IT'S RACE WEEK: 5 storylines we're excited about ahead of the 2024 Italian Grand Prix

You waited four weeks for a Formula 1 race, so two come along almost at once as the Italian Grand Prix brings the European season to a close. Off the back of a big win for McLaren, and with fresh optimism at Ferrari, here are a few topics that are likely to be doing the rounds ahead of this weekend’s race at Monza.

Ferrari’s upgrades and home hopes

How can we start anywhere else but with a Ferrari section when discussing the Italian Grand Prix at Monza? But there’s more to look forward to this weekend than just passionate support…

Before the summer break, Team Principal Fred Vasseur had said the Dutch Grand Prix would be a case of damage limitation, before a run of races that would suit their car more. So Charles Leclerc’s excellent performance to secure a podium at Zandvoort was a positive surprise.

Ferrari wanted to make sure they didn’t lose too much ground to Red Bull in the constructors’ championship and limited that loss to just a solitary point. And now they look to increase the pressure.

ZANDVOORT, NETHERLANDS - AUGUST 25: Third placed Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving the (16) Ferrari — Leclerc scored a welcome podium result for Ferrari in Zandvoort

Not only do Ferrari believe Monza, Baku and Singapore will suit the car more, but upgrades are planned for this weekend to try and return them to winning ways after a mid-season slump when they struggled to get performance out of new parts.

Last year it was a Carlos Sainz pole position that sent the tifosi wild on Saturday, and although they couldn’t quite stay in touch with Red Bull in the race the two drivers still put on a show in the battle for the final podium spot.

With so many teams in the mix when it comes to victories this season, expect a special atmosphere as Ferrari look for a home win this weekend.

Antonelli’s FP1 debut

There won’t just be Italian teams for the home fans to get behind at Monza either, with an Italian driver taking part in FP1 on Friday.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli is set for his Mercedes debut, taking over George Russell’s car for the first practice session in a move that will see Mercedes running Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton alongside the young talent tipped to replace him next season.

BARCELONA, SPAIN - JUNE 20: Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy and Mercedes looks on in the Paddock — Andrea Kimi Antonelli will get a chance in FP1 for the Italian Grand Prix, taking over George Russell's car

Antonelli has impressed Mercedes so far with his performances in previous F1 machinery, but this will be his first outing during a race weekend and it will come as part of a busy schedule for the 18-year-old. Antonelli will also be racing in Formula 2 for PREMA, trying to improve on his current position of seventh in the drivers’ championship.

It will be a big weekend for Antonelli, but his performances to date have shown he can handle the pressure and attention, and he’s going to have a huge crowd supporting him at Monza throughout.

Can Norris close the gap again?

Speaking of drivers looking to improve on their current position, Lando Norris arrives in Italy off the back of just his second career victory, and a dominant one at that.

Norris’s win at Zandvoort was the biggest winning margin of the season to date, and has increased the belief that he could still pose a true threat to Max Verstappen in the drivers’ championship this season.

It remains a long shot, with Norris 70 points behind the championship leader, but with nine rounds to go it technically is in his own hands as victory with fastest lap in every race would overturn that deficit. Such a run is hugely unlikely though given how competitive Formula 1 has been this year, and with Monza posing a very different challenge to Zandvoort.

ZANDVOORT, NETHERLANDS - AUGUST 25: Race winner Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren and Will — Lando Norris's win in Zandvoort has increased the belief he can challenge Max Verstappen for the drivers' title

McLaren are confident in their low downforce package, though, and have their sights set on closing the gap to Red Bull in the constructors’ championship even further. A win and fourth place in the Netherlands saw it reduced to 30 points, so with a maximum of 44 available during the weekend they could theoretically take the lead at Monza.

Red Bull and Verstappen are defending champions for a reason, though, and will be eager to halt any momentum McLaren and Norris are building up.

Colapinto’s debut as Williams replaces Sargeant

What promised to be a really strong weekend at Zandvoort for Williams turned into a major disappointment, as the team left without scoring.

A major upgrade delivered a step forward in performance that had the team feeling optimistic on Friday, but the weekend started to unravel after that. First, Logan Sargeant suffered a heavy crash in FP3 and missed out on qualifying, before Alex Albon was disqualified – having qualified eighth originally – when the car was found not to comply with technical regulations.

A matter of millimetres on the floor was to blame, and it was easily resolved for the race itself, when Albon climbed through the field from last on the grid to finish 14th.

SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA - JUNE 28: Franco Colapinto of Argentina and MP Motorsport (12) looks on in the — Franco Colapinto has replaced Logan Sargeant at Williams for the remainder of the 2024 season

The pace in the car is something Williams is keen to exploit, and they dramatically opted to make a change after Sargeant’s crash, replacing the American with young driver Franco Colapinto for the rest of the season.

America’s loss is Argentina’s gain, with Colapinto set to become the first Argentinian to race in Formula 1 for nearly a quarter of a century, following Gaston Mazzacane who last started a Grand Prix in 2001.

Colapinto faces a big task jumping into the car mid-season as a rookie, but has impressed in his first year in Formula 2 so far, sitting sixth in the championship with one victory. There will be plenty of focus on both the 21-year-old and the decision to replace Sargeant – including the other options that may have been on the table – when Williams face the press in the paddock on Thursday.

An F3 champion to be crowned

What a finale we have in store at Monza when it comes to this year’s Formula 3 championship.

After nine race weekends – and 18 races – there are still seven different drivers mathematically in with a chance of winning the title in Italy, and the top two are both Italian.

BARCELONA, SPAIN - APRIL 16: Leonardo Fornaroli of Italy and Trident (4) and Gabriele Mini of Italy — Leonardo Fornaroli and Gabriele Mini are separated by just a single point

Leonardo Fornaroli and Gabriele Mini are separated by just a single point at the top of the standings, with Luke Browning in third and just six points adrift of leader Fornaroli. What makes Fornaroli’s position all the more remarkable is the fact that he has yet to win a race so far this season, and only has one second place to his name, but he’s scored points in all but two races to lead the way.

Arvid Lindblad is fourth and 16 points off the lead, while Dino Beganovic (29 points), Christian Mansell (32 points) and Oliver Goethe (35 points) all technically have a chance. That said, the latter three all need a remarkable set of results, with a maximum of 39 points available.

With 26 points available in the feature race on Sunday, the fight will go down to the very last race of the season regardless of what happens in the Sprint race on Saturday morning. With many of the drivers involved associated with F1 teams as well, there are likely to be some early arrivals in the paddock to see how it all plays out.