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The first day of the 2024 F1 Italian GP is done, and it ends with future Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton at the top of the standings. The day featured Kimi Antonelli's debut which ended prematurely with a crash. There was a second crash in FP2 where Kevin Magnussen beached his Haas.
The day was more or less smooth as drivers tried to find the limits of the track with revamped kerbs. The teams would go back now and try to analyze what they need to change for the rest of the F1 Italian GP race weekend.
With just FP3 left, the teams know how crucial qualifying is going to be at this track. With that being said, what can we expect from qualifying? Let's find out as we take a look at our predictions.
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#5 Alpine does not escape Q1
When your power unit is not up to the mark, then there's no escaping on a track like Monza. The F1 Italian GP is a race where Alpine's not going to leave without getting the name of the brand maligned in many ways. The cars are more or less going to be the slowest. To add to that, the flags and protests in the stands are something that's only going to make the optics even worse.
Alpine is not escaping Q1 at the F1 Italian GP qualifying. It just doesn't have the pace to accomplish that.
#4 Nico Hulkenberg and Alex Albon make it to Q3
The top 4 teams are more or less secured but the battle for the final two spots is wide open. There are multiple midfield teams like Haas, Williams, RB, and Aston Martin who could potentially be in contention for a Q3 slot.
We're going with Alex Albon and Nico Hulkenberg, as the two appear to be best placed in terms of machinery. It won't, however, be a surprise if there's someone else who gets it done.
#3 Tow is going to be the most crucial aspect
Arguably the biggest deciding factor in the F1 Italian GP qualifying is going to be the impact of a tow. The gap between the teams and their respective competition is very small and that is going to play a role. The tow is going to be crucial and the driver who is able to find a good one will accomplish a strong result.
#2 Top 3 will be all from different teams
The gap between the top four teams is just too small this time around which is going to make it hard for one team to assert its dominance over others. The F1 Italian GP qualifying is certainly going to have the element of a tow being an interesting difference maker but even including that, we're backing three different teams in the top 3 positions.
#1 Charles Leclerc secures pole position for the F1 Italian GP
We're team Ferrari this weekend and are backing Charles Leclerc to secure pole position. It's all going to come down to the last lap in Q3 for all drivers from the top 4 teams and the driver that nails it and has the best tow is going to secure pole position.
Qualifying is a Leclerc specialty, and at Ferrari's home race, we back the driver to secure pole position for the F1 Italian GP.
