2021 Italian Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Monza produced a remarkable result at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, as Daniel Ricciardo led Lando Norris home for a McLaren one-two. A superb start put Ricciardo in control before another collision between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton removed both title contenders, leaving McLaren to complete its first Grand Prix victory since 2012.

Race Guide

Season: 2021 F1 World Championship
Race date: 12 September 2021
Race start time: 15:00 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Autodromo Nazionale Monza
Laps: 53 laps
Circuit length: 5.793 km
2020 winner: Pierre Gasly

Pole position
Driver	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing
Basis	Second in sprint; promoted after Bottas’s grid penalty
Fastest lap
Driver	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren
Time	1:24.812 on lap 53
Podium
First	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren
Second	Lando Norris	McLaren
Third	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
10 September 2021	Practice 1	14:30 – 15:30
10 September 2021	Qualifying	18:00 – 19:00
11 September 2021	Practice 2	12:00 – 13:00
11 September 2021	Sprint Race	16:30 – 17:00
12 September 2021	Race	15:00

All times are local (UTC+02:00). The race time is the scheduled start.

Championship background

Verstappen arrived three points ahead of Hamilton after winning at Zandvoort, and the second sprint weekend of the season offered additional points before Sunday’s race. Monza‘s long straights were expected to suit Mercedes, but McLaren also showed strong pace. Pierre Gasly returned as the defending race winner after his surprise success in 2020.

Race entries

Robert Kubica continued at Alfa Romeo Racing in place of Kimi Räikkönen, who remained unavailable after his positive COVID-19 test. The sprint schedule again meant two practice sessions rather than three.

Free Practice

Lewis Hamilton topped FP1 with a 1:20.926, ahead of Max Verstappen (+0.452s) and Valtteri Bottas. Hamilton set the pace in FP1 ahead of Verstappen and Bottas, giving Mercedes an encouraging start before Friday qualifying.

Lewis Hamilton topped FP2 with a 1:23.246, ahead of Valtteri Bottas (+0.222s) and Max Verstappen. Hamilton led a Mercedes one-two in FP2. Sainz’s accident at Ascari interrupted the session, while Leclerc ended his running early after feeling unwell but was cleared to continue.

Free Practice 1 Classification

2021 Italian Grand Prix FP1, 10 September 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:20.926	28
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.452s	22
3	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	+0.525s	29
4	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+0.750s	23
5	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+0.793s	28
6	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	+0.898s	26
7	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	+0.988s	26
8	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	+1.000s	24
9	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	+1.077s	27
10	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	+1.113s	23
11	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+1.176s	25
12	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.177s	27
13	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.344s	26
14	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	+1.604s	31
15	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	+1.608s	27
16	88	Robert Kubica	Alfa Romeo Racing	+2.083s	28
17	63	George Russell	Williams	+2.166s	31
18	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+2.516s	30
19	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	+2.519s	23
20	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	+2.625s	23

Qualifying

Valtteri Bottas topped Friday qualifying with a 1:19.555, beating Lewis Hamilton by 0.096s to secure first place on the sprint grid. Max Verstappen was third, narrowly ahead of Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo.

The session set the order for Saturday’s sprint rather than directly deciding the Grand Prix grid. Bottas also faced a power-unit penalty for Sunday’s race, meaning that even a strong sprint result would not allow him to retain the leading grid position for the main event.

Qualifying Classification

2021 Italian Grand Prix Qualifying, 10 September 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Laps
1	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1:20.685	1:20.032	1:19.555	18
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:20.543	1:19.936	1:19.651	18
3	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:21.035	1:20.229	1:19.966	19
4	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:20.916	1:20.059	1:19.989	21
5	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	1:21.292	1:20.435	1:19.995	17
6	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	1:21.440	1:20.556	1:20.260	16
7	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	1:21.118	1:20.750	1:20.462	18
8	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:21.219	1:20.767	1:20.510	18
9	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	1:21.308	1:20.882	1:20.611	20
10	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	1:21.197	1:20.726	1:20.808	16
11	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	1:21.394	1:20.913	—	14
12	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1:21.415	1:21.020	—	13
13	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	1:21.487	1:21.069	—	11
14	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	1:21.500	1:21.103	—	12
15	63	George Russell	Williams	1:21.890	1:21.392	—	16
16	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	1:21.925	—	—	10
17	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	1:21.973	—	—	9
18	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	1:22.248	—	—	8
19	88	Robert Kubica	Alfa Romeo Racing	1:22.530	—	—	7
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	1:22.716	—	—	9

