By RaceScene Publisher on Saturday, 11 September 2021
Category: The Checkered Flag

Bottas Wins As Verstappen Inherits Pole And Hamilton Drops To Fifth In The Sprint Race At The Italian Grand Prix

Valtteri Bottas won the Sprint Qualifying Race at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza circuit in Italy. Max Verstappen  and Daniel Ricciardo finished in second and third positions.

Bottas was awarded three points for the win. Verstappen clinched two points to extend his lead over Lewis Hamilton. Ricciardo took one point for third position.

Bottas will start the race at the back of the grid after penalties for new power unit components. So Verstappen will start on pole position with Ricciardo on the front row.

Norris and Hamilton will start on the second row. The loss of positions for Hamilton on the starting grid for the race on Sunday and the positions gained by Verstappen is a serious blow to the Briton in the drivers’ championship.

The eighteen lap sprint race to decide the starting grid for the race started under hot conditions with the air temperature at 28 degrees C and the track temperature at 43 degrees C.

Bottas started in first position with Hamilton on the front row. Verstappen and Lando Norris started on the second row. Daniel Ricciardo and Pierre Gasly started on the third row with both Ferrari drivers behind them.

The Mercedes drivers and Verstappen started on the medium compound tyres and the two McLaren drivers were on the soft compound tyres.

Hamilton made a poor start and dropped to fifth behind Verstappen, Ricciardo and Norris. Gasly as he was trying to pass Hamilton clipped Ricciardo in front and lost his front-wing and went into the barriers.

The Safety Car (SC) was deployed and Gasly was out of the race. In the pack behind, Yuki Tsunoda and Robert Kubica tangled and Tsunoda pitted to change his front wing.

Lance Stroll gained places at the start and was in ninth position even as Sergio Pérez fell to tenth position.

The Mexican was in an almighty squabble with Stroll and overtook from outside the track and was asked to give the place back. Finally Pérez overtook Stroll again for ninth position.

Hamilton was within DRS-range of Norris lap after lap, but could not overtake the young Briton and had to be content with fifth position.

Bottas won the Sprint Qualifying but the Finn has to start from the back of the grid for the race on Sunday.

The top ten positions for the starting grid for the race tomorrow will be Verstappen, Ricciardo, Norris, Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Antonio Giovinazzi, Pérez, Stroll, and Fernando Alonso.

2021 Italian GP Sprint Race Results:

PosNoDriverNat.TeamLapsTime/RetiredPTS
177Valtteri BottasFINMercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team1827:54.0783
233Max VerstappenNEDRed Bull Racing18+2.325s2
33Daniel RicciardoAUSMcLaren F1 Team18+14.534s1
44Lando NorrisGBRMcLaren F1 Team18+18.835s0
544Lewis HamiltonGBRMercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team18+20.011s0
616Charles LeclercMONScuderia Ferrari18+23.442s0
755Carlos SainzESPScuderia Ferrari18+27.952s0
899Antonio GiovinazziITAAlfa Romeo Racing ORLEN18+31.089s0
911Sergio PerezMEXRed Bull Racing18+31.680s0
1018Lance StrollCANAston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team18+38.671s0
1114Fernando AlonsoESPAlpine F1 Team18+39.795s0
125Sebastian VettelGERAston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team18+41.177s0
1331Esteban OconFRAAlpine F1 Team18+43.373s0
146Nicholas LatifiCANWilliams Racing18+45.977s0
1563George RussellGBRWilliams Racing18+46.821s0
1622Yuki TsunodaJAPScuderia AlphaTauri Honda18+49.977s0
179Nikita MazepinRAFUralkali Haas F1 Team18+62.599s0
1888Robert KubicaPOLAlfa Romeo Racing ORLEN18+65.096s0
1947Mick SchumacherGERUralkali Haas F1 Team18+66.154s0
NC10Pierre GaslyFRAScuderia AlphaTauri Honda0DNF0
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