In the round-up: Sergio Perez says his qualifying performance was compromised by his power unit problem in final practice.
In brief
Perez went into qualifying “blind”
Perez believes he was unable to show his car’s maximum potential in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix after his final practice was cut short due to a power unit leak. The Red Bull driver qualified fifth, three tenths of a second behind team mate Max Verstappen, after he was unable to use the soft compound in practice,
“Considering the situation missing FP3, basically going blind, I didn’t run new tyres today before qualifying,” he said. “it wasn’t ideal.
“We had a lot of pace yesterday [Friday]. I think [Friday] was looking great but unfortunately we didn’t get to show what we were able to do.”
Vesti going “full attack” after sprint race win
Frederik Vesti says he is in “full attack” for the rest of the Formula 2 season after claiming his fifth victory of the year.
The Mercedes junior won yesterday’s sprint race at Monza. That reduced his championship deficit to Theo Pourchaire to nine points going into today’s feature race, which the Sauber junior will start from pole position. Yesterday’s win ended a run of three races without a point for Vesti, during which time he lost the championship lead.
“It’s all about confidence, it’s all about building a rhythm,” said Vesti, who starts eighth today. “My rhythm has been a bit broken since Spa and Zandvoort, so obviously that has been something to deal with.
“But coming back like this definitely gives the confidence I need both for tomorrow and into Abu Dhabi. I’ve not given up that’s for sure and I’m ready to full attack tomorrow and give my everything.”
Browning disqualified after gaining 22 places
Luke Browning was disqualified from the Formula 3 sprint race in Monza for breaching the technical regulations.
The Williams junior driver rose from 27th on the grid to cross the line in fifth, but was disqualified following a post-race inspection on his Hitech-run car. Scrutineers said the “lowest point of the side floor fin on the right side of the car was found to exceed the limits”, leading to his disqualification.
The stewards also gave Leonardo Fornaroli, who had finished sixth, a post-race five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits on four separate occasions.
Both penalties mean Oliver Goethe, Gabriele Mini and Christian Mansell all move up two positions into fifth, sixth and seventh, with Fornaroli classified in eighth. Nikola Tsolov and Rafael Villagomez are now classified as ninth and tenth following Browning’s disqualification.
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Links
Motor racing links of interest:
Andretti Autosport could downsize to three cars in 2024; Romain says he won’t return (NBC)
‘Andretti Autosport team owner Michael Andretti has yet to assemble a fourth IndyCar entry for 2024 and might downsize to three cars next season — either way, the team no longer will have Romain Grosjean.’
Jacques Villeneuve knows when Lewis Hamilton will quit F1 in verdict on new Mercedes deal (Mirror)
‘He’s still younger than Alonso. Lewis is not showing his age, it’s like Alonso, it’s all down to how hungry someone is. And how one is willing to still push the envelope, the limit, and how much he’s enjoying the dream he had as a little kid, which was to be a race car driver.’
Piastri has eyes on the prize (Sky)
‘Oscar Piastri sits down with Martin Brundle to discuss his rookie season, goals of becoming world champion and his team mate Lando Norris.’
Mike on… the Italian Grand Prix (Aston Martin)
‘We’re 13 races into the season and have 215 points. Last year, at this stage, we had 20 points. The improvement is incredible. The Dutch Grand Prix was a good weekend because we closed the gap to Mercedes and increased our lead over the teams behind.’
Giovinazzi: ‘With Ferrari, I have fulfilled my dream’ (Ferrari)
‘That’s when I fulfilled my dream. I was at my desk with a blank sheet in front of me, with a Prancing Horse on top. The situation seemed unreal. I could hardly believe it. For me, even more so because being an Italian driver, I am proud to represent Ferrari.’
Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix 2023 organises roadshow across Qatar (Gulf Times)
‘Fans can enjoy immersive activities at Mall of Qatar, Villaggio, Doha Festival City, and Place Vendome. The roadshow will give fans a chance to take part in exciting activities around Formula 1 and learn more about the popular motorsport.’
Herta’s multi-generational Reynard reunion shaping up for IndyCar finale week at Laguna (Racer)
Colton Herta: ‘I’m more excited to do this than anything that I’ve driven in the past, just because I never got to experience these cars when I was a kid. Everybody says how cool these cars are and how amazing they are, and I’ve never heard one at all start up, never seen it drive on track. I’ve never been to historic races where these cars run. Or if you do, nobody’s pushing.’
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Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Tim C!