Martin Brundle spots something Zhou Guanyu did at Monza that ‘needs’ addressing in drivers’ briefing

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Martin Brundle believes Formula 1 drivers ‘need to address’ something that Zhou Guanyu did prior to the Italian Grand Prix start.

Before the start of a Grand Prix drivers will line up on the grid after a series of reconnaissance laps 40 minutes before the start. Once the pre-race ceremony has finished, they will then complete a formation lap to the grid.

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During this period, the drivers will go around the track slower than race pace and use it to warm up their brakes, tyres and complete a series of pre-race checks on their cars. These can take anywhere from two to three minutes depending on the length of the circuit.

Martin Brundle spotted something with Zhou Guanyu while commentating on Sky Sports that he believes should be addressed at the next F1 drivers briefing as it could pose a safety issue.

Martin Brundle thinks Italian GP formation lap took too long

The formation lap at Monza took longer than usual due to the high track temperatures at the start of the race, which reached as high as 53°C.

By the time polesitter Lando Norris was at the Parabolica before the start/finish straight, Zhou and other drivers at the back of the grid were still at the Lesmos.

While it is not unusual to see the cars at the back take longer to form up on the grid, Brundle thinks it took longer than it should have.

“This is taking too long. They really need to talk about this in the drivers briefing about this. It is really too long for the back row to line up,” said Brundle.

As cars sit on the grid at the front, brakes usually run hot and tyre temperatures run down. This can often be the cause of first-corner incidents, as drivers arrive without the proper amount of grip and a full tank of fuel.

Sauber endures another miserable weekend

It was another difficult weekend for Zhou and his Sauber teammate Valtteri Bottas, who failed to finish in the points for the 21st race in a row.

Sauber is the only team that has not scored points so far this year, in what is turning out to be their worst season since 2014 when both Esteban Gutierrez and Adrian Sutil failed to score points.

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Bottas is hopeful that he can hang on to a seat within the team ahead of their takeover from Audi in 2026, while Zhou is currently assessing his limited options.

Only two seats remain on the grid at RB and Sauber for next year, after the former has still not decided on whether they will extend Daniel Ricciardo’s contract.