Autodromo Nazionale Monza

Where Daniel Ricciardo claimed his final victory and McLaren secured their first 1-2 since 2010.

The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is the venue for the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, officially titled the Formula 1 Heineken Gran Premio d'Italia 2021. Held on 12 September 2021 as the 14th round of the season, it marked the second Grand Prix in Italy that year, following the Emilia Romagna event in April. This 53-lap race saw McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo secure victory, capitalizing on a strong front-row start and a dramatic collision between title rivals Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Ricciardo was joined by teammate Lando Norris for a historic 1-2 finish, while Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas completed the podium in third.

Quick Facts

Date: 12 September 2021
Race distance: 53 laps
Winner: Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren)
Second place: Lando Norris (McLaren)
Third place: Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
Previous winner at monza: Pierre Gasly (2020)
Sprint qualifying distance: 18 laps (100 km)

Lore & Background

The 2021 race at Monza remains etched in history as a pivotal turning point for both Daniel Ricciardo and the McLaren team. It was Ricciardo's first win since the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix and, notably, his final victory as a driver. For McLaren, this event ended a nine-year wait for a Grand Prix triumph, their last having been Jenson Button's win at the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix until Lando Norris's success in Miami 2024. The race also marked McLaren's first 1-2 finish since the 2010 Canadian Grand Prix and their first double podium since the 2014 Australian Grand Prix.

Beyond the team records, it was a singular moment for national pride: Ricciardo became the last Australian driver to win until Oscar Piastri at the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix. The weekend itself introduced a new dynamic with the sprint qualifying format, where Valtteri Bottas won the 18-lap sprint but started from the back of the grid due to an engine penalty, handing pole position to Max Verstappen.

Reader's Guide

Visitors to the 2021 event experienced a unique weekend format trial, with Free Practice 1 and Qualifying held on Friday, followed by Free Practice 2 and sprint qualifying on Saturday. Pirelli supplied C2, C3, and C4 compounds for the track. The sprint qualifying race covered 18 laps (100 km), deciding the Sunday grid order. While Bottas won the sprint, engine penalties reshuffled the grid, promoting Ricciardo to second and Norris to third on the starting line.

The atmosphere was charged with controversy; Sergio Pérez called the Monza sprint "very boring," while Ross Brawn defended it citing "plenty of action." Fernando Alonso suggested reverting to single-lap qualifying for the sprint format. As of 2025, this event holds the distinction of being Robert Kubica's final Grand Prix appearance. The race weekend also saw Charles Leclerc feeling unwell during Free Practice 2 but was cleared by medical staff to compete in the sprint.

Did You Know?

Lewis Hamilton suffered his first retirement in 63 races at this event, the previous being the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix.
Pierre Gasly received a five-place grid penalty and had to start from the pit lane due to multiple unscheduled component changes.

Losses Beyond the Starting Grid

The narrative is strictly limited to the 2021 race weekend events, detailing only non-fatal incidents such as Robert Kubica and Yuki Tsunoda making contact during sprint qualifying.