Italian GP: Williams Racing completes practice evaluations


By Andrew Hooper
September 11 2021

The final Saturday practice session for the 2021 Italian GP would see the Williams Racing Team complete their evaluations. The session would see both Nicholas Latifi and George Russell work with both the soft and the medium tyre. Both drivers would complete longer runs on both tyre types as they assessed their options for the Sprint and Sundays race. Nicholas and George would finish the session in 13th and 14th.

 
 Williams Racing Italian GP Saturday Practice
 
Latifi
 

Team Summary:
With the start of the final hour long practice session for the 2021 Italian Grand Prix there would be a small numbers of drivers coming out including the first of the Williams. Mazepin would set a 1m:26.412 on a medium tyre as more times were set. He would improve with a 1m:25.977 now followed by Schumacher and Norris. But Perez would move ahead with a 1m:24.870 also on the medium tyre. Tsunoda was now third followed by Norris, on the soft tyre, Schumacher, Sainz, Giovinazzi, Leclerc and Kubica ninth. But Gasly was now in second on the medium as drivers appeared to be on longer runs.

Both Mercedes were running one of the soft and the other the hard with both being used. A 1m:24.835 from Perez with Gasly second and Hamilton now third. But Verstappen was now quickest with a 1m:23.895 using the soft tyre. The Williams drivers were on a split strategy in terms of their evaluations with one on the soft and the other the medium. They were currently sixth and eighth. The order was Verstappen, Perez, Gasly, Hamilton, Tsunoda, George, Bottas, Nicholas, Mazepin, and Ricciardo. But a Williams would move up to fourth and the other now seventh.

With just over thirty minutes remaining Sainz would crash his Ferrari. This would see the session Red Flagged. In an interview Jost Capito commented: "These times do not say a lot as everyone is on different programmes ... we don't expect ant miracles based on out positions yesterday." The session would be restarted and the field were out with the majority on the soft tyre. Ocon was now third followed by Kubica and Giovinazzi. Hamilton would go quickest with a 1m:23.246 using the soft tyre. The Williams cars were now tenth and 11th but this would become 13th and 14th. Bottas was now second ahead of Verstappen and Perez.

With under ten minutes remaining the track was very busy with drivers all on different run plans. The session would come to an end with Hamilton fastest from Bottas, Verstappen, Perez, Ocon, Kubica, Giovinazzi, Alonso, Gasly, and Norris tenth. The Williams drivers would finish in 13th and 14th having completed their evaluations on what could be the tyres they would use for the Sprint and Sundays race.

Nicholas Latifi:
Nicholas would join the final session running on a used soft tyre. He would make several trips to the pit lane and with ten minutes completed was back in his pit. Nicholas would return this time on the medium tyre. A 1m:27.067 from Nicholas and he was 19th. But a 1m:25.638 would see him now sixth. He would drop to eighth but a 1m:25.141 would see Nicholas now fourth having completed seven laps. With the session restart Nicholas was back out on a new soft tyre. Nicholas had set a 1m:25.031 to be 12th. He would dropt o,m13th and would pit after a twelve lap run as the session came to a close.

George Russell:
With ten minutes completed George would make his first appearance also using a used soft tyre. But like his team-mate he would return to the pit lane only to return. But he would come back out and would set a 1m:26.327 to currently be 16th. He would move up to 13th with a 1m:26.083. A 1m:25.443 and George was now sixth. With a seven lap run he would pit. In the pit the session was Red Flagged but with the restart he would return this time on a new medium. George would drop to eighth. With a 1m:25.083 and he was now 13th. As he completed his longer run he was currently 14th. With the end of the session he would pit having completed a fourteen lap run.

 
Russell
 
Cla Driver Chassis Laps Time Gap
1  Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 25 1'23.246  
2  Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 24 1'23.468 0.222
3  Max Verstappen Red Bull 23 1'23.662 0.416
4  Sergio Perez Red Bull 29 1'23.917 0.671
5  Esteban Ocon Alpine 20 1'24.263 1.017
6  Robert Kubica Alfa Romeo 28 1'24.280 1.034
7  Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo 26 1'24.502 1.256
8  Fernando Alonso Alpine 16 1'24.539 1.293
9  Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri 24 1'24.654 1.408
10  Lando Norris McLaren 27 1'24.665 1.419
11  Charles Leclerc Ferrari 21 1'24.770 1.524
12  Daniel Ricciardo McLaren 24 1'24.774 1.528
13  Nicholas Latifi Williams 23 1'24.805 1.559
14  George Russell Williams 22 1'25.083 1.837
15  Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 32 1'25.422 2.176
16  Nikita Mazepin Haas 23 1'25.729 2.483
17  Lance Stroll Aston Martin 28 1'25.763 2.517
18  Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin 28 1'25.935 2.689
19  Mick Schumacher Haas 25 1'26.012 2.766
20  Carlos Sainz Jr. Ferrari 14 1'26.124 2.878
 
Russell
 

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Italian GP: Williams Racing completes practice evaluations
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