Free Practice 2 Classification

2021 Italian Grand Prix FP2, 11 September 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:23.246	25
2	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	+0.222s	24
3	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.416s	23
4	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	+0.671s	29
5	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	+1.017s	20
6	88	Robert Kubica	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.034s	28
7	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.256s	26
8	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	+1.293s	16
9	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+1.408s	24
10	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.419s	27
11	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+1.524s	21
12	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	+1.528s	24
13	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+1.559s	23
14	63	George Russell	Williams	+1.837s	22
15	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	+2.176s	32
16	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	+2.483s	23
17	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+2.517s	28
18	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	+2.689s	28
19	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	+2.766s	25
20	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	+2.878s	14

Sprint Race

Valtteri Bottas won the 18-lap sprint ahead of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo, taking three points. Verstappen earned two and Ricciardo one. Hamilton lost ground at the start and finished fifth, behind both McLarens, while Gasly crashed after damage to his front wing.

Bottas’s engine-component penalty sent him to the back of the Grand Prix grid, so Verstappen was credited with pole position and Ricciardo joined him on the front row. Norris started third, ahead of Hamilton. Gasly subsequently started from the pit lane after further changes to his car.

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  2021 Italian GP Sprint Race: Full Report & Highlights

Sprint Race Classification

2021 Italian Grand Prix Sprint Race, 11 September 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	18	27:54.078	3
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	18	+2.325s	2
3	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	18	+14.534s	1
4	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	18	+18.835s	0
5	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	18	+20.011s	0
6	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	18	+23.442s	0
7	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	18	+27.952s	0
8	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	18	+31.089s	0
9	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	18	+31.680s	0
10	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	18	+38.671s	0
11	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	18	+39.795s	0
12	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	18	+41.177s	0
13	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	18	+43.373s	0
14	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	18	+45.977s	0
15	63	George Russell	Williams	18	+46.821s	0
16	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	18	+49.977s	0
17	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	18	+62.599s	0
18	88	Robert Kubica	Alfa Romeo Racing	18	+65.096s	0
19	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	18	+66.154s	0
Ret	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	0	Accident	0

Valtteri Bottas won the sprint, but he was required to start the race from the back of the grid for exceeding his quota of power unit elements.

Pierre Gasly received a five-place grid penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change. He was also required to start the race from the back of the grid for exceeding his quota of power unit elements. He was then required to start the race from the pit lane for a new energy store specification.

What happened in the 2021 Italian Grand Prix?

Daniel Ricciardo won the Italian Grand Prix with a composed performance from the front, leading Lando Norris home to secure McLaren‘s first one-two since 2010. Valtteri Bottas completed a recovery from the back of the grid to third, while Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton both retired after another collision.

Ricciardo seized the lead from Verstappen at the start and kept the Red Bull Racing driver behind through the opening stint. Norris also played an important role by frustrating Hamilton’s attempts to progress. McLaren‘s pace was genuine: both championship contenders found themselves unable to pass the orange cars ahead.

Ricciardo stopped first among the leaders, and Verstappen’s response was compromised by a slow pit stop. Hamilton also lost time during his stop and emerged alongside Verstappen. The pair contested the opening chicane, made contact and ended up out of the race, with the Red Bull Racing coming to rest partly on top of the Mercedes.

The safety car brought another reshuffle. Charles Leclerc briefly moved into second after taking advantage of the neutralisation to stop, but Norris passed him after the restart and restored McLaren‘s one-two. Ricciardo then managed the pace while the team protected its opportunity.

Sergio Perez crossed the line third but received a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage while passing Leclerc. That promoted Bottas to the podium and Leclerc to fourth, with Perez fifth. Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll, Fernando Alonso, George Russell and Esteban Ocon completed the points.

Ricciardo added the fastest lap on the final tour, underlining how securely he had controlled the closing stages. It was his first victory since Monaco in 2018 and a major breakthrough in a difficult first season with McLaren. Norris’s second place completed a result the team had waited more than a decade to repeat.

