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MONZA, Italy — Instantly after qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix, even some drivers have been unsure precisely the place they’d be beginning Sunday’s race.
Over three hours after qualifying, 2020 Italian Grand Prix winner Pierre Gasly tweeted: “Can somebody inform me during which place I begin tomorrow’s race?”.
The sensation was shared throughout the paddock. The largest supply of confusion was whether or not Max Verstappen, who certified second and had a five-place penalty, would begin from fourth or seventh on the grid.
Verstappen and Crimson Bull felt — accurately because it turned out — he would begin seventh, however the provisional grids a number of groups confirmed the media had the reigning world champion beginning in fourth.
Whereas which may sound like unhealthy maths on the floor, the speculation went that making use of penalties within the order they have been served to drivers would have meant his penalty was diminished, with a number of rivals instantly behind him additionally dropping down the order, thus releasing up positions for him to inherit.
The FIA’s provisional grid confirmed this was not the case.
Highlighting the quirk in System One’s guidelines was the actual fact Esteban Ocon additionally served a five-place grid penalty however solely fell three positions within the closing grid given the variety of penalties being served behind him.
In contrast to on the Belgian Grand Prix two weeks in the past, the place no driver began the place he completed qualifying because of a slew of comparable penalties, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will a minimum of line up from first on the grid having taken pole place on advantage within the session.
Becoming a member of him on the entrance row of the grid can be George Russell, who certified in sixth place however was elevated by advantage of Verstappen, Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez and Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton all serving penalties.
The reshuffled grid has arrange the prospect of an exciting Italian Grand Prix.
McLaren pair Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo can be hoping for a repeat efficiency so as to add to final yr’s, during which Ricciardo led a memorable one-two end and secured the workforce’s first victory since 2012.
Gasly begins from fifth, forward of two-time Italian Grand Prix winner Fernando Alonso.
Verstappen can be on an all-Dutch fourth row with debutant Nyck de Vries, who’s a late stand in at Williams for Alex Albon, who has appendicitis.
De Vries’ teammate Nicholas Latifi will begin from tenth regardless of being eradicated from Q1, displaying simply how huge the listing of penalties was.
1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
2. George Russell (Mercedes)
3. Lando Norris (McLaren)
4. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren)
5. Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri)
6. Fernando Alonso (Alpine)
7. Max Verstappen (Crimson Bull) *5-place grid penalty
8. Nyck De Vries (Williams)
9. Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo)
10. Nicholas Latifi (Williams)
11. Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin)
12. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
13. Sergio Perez (Crimson Bull) *10-place grid penalty
14. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) *5-place grid penalty
The following three drivers all had a 15-place penalty, so their penalties have been handed out so as of how they certified in relation to one another. The quirk of the principles meant Kevin Magnussen and Mick Schumacher, who certified nineteenth and twentieth, really climbed up the grid three locations as three different drivers had full-on “again of grid” penalties.
15. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) Certified twelfth, 15-place grid penalty
16. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) Certified nineteenth, 15-place grid penalty
17. Mick Schumacher (Haas) Certified twentieth, 15-place grid penalty
The three rear slots of the grid have been solely ever going to be crammed by three drivers — Sainz, Hamilton and Yuki Tsunoda all bought “again of grid” penalties after their groups made wholesale engine modifications.
Their closing order in that cluster of three was set by their closing qualifying place.
18. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) *Again of grid penalty
19. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) *Again of grid penalty
20. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) *Again of grid penalty