Italian F1 GP 2020: Free practice results

The 2020 Italian Grand Prix has begun with Free Practice 1 and 2 on Friday. The sessions offered a range of emotions, extending beyond the purely sporting aspects. Ferrari arrived at Monza reeling from their performance in the last race, where they failed to finish in the top ten. A similar result was expected at this track, which has similar characteristics, although they have done their best to bring a new aerodynamic package and see if they can gain something more at the home of the tifosi (albeit without fans due to the pandemic). For now, they have managed to qualify in the top ten, but we'll see how they perform in qualifying and the race.

Meanwhile, McLaren has paid tribute here at the Temple of Speed ​​to one of its longest-serving employees. This is Ray "Tex" Rowe, the eighth employee in McLaren's history, who was still based in Woking. After 55 years with the British company, he is now leaving. Therefore, both MCL35s will carry a sticker in his honor. A beautiful and emotional gesture. Something similar must be going through the minds of the Williams family, who are also saying goodbye at this Formula 1 Grand Prix, taking a step back and handing the reins to the new investment group. Claire Williams is leaving her position, and the surname disappears from the Grand Prix, although the team name will remain…

Aside from that, there weren't too many surprises in Free Practice 1 and 2. The Mercedes have been dominating here, as expected. The only ones who seem capable of challenging them are the Red Bulls, who have performed very well in previous races. We'll see if they can finally overcome the all-powerful Mercedes or not. Certainly, judging by what we saw in free practice, it doesn't look like they can be at the front (they were around 7 seconds off in FP1 and more than 1 second off in FP2), although if the Silver Arrows falter in the race, they could take advantage of the opportunity.

Furthermore, Red Bull's session wasn't entirely smooth, and their program was somewhat disrupted. The reason is that Max Verstappen literally flew off the track and crashed into the wall at one of the corners of the Italian Grand Prix circuit. The driver was unharmed, fortunately, but the car was damaged. Extra work for the mechanics, who were able to get it back on track for Free Practice 2.

A rumor has spread from Italy in which they assure that Renault's step forward has come from direct help from Mercedes in exchange for them ceasing their appeal against Racing Point. Whether true or false, it is true that Renault could have been far ahead in Spa and they assure that it will not be a matter of a single circuit...

Free practice results 1

Free practice results 2

Tomorrow brings Free Practice 3, where each team's chances will become even clearer, followed by qualifying. Qualifying will reveal the true performance of each team and establish a starting point for Sunday's race. And be warned! Party Mode is gone , and this could alter the results we've seen so far. Now, the engines will have to use the same engine map as for the race, thus eliminating those special maps that provide a performance boost on a single lap to improve qualifying. This could affect Mercedes, although they're likely to remain at the front. It will be interesting to see who is most affected.