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
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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Bottas, Stroll and Tsunoda are the first drivers out of the pits, Vettel following that trio out for his last Italian GP practice session.
Green flag
And we're underway for FP3.
It doesn't look like it will be a busy session for Schumacher, who already sat out FP1 yesterday while Giovinazzi had some fun in his car. He'll be on the back foot for qualifying later.
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Weather update - there's no chance of rain, and air temperatures are an enjoyable 25.8 °C.
Here's your five-minute warning for FP3.
What can we expect of De Vries this weekend then? At Monza in 2019 he came from 17th on the grid to third in F2, and also won the GP3 feature race in 2016, so he knows his way around here pretty well. He managed the 19th fastest time in the Aston in FP1 yesterday, ahead only of Nicholas Latifi's Williams. If he can emulate that today, he'll be rather chuffed.
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Here's what Albon has had to say on social media about missing out this weekend:
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Our esteemed colleague Jake Boxall-Legge spoke to Apicella last year about that ill-fated race in 1993, the underrated Italian's only ever F1 start. Plus subscribers can read the full interview here: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/when-a-journeyman-drivers-f1-career-lasted-just-800m/6044144/
De Vries is also in good company when it comes to making an F1 debut at Monza - in 2001 both Tomas Enge and Alex Yoong had their first taste of grand prix racing for the Prost and Minardi teams respectively. And who can forget poor old Marco Apicella in 1993, whose debut for Jordan lasted mere yards before he was embroiled in an opening lap shunt?
Monza has seen its fare share of cameo appearances down the years. Remember Jerome d'Ambrosio jumping into the Lotus to replace a banned Romain Grosjean in 2012? Or in 2003 when Zsolt Baumgartner filled in at Jordan for an injured Ralph Firman? We forgive you if you don't.
Photo by: Motorsport Images
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De Vries, the 2019 Formula 2 champion, won the Formula E title for Mercedes in 2021 and has been widely linked with a seat at Williams next year. Now is his chance to prove to the team what he can do.
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The big news is that Nyck de Vries will be driving his second car of the weekend and making his F1 debut. After jumping into Sebastian Vettel's Aston Martin in FP1 yesterday, the Mercedes reserve has been drafted in at Williams to replace an unwell Alex Albon.
Here's the developing story: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/de-vries-to-replace-albon-at-italian-gp-f1/10366863/?nrt=54
Here's the developing story: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/de-vries-to-replace-albon-at-italian-gp-f1/10366863/?nrt=54
Hello and welcome to Autosport's live coverage of Saturday's action from Monza, with Free Practice 3 set to begin in a little over 20 minutes time.
By: autosport.com
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