F1: Jannik Sinner Is Also at Monza—A Huge Crowd Welcomes the Superstar
Everyone was on the hunt for a selfie or an autograph: Jannik Sinner was overwhelmed by the affection of his fans on Sunday morning in Monza. The South Tyrolean didn’t want to miss the Italian Grand Prix, and he’s sure to meet up with his good friend Kimi Antonelli later today.
The Mercedes driver, one of Italian sports’ child prodigies, spoke about the tennis player during an event: “One thing that really impresses me about Sinner is his mental strength. Even when he doesn’t start a match at his best, he always seems to have the strength to face challenges and turn them to his advantage. That’s why I have such great admiration for him.”
Grand Prix Sunday at Monza offers plenty of excitement even before the race: the track comes alive with the charm and roar of historic Formula 1 cars, followed by the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup race. At 1:00 p.m., the crowd gets to cheer on the drivers during the iconic Driver’s Parade, which precedes the final stages of preparations. Just before the start, the atmosphere will turn solemn with the singing of the national anthem and the traditional flyover by the Frecce Tricolori. The most anticipated moment will come at 3:00 p.m. when the lights go out, signaling the start of the race.
On Saturday, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton made no secret of their disappointment after finishing fourth and fifth in the official qualifying session for the Italian Grand Prix: “I’m very disappointed, honestly,” admitted the Monegasque driver. “We didn’t measure up; there were a lot of mistakes and issues during qualifying. First with the engine, then with other things afterward. When you get to Q3, you have to go after those last hundredths. Honestly, we couldn’t have challenged Pierre, but we could have done better.”
“Our performance in Q3 was terrible. I found myself in the middle of nowhere. When you’re behind another car, you’re faster through several corners, you adjust your braking point, and it’s all about finding the rhythm. The second attempt wasn’t terrible, but with different reference points, I wasn’t able to make the most of it,” Hamilton said.
