In the round-up: Fernando Alonso believes the Alternative Tyre Allocation led to reduced on-track action for fans on Friday
In brief
Alonso ‘sorry for fans who came on Friday’
Aston Martin driver Alonso said he was sorry for fans who attended Monza on Friday for the Italian Grand Prix after the limited tyre sets led to slightly reduced running.
The Alternative Tyre Allocation format is in effect for this weekend’s round and sees each driver given 11 sets of dry tyres compared to the usual 13. In total there were 880 laps completed over yesterday’s two practice sessions, 136 fewer than last year’s Friday at Monza.
“It’s always nice to be back here,” said Alonso. “A very unique set-up on low downforce and very high top speed, so you feel the adrenaline while driving in a Formula 1 car in Monza, so I’m happy to be back.
“Not many laps obviously,” he added. “For me, with this format, with the tyres, we cannot do any laps because we don’t have sets of tyres for practice. So we apologise to all the fans that came on Friday, they don’t see cars.”
Hunter-Reay hit with engine penalty
Ryan Hunter-Reay will receive a six-place grid penalty at this weekend’s IndyCar Grand Prix of Portland after his team installed a fifth engine in his car.The Ed Carpenter Racing driver stepped into the number 20 car to replace Conor Daly at the eighth round of the championship at Road America. After the number 20 car exceeded the four-engine limit for the season, Hunter-Reay will be demoted six places from his qualifying position for Sunday’s race.
Pourchaire fastest in farcical F2 qualifying
Formula 2 points leader Theo Pourchaire will start from pole for Sunday’s feature race at Monza after several drivers failed to improve on their final qualifying runs.
Pourchaire sat on provisional pole position, just over a tenth ahead of Oliver Bearman as the drivers prepared for their final runs in the last minutes of the session. As typical at Monza, all drivers jockeyed among themselves on their final out laps to try and secure a slipstream, leading to a mass traffic jam in the final sector as time ticked down.
Many drivers failed to reach the finish line in time to begin their last flying lap, while many of those who did were heavily compromised by being close with other cars. While there were a handful of improvements after the chequered flag, none threatened pole position and Pourchaire remained on top by the end of the session with Bearman starting alongside him on the front row.
Ralph Boschung will lead the field from pole position the reverse grid during today’s sprint race.
Goethe gets first F3 pole despite crashing
Oliver Goethe took his first Formula 3 pole position in unusual fashion after ending the session with a red flag after crashing.
Qualifying was red flagged multiple times, first for a clash in traffic between Carlin team mates Ido Cohen and Oliver Gray, then for a spin for debutante Josh Dufek. Oliver Goethe set the provisional pole time of 1’38.909, just under a tenth ahead of Caio Collet, but Goethe then speared off the track and into the barriers at the second Lesmo, bringing out the third red flag.
With ten minutes of session time remaining and the earlier red flags meaning F3 was close to a clash with F2, race control announced qualifying would not be resumed, which left Goethe on pole. Collet will start second for Sunday’s feature race, with Paul Aron third. Gregoire Saucy will start on reverse grid pole for today’s sprint race.
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Links
Motor racing links of interest:
Alfa Romeo will stay in motorsport, yet to decide on F1 (Reuters)
Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato: ''I feel that I must stay in motorsport and I will stay in motorsport. That is what I want. We will look for coherence. We don’t want to be stupid for Stellantis. We don’t want to be full (in) for Alfa Romeo. And we don’t want to exit from motorsport.''
The history of our evolving logo (McLaren)
'In honour of our 60th anniversary, celebrated at the 2023 Italian Grand Prix, our original crest from 1963 returned to a McLaren Racing Formula 1 car, paying tribute to our rich racing heritage. Ahead of its return to our cars, we have explored how and why our logo has evolved throughout our history.'
Meeting the fans in Monza (Williams)
'Hear what Logan Sargeant and Alex Albon had to say at the Italian Grand Prix Fans Forum.'
Brand new ‘Hybrid Energy System’ graphic set to debut at Italian Grand Prix (F1)
'The new ‘Hybrid Energy System’ race graphic, which will be launching this weekend in Monza for the 2023 Italian Grand Prix, is the next exciting release from the F1 Insights series.'
'Anywhere is an opportunity at Monza' as Bearman aims to put Prema Racing back on the top step (F2)
'I really enjoy the track, it’s quite old school and has quite a specific approach needed. All of the corners are quite unique especially with an old track surface there’s a lot of bumps, which makes it quite difficult. It’s super fun to drive at with low downforce, the car is moving around a bit more which is always more interesting, and the racing is always some of the best of the year because of the long straights and low downforce, we have a lot of overtaking opportunities.'
We always endeavour to credit original sources. If you have a tip for a link relating to single-seater motorsport to feature in the next RaceFans round-up please send it to us via the contact form.
