MONZA, Italy — Instantly after qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix, even some drivers had been unsure precisely the place they’d be beginning Sunday’s race.

Over three hours after qualifying, 2020 Italian Grand Prix winner Pierre Gasly tweeted: “Can somebody inform me by which place I begin tomorrow’s race?”.

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The sensation was shared throughout the paddock. The most important supply of confusion was whether or not Max Verstappen, who certified second and had a five-place penalty, would begin from fourth or seventh on the grid.

Verstappen and Crimson Bull felt — appropriately because it turned out — he would begin seventh, however the provisional grids a number of groups confirmed the media had the reigning world champion beginning in fourth.

Whereas that may sound like unhealthy maths on the floor, the speculation went that making use of penalties within the order they had been served to drivers would have meant his penalty was diminished, with a number of rivals instantly behind him additionally dropping down the order, thus liberating up positions for him to inherit.

The FIA’s provisional grid confirmed this was not the case.

Highlighting the quirk in Formulation One’s guidelines was the actual fact Esteban Ocon additionally served a five-place grid penalty however solely fell three positions within the last grid given the variety of penalties being served behind him.

Not like on the Belgian Grand Prix two weeks in the past, the place no driver began the place he completed qualifying as a consequence of a slew of comparable penalties, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will not less than line up from first on the grid having taken pole place on benefit within the session.

Becoming a member of him on the entrance row of the grid might be George Russell, who certified in sixth place however was elevated by advantage of Verstappen, Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez and Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton all serving penalties.

The reshuffled grid has arrange the prospect of an exciting Italian Grand Prix.

McLaren pair Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo might be hoping for a repeat efficiency so as to add to final yr’s, by which Ricciardo led a memorable one-two end and secured the crew’s first victory since 2012.

Gasly begins from fifth, forward of two-time Italian Grand Prix winner Fernando Alonso.

Verstappen might be on an all-Dutch fourth row with debutant Nyck de Vries, who’s a late stand in at Williams for Alex Albon, who has appendicitis.

De Vries’ teammate Nicholas Latifi will begin from tenth regardless of being eradicated from Q1, exhibiting simply how large the record of penalties was.

The grid in full

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

2. George Russell (Mercedes)

3. Lando Norris (McLaren)

4. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren)

5. Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri)

6. Fernando Alonso (Alpine)

7. Max Verstappen (Crimson Bull) *5-place grid penalty

8. Nyck De Vries (Williams)

9. Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo)

10. Nicholas Latifi (Williams)

11. Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin)

12. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

13. Sergio Perez (Crimson Bull) *10-place grid penalty

14. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) *5-place grid penalty

The subsequent three drivers all had a 15-place penalty, so their penalties had been handed out so as of how they certified in relation to one another. The quirk of the foundations meant Kevin Magnussen and Mick Schumacher, who certified nineteenth and twentieth, truly climbed up the grid three locations as three different drivers had full-on “again of grid” penalties.

15. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) Certified twelfth, 15-place grid penalty

16. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) Certified nineteenth, 15-place grid penalty

17. Mick Schumacher (Haas) Certified twentieth, 15-place grid penalty

The three rear slots of the grid had been solely ever going to be stuffed by three drivers — Sainz, Hamilton and Yuki Tsunoda all acquired “again of grid” penalties after their groups made wholesale engine modifications.

Their last order in that cluster of three was set by their last qualifying place.

18. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) *Again of grid penalty

19. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) *Again of grid penalty

20. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) *Again of grid penalty