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The 2023 F1 Italian GP grid is all set and this time around we have Carlos Sainz on pole position with Max Verstappen right alongside him. The Red Bull driver will be flanked by the Ferrari duo as Charles Leclerc is right behind in P3.
While the Tifossi will be rooting for a Ferrari driver to win this weekend, it's not going to be easy. Although Verstappen is gunning for a 10th consecutive win, we cannot count out George Russell in his Mercedes.
So what can we expect on Sunday when the five red lights go out? Let's take a look at our predictions for the 2023 F1 Italian GP.
#1 Max Verstappen wins the 2023 F1 Italian GP
This might seem a bit anti-climactic but Max Verstappen is going to win the 2023 F1 Italian GP. He's starting the race on pole position and what that does is that it saves him from the first lap ruckus that could happen at the start of the race.
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To add to this, the straight-line speed of Red Bull is not too big a deficit that cannot be made up with DRS, and the race pace is where the car truly shines.
Unless something adverse happens to Max in the 2023 F1 Italian GP, Verstappen will be winning his 10th race in a row.
#2 No podium for Sergio Perez
Sergio Perez starts the 2023 F1 Italian GP in P5 behind Mercedes' George Russell, the Ferrari duo, and Max Verstappen. Once again the gap between Perez and Verstappen was about half a second which led to this lowly position.
While Red Bull's race pace tends to be very impressive even with Perez behind the wheel, the drivers that he's surrounded by might make him vulnerable. Alex Albon's Williams is a rocketship in S1 and he starts the race in P6. If he jumps the Mexican at the start of the race then it will be very hard for Sergio to overtake him.
Moreover, Ferrari and Mercedes tend to be competitive in qualifying as well. Overall, it does appear that a podium finish is going to be elusive for Sergio Perez this weekend.
#3 Alex Albon will have a competitive race and will score points
Alex Albon will be starting his race right in the middle of the top 10 and will have the Red Bull of Sergio Perez alongside him while the McLaren of Oscar Piastri will be behind him.
What we have seen in Zandvoort and is highly likely to be replicated in the 2023 F1 Italian GP is the fact that Williams does not fall away in the race.
The car tends to have similar levels of qualifying and race pace and hence will have a competitive race. A points finish is certainly on the cards for Albon but it remains to be seen how high he finishes.
#4 Lewis Hamilton does not finish inside the top 5
Lewis Hamilton will be starting the 2023 F1 Italian GP in P8 and will be hoping to make progress in the race. Can he however get it done? The answer might be no because the race pace of the Mercedes as well as the straight-line speed is similar to the cars around Hamilton.
In all likelihood, the driver is going to be stuck in a long DRS train and only if a strategic gamble works for him will he be able to make his way through the field. A finish out of the top 5 might be on the cards for Lewis at the 2023 F1 Italian GP.
#5 Alpine, Logan Sargeant, and Lance Stroll are on track for a dismal race
This weekend is just not the one for Alpine. The power unit deficiency is just too much at the moment and more than anything else, this does make Alpine's case stronger for a power unit normalization.
Coming back to the 2023 F1 Italian GP, the team is heading for a poor race weekend where points are an afterthought.
Logan Sargeant is looking at a desperate race this weekend and needs to get a top-10 finish, especially if teammate Albon is on course to do the same.
Unfortunately, overtaking is not the easiest on this track and it's highly likely that Sargeant does not score any points. Similarly, for Lance Stroll, the Aston Martin is not the fastest on the straights and that is going to hurt the team.
