Formula 1: 2021 Monza sprint qualifying – Full starting lineup, odds

The starting lineup for the second ever Formula 1 sprint qualifying race is set following Friday’s traditional knockout qualifying session.

For the second time in the 2021 Formula 1 season — and ever — the traditional three-round, knockout qualifying format was used not to set the starting lineup for a Grand Prix but for a sprint qualifying race.

This sprint qualifying race will then set the starting lineup for the main event itself.

This format was first used at Silverstone Circuit for the British Grand Prix back in mid-July, and it has made a return for this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.

Where is the Italian Grand Prix?

The Italian Grand Prix is a 53-lap race around the 11-turn, 3.6-mile (5.794-kilometer) Autodromo Nazionale di Monza road course in Monza, Italy. The sprint qualifying race is an 18-lap race at the track.

Monza broadcast information

Tune in to ESPN2 at 10:25 a.m. ET this morning for the live broadcast of the Italian Grand Prix sprint qualifying race from Monza, and tune in to the same network tomorrow morning at 8:55 a.m. ET for the live broadcast of the Italian Grand Prix itself. If you have not yet begun your free trial of FuboTV, now would be a great time to do so!

Who is on pole for Monza?

It was Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas who took the pole position for the 18-lap sprint race on Friday. He took the pole position for this race by recording a top lap time of 79.555 seconds (162.906 miles per hour) in the third and final round of qualifying for the race.

Due to an engine penalty, however, Bottas is set to start the actual Italian Grand Prix from the back of the grid no matter where he ends up in this sprint qualifying race.

In the sprint race, Bottas is set to start alongside teammate Lewis Hamilton. Championship leader Max Verstappen of Red Bull is set to start in third place alongside McLaren’s Lando Norris in fourth.

Here is the full starting lineup for the 2021 Italian Grand Prix sprint qualifying race at Monza.

Starting Lineup
1st – Valtteri Bottas
2nd – Lewis Hamilton
3rd – Max Verstappen
4th – Lando Norris
5th – Daniel Ricciardo
6th – Pierre Gasly
7th – Carlos Sainz Jr.
8th – Charles Leclerc
9th – Sergio Perez
10th – Antonio Giovinazzi
11th – Sebastian Vettel
12th – Lance Stroll
13th – Fernando Alonso
14th – Esteban Ocon
15th – George Russell
16th – Nicholas Latifi
17th – Yuki Tsunoda
18th – Mick Schumacher
19th – Robert Kubica
20th – Nikita Mazepin

Monza betting odds – sprint race

Take a look at the top five in betting odds for this today’s sprint qualifying race, courtesy of WynnBET.

• Lewis Hamilton: -140
• Valtteri Bottas: +210
• Max Verstappen: +750
• Lando Norris: +2200
• Sergio Perez: +2500

Monza betting odds – Italian Grand Prix

Take a look at the top five in betting odds for this Sunday’s main event, courtesy of WynnBET.

• Lewis Hamilton: -160
• Max Verstappen: +250
• Lando Norris: +800
• Sergio Perez: +2200
• Valtteri Bottas/Daniel Ricciardo: +2500

Monza betting prediction

Two things to make note of are the difference between Max Verstappen’s sprint race odds and his Italian Grand Prix odds, as well as the difference between Valtteri Bottas’s sprint race odds and his Italian Grand Prix odds.

Bottas is set to start the Italian Grand Prix from the back regardless, so the chance of any Mercedes team orders in the sprint race is slimmer than usual.

But with three points on offer for the sprint race winner as opposed to two for the runner-up, plus the fact that Bottas winning or finishing in second place won’t affect his starting position for the actual Italian Grand Prix, it’s hard to see the Silver Arrows not aiding Hamilton if need be.

So while he isn’t set to start from the pole position, -140 could be a bargain for the seven-time world champion who finds himself chasing Verstappen in the standings.

As for Verstappen, we know that, at most, he should only have one Mercedes driver to deal with at the front of Sunday’s race, so it makes sense that he would be considered far more of a favorite to win that race than the sprint race.

Still, he remains the underdog because of the pace advantage that Mercedes appear to have so far this weekend. We could also bring up Verstappen’s poor record not only at Monza but in Italy as a whole, but he secured a win in the country earlier this season when he won at Imola. If he has the car to get the job done, he should at least be in the mix.

Make your pick now on WynnBET.