The key factors behind a Monza thriller that left the winner speechless

By:

Alex Kalinauckas

Sep 7, 2020, 3:39 PM

After an unspectacular start, the Italian Grand Prix exploded into life through safety car interventions, pit call errors and unpredictable events. Despite everything, Pierre Gasly kept his cool to produce the shock of the season

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Where the Belgian Grand Prix had been generally lifeless, the 2020 Italian GP that followed sizzled with action and emotion throughout. Where Mercedes was faultless at Spa, three errors cost it dearly at Monza. And where Pierre Gasly was a touch undone by race circumstances outside his control in the Ardennes, in Lombardy they - alongside his brilliant driving - set up a famous triumph.

The opening 18 laps of the Italian race did bare an unmistakable similarity to those of seven days before - as polesitter Lewis Hamilton initially dominated - but the rest were action-packed. There wasn't a dull moment from the very second Mercedes realised its error in pitting Hamilton when the pitlane was closed, which created a chaotic and brilliantly enjoyable Formula 1 spectacle.

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Alex Kalinauckas

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Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.

A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.