VALTTERI WINS SPRINT, BUT MAX WILL START ITALIAN GP FROM POLE

Mercedes AMG` Valtteri Bottas wins sprint qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, but it will be Max Verstappen who will start tomorrow’s race from the front of the grid as grid penalties from a Friday power unit swap drop the Finnish driver to the back of the grid. Daniel Ricciardo finished the Sprint in third place ahead of team-mate Lando Norris as seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton had to settle with fifth after a bad start.

When the lights went out at the start Bottas and Verstappen both got away, but second-on-the-grid Hamilton bogged down and as Bottas led Verstappen into the first chicane, Hamilton was swamped by the McLarens of Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris and the AlphaTauri of Pierre Gasly.

However, as he went through the first chicane, Gasly clipped the rear of Ricciardo’s car. Soon after the Frenchman’s front wing collapsed and he went off into the gravel trap and the barriers.

The safety car was deployed but the track soon went green again. Bottas controlled the re-start well to stay ahead of Verstappen, the two McLarens, Hamilton and the twin Ferrari cars of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

With 10 laps to go Bottas had carved out a two-second gap to Verstappen but the Dutchman was looking comfortable in second, with Ricciardo almost four seconds behind. Hamilton, meanwhile, was struggling to make his way past Norris and as the laps counted down he looked destined for P5.

Further back, Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull was pressuring Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll for P9. He attacked at the first chicane, going around the outside of the Aston but Stroll defended well and Perez was forced to cut the corner as he passed the Canadian. The Red Bull handed back the position, but not for long.

At the start of lap 10 he attacked again into the first chicane and this time he made no mistake in claiming P9. His next target was Antonio Giovinazzi, three seconds up the road.

Before that though there was cause for concern as the Mexican’s initial move and ceding back on P9 were put under investigation by the stewards who were concerned he may have received a lasting advantage. They eventually ruled that no further action was necessary.

Perez got to within DRS range of the Italian but with the laps rapidly counting down he ran out of time to provoke the Alfa Romeo driver into a mistake and Checo crossed the line in ninth place.

Ahead Bottas claimed the win and pole position with Verstappen second. Ricciardo took third ahead of Norris in fourth and Hamilton was left with fifth place. Leclerc took sixth ahead of Sainz with Giovinazzi eighth ahead of Perez and Stroll.

2021 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX - SPRINT QUALIFYING 18 laps,; 100km., Weather: Sunny
CLASSIFICATION:
P.	DRIVER	TEAM	TIME/GAP
1.	Valtteri Bottas*	Mercedes  AMG	27:54.078
2.	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	+ 2.325
3.	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	+ 14.534
4.	Lando Norris	McLaren	+ 18.835
5.	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes  AMG	+ 20.011
6.	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+ 23.442
7.	Carlos Sainz Jr.	Ferrari	+ 27.952
8.	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo	+ 31.089
9.	Sergio Perez	Red Bull	+ 31.680
10.	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+ 38.671
11.	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	+ 39.795
12.	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	+ 41.177
13.	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	+ 43.373
14.	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+ 45.977
15.	George Russell	Williams	+ 46.821
16.	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	+ 49.977
17.	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	+ 1:02.599
18.	Robert Kubica	Alfa Romeo	+ 1:05.096
19.	Mick Schumacher	Haas	+ 1:06.154
20.	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	DNF
* start from back - PU change POINT SYSTEM 3 - Valtteri Bottas - Mercedes  AMG 2 - Max Verstappen - Red Bull 1 - Daniel Ricciardo - McLaren @МкФормула1 - РЕПУБЛИКА МАКЕДОНИЈА @MkFormula1 - REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA