2024 Italian Grand Prix Heroes and Zeroes

[Jericoke]

Heroes:

LeClerc.  A win at his home race, and  a win at his team's home race.  I'm sure he'd rather win the championship, but this is a very good consolation prize. LeClerc put in a stellar race, Ferrari's strategists made a big gamble and won.

Piastri.  A solid race, and it's hard to predict Ferrari pulling a win with great strategy, so I'd say Piastri and McLaren ran a perfect race.  Even in retrospect, if they'd known LeClerc's strategy would work, I'm not sure if Piastri could have held onto a single stop win.

Norris.  He's a great racer, but still needs to figure out how to lead from pole.  It's crazy he's getting results this good when he's got a lot to learn!

Mercedes.  Solid points finish as the third best team.

Albon.  Points in this Williams is always heroic!

Colapinto.  Out of the points, but a solid 12th.  Sure, one could argue the Williams excels at Monza, but I feel like he put in enough to show he's at least as good as Sargent.  (I do feel bad for Sargent, but he seems to understand he just didn't belong in F1)

Pirelli.  The tire supplier is doing a great job of providing rubber that gives a variety of winning strategies.  For all the grief they've taken for 'bad' tires in the past, they deserve a thumbs up for providing the racing we're seeing.

Zeroes

K-Mag and Ricciardo getting too close to their competitors.  It's been a while since anyone made some boneheaded move, so I suppose we were due.

Lance Stroll.  Last of the finishers, swapped to softs and still didn't get the fastest lap?  (I do wonder if this was an effort to make sure that a 'Mercedes Team' got the point and not Ferrari or RBPT, and he backed off when McLaren had the fast lap.  But that means Lance Stroll backed off to help someone else)

[rmassart]

I only watched the highlights so can't really comment on the whole race, but I can't help feeling that the overtake Piastri pulled on Norris actually cost McLaren a 1-2. By forcing Norris to give way, as he has more to lose, Piastri actually pushed Norris down to third, ruining any team strategies they might have had at that point. I also don't understand why Piastri didn't give Norris second at the end. It's not a win he'd be giving away and no one counts seconds.

McLaren need to sort out team orders, they are fighting for both titles now, not running for 4th place like they were a few years ago. That move by Piastri could have knocked them both out if Norris hadn't backed off.

I am not knocking Piastri, he's great but he's simply not in the title race this year. Norris is. Neither Ferrari, Mercedes or Red Bull would let their drivers race like that at this stage of the season in a similar situation.

[cosworth151]

Heroes:

*This first one is something I haven't in a long, long time.

Ferrari - For outstanding race strategy and execution.

The Italian Fans - A big part of what makes Monza so great. They are there for the racing and to have a great time. Just exactly what it's supposed to be all about. 

K-Mag - For getting a well earned P8 (See Zeroes below)

Zeroes:

The Stewards -  For blowing what should have been a no harm no foul, "just one of them racin' deals" incident totally out of proportion.

[Alianora La Canta]

I also don't understand why Piastri didn't give Norris second at the end. It's not a win he'd be giving away and no one counts seconds.

As far as I know, Oscar was not asked to give Lando second at the end, and thought that if there was any chance of putting pressure on Charles at that point, however slight, it was going to come from him. If he'd managed to force an error bad enough to get a McLaren 1-2, it is unlikely that McLaren would have faulted this, since it would have gained McLaren a shedload of points in the Constructor's Championship (more useful to McLaren, and it can attribute a lack of Drivers' title, if it comes to pass, on backing youth and having a pairing that it thinks will grow into the part of champions).

McLaren need to sort out team orders, they are fighting for both titles now

I concur. Papaya rules instead of clear strategy and tactics may have cost it a lot - possibly even the win.

Neither Ferrari, Mercedes or Red Bull would let their drivers race like that at this stage of the season in a similar situation.

Ferrari would, because Sainz has been ignoring instructions that would have gone against him since partway through last season. Thus, Ferrari's options would be to give the order and have it ignored - or not give the order in the first place and at least keep its dignity.