The stewards later gave Verstappen a three-place grid penalty for the next round for his part in the collision with Hamilton. Both title contenders had lost the chance to score on Sunday, but Verstappen’s sprint points left him five ahead. Monza‘s lasting image, however, was McLaren celebrating an emphatic return to the top step.

2021 Italian Grand Prix race results

The 2021 Italian Grand Prix was held on 12 September 2021, with a scheduled start of 15:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	53	1:21:54.365	26
2	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	53	+1.747s	18
3	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	53	+4.921s	15
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	53	+7.309s	12
5	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	53	+8.723s	10
6	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	53	+10.535s	8
7	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	53	+15.804s	6
8	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	53	+17.201s	4
9	63	George Russell	Williams	53	+19.742s	2
10	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	53	+20.868s	1
11	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	53	+23.743s	0
12	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	53	+24.621s	0
13	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	53	+27.216s	0
14	88	Robert Kubica	Alfa Romeo Racing	53	+29.769s	0
15	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	53	+51.088s	0
Ret	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	41	Power unit	0
Ret	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	25	Collision	0
Ret	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	25	Collision	0
Ret	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	3	Suspension	0
DNS	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	0	Brakes	0

Daniel Ricciardo earned the additional point for fastest lap.

Sergio Perez finished third, but received a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

Yuki Tsunoda did not start the race. His place on the grid was left vacant.

2021 Italian Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time of Day	Time	Avg. Speed
1	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	53	16:25:10	1:24.812	245.894
2	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	34	15:57:45	1:24.827	245.850
3	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	53	16:25:12	1:24.971	245.434
4	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	53	16:25:14	1:25.156	244.901
5	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	25	15:40:09	1:25.173	244.852
6	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	53	16:25:17	1:25.319	244.433
7	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	52	16:24:02	1:25.472	243.995
8	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	53	16:25:21	1:25.559	243.747
9	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	53	16:25:31	1:25.566	243.727
10	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	50	16:21:19	1:25.718	243.295
11	63	George Russell	Williams	53	16:25:30	1:25.835	242.963
12	88	Robert Kubica	Alfa Romeo Racing	53	16:25:40	1:25.849	242.924
13	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	52	16:24:00	1:25.853	242.912
14	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	3	15:07:55	1:25.870	242.864
15	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	50	16:21:16	1:25.938	242.672
16	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	50	16:21:15	1:25.953	242.630
17	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	52	16:24:34	1:26.707	240.520
18	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	41	16:08:50	1:27.202	239.155
19	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	2	15:06:47	1:29.005	234.310

Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear in this table. Time of Day is local time; average speeds are in km/h.

2021 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings for drivers and teams after the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.

2021 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Max Verstappen	NED	Red Bull Racing	226.5
2	Lewis Hamilton	GBR	Mercedes	221.5
3	Valtteri Bottas	FIN	Mercedes	141
4	Lando Norris	GBR	McLaren	132
5	Sergio Perez	MEX	Red Bull Racing	118
6	Charles Leclerc	MON	Ferrari	104
7	Carlos Sainz	ESP	Ferrari	97.5
8	Daniel Ricciardo	AUS	McLaren	83
9	Pierre Gasly	FRA	AlphaTauri	66
10	Fernando Alonso	ESP	Alpine	50
11	Esteban Ocon	FRA	Alpine	45
12	Sebastian Vettel	GER	Aston Martin	35
13	Lance Stroll	CAN	Aston Martin	24
14	Yuki Tsunoda	JPN	AlphaTauri	18
15	George Russell	GBR	Williams	15
16	Nicholas Latifi	CAN	Williams	7
17	Kimi Räikkönen	FIN	Alfa Romeo Racing	2
18	Antonio Giovinazzi	ITA	Alfa Romeo Racing	1
19	Mick Schumacher	GER	Haas	0
20	Robert Kubica	POL	Alfa Romeo Racing	0
21	Nikita Mazepin	RAF	Haas	0

RAF denotes the neutral Russian Automobile Federation designation used by Nikita Mazepin in 2021.

2021 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Mercedes	362.5
2	Red Bull Racing	344.5
3	McLaren	215
4	Ferrari	201.5
5	Alpine	95
6	AlphaTauri	84
7	Aston Martin	59
8	Williams	22
9	Alfa Romeo Racing	3
10	Haas	0