The grid for the Italian Grand Prix is experiencing two new changes: Liam Lawson and Fernando Alonso will ultimately have to start from the pit lane at Monza.
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Penalties continue to accumulate even before the start of the Italian Grand Prix. After Oscar Piastri, Kimi Antonelli, and Alexander Albon, Liam Lawson and Fernando Alonso are now also subject to sanctions that will change their starting positions.
Both drivers will ultimately have to start from the pit lane this Sunday at Monza. In both cases, their teams made modifications to the cars while they were under parc fermé conditions.
For Lawson, the sporting consequence remains relatively limited since he was already condemned to start in the last position. For Alonso, however, this decision causes him to lose his place on the grid.
Red Bull modifies Lawson’s car
Lawson had already experienced a particularly difficult Saturday at Monza. Eliminated in Q2, the New Zealander was already set to start from 22nd and last position after the engine component changes made by Red Bull.
The Milton Keynes team therefore chose to take advantage of this situation to make further modifications to his RB22.
Red Bull notably replaced the entire rear wing and modified the suspension settings of Lawson’s car.
However, these interventions were carried out after the parc fermé rules came into effect. The regulations then prohibit teams from freely modifying the car configurations between qualifying and the race.
The consequence is automatic: Lawson will not be able to take his place on the grid and will have to wait in the pit lane before joining the race.
A logical choice for Red Bull
Given the New Zealander’s situation, Red Bull had little to lose.
Lawson was already relegated to the very back of the grid due to his engine penalty. Starting from the pits therefore represents only a relatively small additional disadvantage compared to the possibility of adjusting his car’s settings for the race.
The team can thus prioritize a configuration potentially more effective over long stints or better suited for overtaking.
The challenge will remain immense since Lawson will have to wait until the entire field has passed the pit exit before he can start his chase.
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Aston Martin changes several components for Alonso
Fernando Alonso will also face a particularly difficult start. Aston Martin decided to replace three components on his car: the MGU-K, the energy storage system, and the control electronics.
The two-time world champion had already exceeded his allowed quota for these elements. These changes therefore incur a penalty and force Alonso to start from the pit lane.
The weekend was already very difficult for the Spaniard, eliminated in Q1 after only setting the 21st fastest time in qualifying. Unlike Lawson, Alonso was supposed to benefit from the various penalties imposed on other drivers to move up the starting order. This will ultimately not be the case.
A grid further modified before the start
These two pit lane starts add to a long series of penalties at Monza.
Piastri notably lost three places for impeding Lawson during Q2. The Australian, initially third, will start sixth.
Antonelli and Albon are also pushed back due to penalties related to their power units.
The front part of the grid remains unchanged. Pierre Gasly will keep pole position ahead of George Russell, while the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will occupy the second row.
Max Verstappen will start fifth ahead of Piastri.
Lawson and Alonso condemned to recovery drives
For both Lawson and Alonso, the Italian Grand Prix will immediately turn into a recovery operation.
Fortunately, Monza offers more overtaking opportunities than many other circuits thanks to its long straights and heavy braking zones. Starting from the pit lane remains however a considerable handicap, especially if the field stays bunched up in the early laps.
Strategy and the possible intervention of a safety car could therefore become essential to allow them to get back into the race.
Already deeply reshuffled by the various penalties distributed since Saturday, the starting order thus undergoes a new change: Liam Lawson and Fernando Alonso will watch the field take off without them before starting their Grand Prix from the pit lane.
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