:05 , Kieran Jackson
Lewis Hamilton insists there are âplenty of points to play forâ as Lando Norris looks to launch an ambitious title fightback against Max Verstappen.
McLarenâs Norris trails Verstappen by 70 points with nine races left but will be buoyed by his superior speed during his win last Sunday at the Dutch Grand Prix, where the Brit beat the Dutchman by 22.8 seconds.
And seven-time F1 champion Hamilton, who won his first world championship with McLaren in 2008 and was involved in a famous title race with Verstappen in 2021, hopes his compatriot can take it down to the final race in Abu Dhabi on December 8.
âThere are a lot of points on the table so it is not impossible,â Hamilton said ahead of this weekendâs Italian Grand Prix.
Full quotes below:
Hamilton hopes Norris can take F1 title race against Verstappen âdown to the wireâ
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Start times at Monza…
11:01 , Kieran Jackson
All times BST
Friday 30 August
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Free practice 1: 12:30pm
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Free practice 2: 4pm
Saturday 31 August
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Free practice 3: 11:30am
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Qualifying: 3pm
Sunday 1 September
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Practice!
10:59 , Kieran Jackson
Good morning and welcome to live coverage of the Italian Grand Prix from Monza!
It promises to be an intriguing weekend at what has become known as Ferrariâs home race! Lando Norris is the favourite after his stunning win over Max Verstappen in Zandvoort last week, but both the Scuderia and Mercedes will be looking to make a statement too in round 16 of the 2024 season.
On Friday, 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli takes to the track in an F1 grand prix weekend for the first time as he replaces George Russell in FP1!
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