Hamilton seeks pole record in front of Ferrari fans at Monza
Lewis Hamilton could break Michael Schumacher’s record for pole positions in Formula One.
Championship leader Sebastian Vettel could strengthen his bid to become the first Ferrari driver to win the F1 title in a decade.
And all this while Ferrari is celebrating its 70th anniversary.
There is no lack of story lines entering this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix in Monza, where the Ferrari fans - “tifosi” - may unleash a wave of pent-up enthusiasm after years of disappointment.
That’s if things go to plan for them. It will be interesting to see how the crowd reacts if Mercedes driver Hamilton leads qualifying and breaks his tie with Schumacher to claim his 69th pole position.
Schumacher won five of his record seven drivers’ championships with Ferrari from 200004 and remains revered among the team’s supporters - and in F1 in general.
The current condition of the 48year-old Schumacher’s health remains closely guarded among family and close associates.
It was while skiing with his teenage son, Mick, on a family holiday that Schumacher sustained severe head injuries in France on 29 December, 2013. He has been cared for at his home in Switzerland since September 2014.
Vettel leads Hamilton by seven points but could be hard-pressed to match Mercedes’ outright power on a circuit featuring long straightaways and high-speed curves.
Mercedes has won the Italian GP the last three years - Hamilton in 2014 and 2015 and the now retired Nico Rosberg in 2016.
“Monza is a circuit that has been good to us in recent years,” said Toto Wolff, Mercedes head of motorsport. “It rewards low drag and peak power, both of which are among the strengths of our package.
“But braking stability and lowspeed grip are also crucial through the chicanes, and these are areas where Ferrari has held an advantage,” Wolff added. “The team that finds the best overall compromise will come out on top.”
With parts of the Monza circuit still featuring long straight sections from an old oval track, it features the fastest speeds in F1 up to 370 kph (230 mph) on the approach to Turn 1 at the end of the start/finish straightaway.
Teams prepare low-drag configurations that are generally only seen in Italy and, with the new wider and faster cars this year, speeds could be even higher.
“It’s an incredible feeling racing down those iconic straights punctuated by the tight chicanes and big, fast corners that require a huge amount of commitment,” McLaren-Honda driver Fernando Alonso said.
On Sunday, a parade of historic cars will celebrate the anniversary of the first Ferrari-badged car in 1947.
Feuding Force India teammates Perez and Ocon promise peace
Force India teammates Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon have promised peace after a season full of heated incidents.
Speaking ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, Ocon says, “We had a talk this morning, just us two. It’s time we move forward and behave as professionals.”
During last weekend’s Belgian GP, the pair tangled twice on track, causing damage to both of their cars, then had a war of words after the race.
Perez, the more senior driver at age 27, approached Ocon on Thursday: “I went to Esteban’s room and said, ‘Let’s just move on together and forget the past. A new relationship can start from now on.’ ”
Despite the internal competition - they also collided in Azerbaijan in June - Force India is fourth in the constructors’ standings.