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Italian GP
F1 Italian GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP3 & Qualifying
Updates from the Saturday practice and qualifying at Monza for the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix
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Max Verstappen comes into the final European race of the season on red-hot form with four consecutive wins, which has seen him stretch his F1 world championship lead to 109 points.
It means the pressure increases on home favourites Ferrari and Charles Leclerc who need a strong performance after a tough run of races.
A host of F1 drivers will take grid penalties into the race, headlined by Lewis Hamilton who will start from the back of the grid for taking an new power unit, while Verstappen takes a five-place grid drop.
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So, work to do for both Haas and both Aston Martin drivers, while it looked to be a messy lap for Bottas as he is half a second off team-mate Zhou.
Stopwatch
Verstappen goes back to the top with a 1m20.922s which is 0.358s quicker than anyone else so far.
Norris has a lap time deleted but it won't mean much as it wasn't his fastest time in Q1. All drivers have set a lap time now and in the drop zone with six minutes to go are: Magnussen, Bottas, Stroll, Schumacher and Vettel.
De Vries puts in a 1m22.567s to go eighth fastest and 0.020s faster than team-mate Latifi.
Stopwatch
Now the Ferraris, as Leclerc goes top with a 1m21.280s, 0.068s faster than Sainz.
Stopwatch
Verstappen goes quickest with a 1m22.023s, while shoutout to de Vries who is a late call up to replace the unwell Albon, as he puts in a 1m22.881s to go a provisional fifth.
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Tsunoda takes over at the top with a 1m22.762s, as the big boys come out to play for the first time in Q1.
Stopwatch
Stroll duly provides the first time of Q1, a 1m24.231s, but he may need to improve on that considering we were seeing 1m21s laps in practice.
Both Haas drivers and Tsunoda give Stroll some company, but all three of those have grid penalties to come. Mad to think almost half the F1 drivers have grid drops to serve, but here we are.
Stroll gets things going this afternoon and he has the freedom of Monza as the only driver on the track. Not that it'll stay that way for long.
Lights green
Right, off we go for Q1.
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Sun
Conditions are hot, dry and sunny at Monza, so the wet and inter tyres can be kept sleeping soundly in the blankets this afternoon.
This is your five-minute warning for the start of qualifying. Just enough time to make a cuppa.
If a driver with a grid penalty tops qualifying and it creates a bit of an anti-climax, it isn't anything new. Last year Bottas topped qualifying and the sprint race for Mercedes, only to be sent to the back of the grid due to an engine change.
But how useful is pole at Monza given it can be a slipstream festival? Well, pretty handy, as seven of the last 11 Italian GPs have been won by the polesitter.
The incoming penalties, particularly for Verstappen, Perez, Sainz and Hamilton, means it is a golden opportunity for Leclerc to take pole even if he doesn't top qualifying. A Ferrari, on pole, at Monza, for the Italian GP. It just sounds right.
That doesn't rule out any further grid drops or changes to follow, but for now it is just the nine drivers with grid penalties.
Here's the grid droppery at present:
| Driver | Team | Elements | Penalty |
| Max Verstappen | Red Bull | ICE | 5 places |
| Esteban Ocon | Alpine | ICE |
5 places |
| Sergio Perez | Red Bull | ICE (first breach) | 10 places |
| Mick Schumacher | Haas | ICE, Gearbox | 15 places |
| Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo | ICED, turbo, MGU-H | 15 places |
| Kevin Magnussen | Haas | ICED, turbo, MGU-H | 15 places |
| Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | Gearbox, MGU-K, CE, ES | Back of the grid |
| Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | Full power unit | Back of the grid |
| Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | Full power unit + sporting penalty | Back of the grid |
There are grid penalties in play at Monza. A lot of them. So far, nine drivers will serve some kind of grid drop which will shake up the final qualifying order whatever happens this afternoon.
Green flag
Good afternoon! Who is ready for part-qualifying, part-maths exam to decide the grid for the Italian GP? Stop watches and calculators at the ready!
Thank you for joining us for FP3, we'll be back later on to build up to qualifying at 15:00 BST. See you then!
Breaking news
Here's the full report from FP3, as Verstappen headed Leclerc and Williams stand-in De Vries lapped close to Latifi's pace: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-italian-gp-verstappen-fastest-in-final-practice-from-leclerc/10366938/
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Verstappen's Red Bull was fastest in all three sectors on his best lap in FP3, so Ferrari clearly has a bit of work to do during the lunch break to give Leclerc a car that can match the Dutchman over a single lap.
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Ricciardo, last year's Monza winner, was 15th, nine spots behind team-mate Norris.
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Williams stand-in De Vries was 13th, just behind team-mate Latifi. Not a bad effort at all considering Latifi had two runs on the soft and De Vries just the one after being called up to replace an unwell Albon.
Perez was third fastest ahead of Sainz, who is under investigation for impeding Bottas at Turn 1. Alonso was the best of the rest ahead of Norris, Russell, Tsunoda, Ocon and Hamilton.
Verstappen remember will take an engine penalty, but there's still pride at stake.
So that draws FP3 to a close. Max Verstappen was fastest, ahead of Charles Leclerc by a rather comfortable 0.347s with the Ferrari man complaining of understeer at Lesmo 1. Will he be able to turn the tables on his team's home circuit come qualifying?
Checkered flag
Tsunoda posts an improvement just as the checkered flag comes out to end the session, moving up to P8.
Vettel and both Haas drivers have posted personal bests, but all three remain in the bottom five. Vettel, a three-time winner here in 2008, 2011 and 2013, is 16th ahead of Tsunoda, Schumacher, Magnussen and Stroll.
Leclerc complains on the radio that his Ferrari "isn't turning at all" at the first Lesmo. Could that one corner be the source of his time loss to Verstappen?
Both Aston Martins and Haas cars are in the bottom five, along with Tsunoda currently. Can they post morale-boosting late times ahead of qualifying?
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Schumacher does get out after all. Superb effort from the Haas mechanics.
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Meanwhile de Vries has taken on softs and posted a 1m22.869s, putting him just a tenth behind Latifi. The Williams pair are currently 12th and 13th respectively.
Perez also beats Sainz and moves into third on a 1m21.848s, 0.596s down on Verstappen.
Leclerc responds with his own personal best to move back ahead of Sainz into second, but it's still 0.353s slower for the Ferrari man.
There's the gauntlet laid down. Verstappen improves by 0.620s on his own personal best with three purple sectors to produce a 1m21.252s.
Verstappen and Perez have now taken softs for the final 12 minutes of the session.
By: autosport.com
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