Mario Isola: We're in for a one-stop race.

      At Pirelli they do everything to increase the number of pit stops in races, but in Monza they have to resign themselves...

      Mario Isola: "Once again qualifying was a close fight: in the first session twenty drivers were covered by eight tenths, and in the second the top ten were split by three tenths of a second. The finale was interesting and ended with another demonstration of Max Verstappen's amazing talent. That lap was the fastest in Formula 1 history.

      The Softs were the quickest in qualifying, although those who chose the Mediums, like the Mercedes drivers in the first session, were also competitive. George Russell set the best time in the first session on C4s, but that's more to do with him feeling more comfortable with a tyre that, while less quick, gives the driver greater confidence.

      The C5 is very quick, but these tyres are harder to bring up to peak performance. They allow you to post another excellent time after one or two gentle laps or after a pause during the second attempt. After they stabilise, the Softs give greater confidence for an attack.

      It's clear we're set for a one-stop race, in which the Medium and Hard tyres will cover the longer stints – they are the best compromise between speed and longevity, and the Softs can play a role for drivers able to extend the opening stint at least to lap 32, or if a safety car comes out late in the race."