Preview
Monza Preview: A rapid start to the final portion of the year
The drivers and their teams are back from their summer break and they immediately face the fastest test of all as the 2024 FIA Formula 2 season heads to the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.
Isack Hadjar made a big statement with a Feature Race victory at Spa-Francorchamps right before the hiatus, but his rivals will be keen to fight back at the Temple of Speed this weekend.
So, before we hit the ground running again this year, here is all you need to know before we go racing in Monza.
Isack Hadjar’s victory at the Spa-Francorchamps Feature Race put him on 165 points to extend his lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship. The Campos Racing driver leads his nearest rival Gabriel Bortoleto, who moved up to second in Belgium, by 36 points.
That pushed Paul Aron down to third in the Standings following the Hitech Pulse-Eight driver’s difficult run of form before the summer break, with the Estonian now on 124.
He is ahead of Rodin Motorsport’s Zane Maloney in fourth on 111 points, with DAMS Lucas Oil’s Jak Crawford rounding out the top five on 100.
Williams-bound Franco Colapinto is sixth but his F2 season is run following his Formula 1 call up, with Oliver Goethe set to take his place at MP Motorsport. PREMA Racing’s Andrea Kimi Antonelli is seventh on 87 points, followed by Goethe’s new teammate Dennis Hauger in eighth with 83.
Kush Maini is right behind them in ninth on 74 for Invicta, as ART Grand Prix driver Zak O’Sullivan rounds out the top 10 with 59 points.
On the Teams side of things, Campos Racing and Invicta Racing are tied at the top of the Standings on 203 points.
MP Motorsport are third on 179 points, while Hitech Pulse-Eight are 26 points adrift in fourth, as Rodin Motorsport round out the top five on 140.
FROM THE GRID – Gabriel Bortoleto, Invicta Racing
“I’ve been going to Italy since I was very young, so I have also always gone to Monza, for testing and also racing in the Italian Championships. Every Championship I have been in, I have raced at Monza and I have good memories, good races, and good moments there, like winning the F3 title, even if it was in Qualifying and a little bit different from normal. It’s a very special track to me.
“The best overtaking spots for me are T1, you can have some big sends there and also the second chicane. Apart from that, just before Ascari but it’s a bit risky.
“Monza is quite fine in terms of degradation, there is not much. In F3, it was easy to manage. There are a lot of straights, so you don’t consume a lot of tyres, plus there are not many corners and the tarmac is good.
“The Italian fans are great, they are very passionate about the sport. It’s just unbelievable, they really watch everything, not only Formula 1, but also Formula 2 and Formula 3 and other categories. They do quite a good job cheering for the drivers.
“I want to win at Monza at some point, I don’t think I have ever won at Monza. I’ve had some great results but not a win. I would like to win, it’s a special track and I want to add that to my career records.”
TECHNICAL PREVIEW
Monza is one of the most unique circuits on the calendar with more than 75% of the lap spent of full throttle. For one, this means fuel consumption is incredibly high but with, so few corners, tyre wear is not too much of a concern, although picking the right strategy is still critical.
The lack of corners also means downforce requirements are minimal, with top speed the priority instead for the teams and drivers.
With long straights and two DRS zones around the lap, overtaking is easier around Monza than most other venues, especially down to Turn 1. It’s the heaviest braking zone around the circuit and one of the biggest on the calendar. As a result, braking demand is quite high, with lock-ups a fairly common occurrence at T1 in both Qualifying and the races.
RACE STRATEGY
For the highspeed Monza track, which has been completely resurfaced but with no significant changes to the layout, Pirelli is bringing the same pair of compounds as last year. Available to the teams will be the P Zero Yellow medium and the P Zero Purple supersoft. The first point to make, is that in common with all the categories on track, any predictions about tyre performance are rendered complicated by the all-new surface, with all the unknown factors that entails. The Medium tyre will be the choice for the Sprint Race, as drivers will be able to exploit all its performance almost all the way to the chequered flag, with any significant degradation only making itself felt in the last few laps. For the Feature Race, it is likely that the majority of teams will start on the Supersoft before switching to the Medium when the pit stop window opens.
STAT PACK
Isack Hadjar currently leads the Championship for Campos Racing helped by his four victories - the most of any driver.
Paul Aron has three Pole Positions in 2024, more than any other driver, while Gabriel Bortoleto and Dennis Hauger are next best on two apiece.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli has led the most laps this season with 54.
In the previous seven visits to Monza, Oscar Piastri is the only driver to have won the Feature Race from Pole Position, his win coming in 2021.