Formula 1: Ferrari sets the pace in the practice of an Italian GP where penalties reign

The first two training sessions for the Italian Grand Prix it took place this Friday and the fans left the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza satisfied, given that in both heats the Ferraris finished in the lead. However, and beyond what happens in Saturday’s qualifying, the starting grid of the 16th round of the Formula 1 season will not be decided solely on the basis of what happens on the asphalt, as six of the 20 drivers must respect sanctionsincluding four of the top six of the championship.

In the first session on Friday, before the start of which there was a minute of silence for the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Charles Leclerc He recorded the fastest lap of the track of 5,793 meters with a time of 1: 22,410. The Monegasque thus surpassed his teammate, the Spaniard, by 77 thousandths Carlos Sainzand for 279 thousandths to the British Giorgio Russel (Mercedes). The leader of the competition, the Dutch Max Verstappen (Red Bull), finished fifth, while the Mexican Sergio Perezwith Drag Reduction System (DRS) problems, he finished 14th.

The second round showed the dominance of the other Ferrari driver: Sainz stopped the clock at 1: 21.664 in the best of his 24 laps and relegated Verstappen by 143 thousandths. Further back Leclerc (escort in the league) and the English lando norris (McLaren) and Russell.

what happened today gave the first indications of what could happen Sunday, even if this race will be visibly conditioned by the penalties that will force Verstappen, Pérez and Sainz to delay on the starting grid, in addition to the multiple English champion Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), in Finnish Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) and the Japanese Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri). All of them, for exceeding the limit quantity of some parts of the engine or gearbox.

Verstappen, winner of the last four races and 10 of the 15 that were played this yearwill have to drop five places from the position obtained in the ranking on Saturday because he changed the internal combustion engine (ICE) of his car for the fifth time (the limit is three), while Pérez, who will use his fourth of the season, will go back by 10 positions.

sainz it must start from the bottom because for this test he will have passed the assignment of the gearbox components and the Ferrari team has also changed the energy accumulator (ES), the control electronics (CE) and the kinetic motor generators (MGU-K) in his car.

The same will happen to Hamilton, since all the engine components of his Mercedes have been modified for this competition, with the exception of the control electronics (CE) and the ES. Meanwhile, Bottas will lose 15 positions for changing engine components. and Tsunoda will return 10 places for having accumulated five reprimands in the season and to this will be added a penalty for having changed components of the power unit.

Such a number of penalties is not uncommon at this point in the season. And, even less, in a circuit like Monza. Many times the teams plan the moments of exchange of pieces (and the consequent penalties): Usually they do it on those routes that offer greater opportunities for overtaking and, therefore, for recovery for those who have to start from the back of the grid.

For one season, each driver can have three engines which should last around eight competition weekends. The generation of thrusters used this year is made up of seven elements and each driver can use a certain number of each before receiving a penalty. For example, three turbochargers, two energy accumulators and eight exhaust pipes. The use of gearbox components is also limited.

By virtue of the excesses with respect to these limited quantities, penalties are fixed: the first time a driver uses an extra element in his engine he receives a penalty of 10 positions on the grid, while from the second the penalty is five positions. In the case of the gearbox, any modification that exceeds the limit of four mapped units is sanctioned with a setback of five positions.