Today’s Formula One race promises to be another thrilling affair with Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari on pole position in front of yet another mixed-up grid. While engine penalties continue to cause havoc in the paddock, the ultimate upshot is an intriguing 53 laps ahead.
In Saturday’s qualifying, Leclerc edged F1 championship leader Max Verstappen before the Red Bull driver took a five-placed penalty for new power unit components. That means George Russell lines up in second ahead of the McLaren pair of Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, who famously won the race at Monza last year.
Ferarri’s Carlos Sainz and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton have taken penalties to start at the back of the grid while Williams driver Alex Albon sits out the weekend after coming down with appendicitis. Follow all the latest news and updates from the Italian Grand Prix with our live blog below!
Live updates
Ferrari tell Leclerc the race will finish under the safety car.
Lap 52/53: Hard to argue with seeing this race out under the safety car.
A red flag to clear the track and set up a fun finish would be far-too-Abu-Dhabi-2021-y.
We have a tractor on track to haul up Ricciardo’s car and carry it off but they have to wait for the safety car and the entire pack to pass by first.
Lap 50/53: That stranded McLaren has gone nowhere fast.
It feels difficult to see how we get anymore racing today…
Verstappen, Leclerc, Russell and Sainz all pit.
Nine cars will have to unlap themselves before we restart – and there is not long left…
Lap 48/53: Pit crews at the ready and… safety car is called!
Ricciardo pulls over!
Will we need a safety car?!
Lap 46/53: Verstappen’s lead is down to a hardly nerve-shattering 16.9 seconds.
Looking across the pack, Sainz is nine off Russell for the final podium spot and will hope for a late lunge, with only really Perez (four seconds off Norris in sixth) looking likely to push for some late action.
The big fight is for ninth: Gasly, De Vries, Zhou and Ocon all within a couple of seconds.
Red Bull look to be ready for a pit stop… Perez drops in for Softs as the last ten laps begin.
That drops the Mexican from fifth to seventh, Hamilton and Norris coming through.
Meanwhile, was this the move of the day?
Lap 41/53: Stroll becomes the third driver, and the second Aston Martin, to retire the race as he limps into the pits.