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Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
A final word from @gabortoleto85 to his fans tonight 🥰#ItalianGP #F3 pic.twitter.com/WezOPqtAtZ
— Formula 3 (@Formula3) September 1, 2023
60 years of passion.
60 years of innovation.
60 years of pushing the limits.We are McLaren. And we're not stopping here.#McLaren60 pic.twitter.com/hbXjrmw6bd
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) September 1, 2023
When it’s your birthday you make the cake what you want 🍕 😅 #ItalianGP 🇮🇹 #F1 #CarlosSainz pic.twitter.com/kVTCZ1voty
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) September 1, 2023
“It was an amazing opportunity for me to get to grips with this car again!” 💚
Hear from AMF1 Team Test & Reserve Driver @felipedrugovich after his FP1 session driving the AMR23 here in Monza.#ItalianGP pic.twitter.com/oWB4dcfOp6
— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) September 1, 2023
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- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Comment of the day
With Max Verstappen telling RaceFans that he doesn’t see himself racing into his 40s like fellow champions Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, Roth Man isn’t fully convinced…
I always take these with a pinch of salt. We’ve heard similar comments from Lewis and others in the past but no one truly knows where their head will be at in five years.
While I think the intent is genuine, the reality I’m sure will be very different in a few years.
Roth Man
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Katederby, Notna, Derek Taylor and F1Tshif!
S
2nd September 2023, 2:17
F2 really is trying to be like F1.
New cars that copy the same appearance, and now a ridiculous qualifying session that followed F1’s lead also.
Well done, everybody…
frood19 (@frood19)
2nd September 2023, 6:31
Well, yeah. It’s the FIA’s feeder series for F1. Why wouldn’t it be similar?
S
2nd September 2023, 7:00
It’s be nice to think that they wouldn’t try to re-enact F1’s negative aspects.
Urvaksh (@thedoctor03)
2nd September 2023, 9:48
I welcome it. Both, the good and the bad. If F1 is the pinnacle, F2 should give the young guns a taste of what they are in for, even the negative aspects of racing, and rightly so. The aim is to look for young chargers with that win at (almost) all costs mentality rather than well-behaved kids who would find themselves completely lost if they do reach F1.
Coventry Climax
2nd September 2023, 2:42
So that’s 13,4% less laps covered, compared to last year.
Were all prices viewers (TV or live) have to pay reduced by the same amount?
I think the percentage is relatively low due to the fact that Monza is a bit of a special circuit, for which all minus 1 teams brought parts they wanted to make sure performed as expected. Simulation will never fully do that for you. The question is, will other circuits show a larger percentage (even less laps), with teams relying more on simulation, or will they still feel the need to physically run, to verify calculated data.
Will be interesting to keep track of the reduced running percentage.
Jere (@jerejj)
2nd September 2023, 5:37
The total lap amount may have been lower than last year but roughly in line with the general average, i.e., more or less the same amounts as on other race weekends with standard format.
Coventry Climax
2nd September 2023, 14:33
Figures please. And the source of them.
Diez Cilindros (@diezcilindros)
2nd September 2023, 7:39
As simple as returning one set after FP1 and two after FP2. Then two more for FP3 and you’ll have 6 sets per quali and race. Ideally, 2 hards, 2 mediums and 2 softs. And fixed, you will almost have the same amount of Friday time…
Facts&Stats
2nd September 2023, 8:07
What’s interesting about the McLaren logo story is that they totally sold themselves to Philip Morris, and reduced their logo to become a marketing tool for Marlboro.
Interestingly as quickly as they moved away from the ‘kiwi’, as slowly they are tweaking their logo now.
But if you flip and turn the current logo a bit then you can see the speedy kiwi again.
Almost there ;)
bosyber (@bosyber)
2nd September 2023, 10:37
Thought this was an interesting story about F1 in Vegas and perhaps about how engaged F1 isn’t with the new areas where it is going , and people living there who might be future fans a la Monza enthusiasm (even when it isn’t Jeddah or Baku).
Sure we know what paddock is, but how can such an easy to solve issue remain?
Alan Dove
2nd September 2023, 14:41
F1 has also caused the SKUSA Supernats having to move from the Rio Hotel. it’s America’s biggest kart and most important kart race and it was special specifically due to its location. It’s yearly date clashes with F1 so that’s that. The billionaires booting out the small guy so to speak. We’re talking several hundred drivers. They have moved to the Speedway as a replcament, but it really isn’t the same.
It’s a genuine loss for the sport really.
Nick T.
3rd September 2023, 6:18
Yeah, that’s a huge shame. They should have tried to publicize that issue and force F1 and the hosts to find a workaround. Maybe they did though and it didn’t work. I know all the drivers, especially Alonso, will always be obsessed with or at least a special place in their hearts for karting. They’d make a stink.