After the last two blows of Spa-Francorchamps above all and of Zandvoort, Ferrari was approaching the weekend of the home race, in Monza, with the awareness of having to play in defense. This season, the long straights were Red Bull’s hunting ground, so the Brianza-based temple of speed seemed all too congenial to the characteristics of the RB18.
Despite this more than justified prudence, the Friday of the Italian Grand Prix gave a welcome surprise to the men of the Cavallino, who actually found themselves much more competitive than they would have hoped on the eve. After a brace in the opening session, in which however Max Verstappen was hampered in his best lap with the soft tires, Carlos Sainz also conceded an encore in the afternoon session, putting himself behind the Dutchman for a handful of thousandths.
“It was a positive day. Coming from Spa, a low load track on which we suffered a bit, we didn’t expect to be very competitive here, but I must say that since FP1 the car found itself in a very competitive window. better, ”a smiling Sainz said to Sky Sport F1 HD at the end of the day.
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
“The times were easier for us and the clock does not lie. It was a positive surprise. This does not mean that we are the fastest, especially in the long run, but at least we are closer than before”, he added, suggesting that on the race pace perhaps Red Bull still has a little more than the Reds.
As already happened in Belgium, there will be many penalties on the grid linked to the replacement of elements of the power unit. Among those who will retreat there is also the Spanish son of art, but he will be in excellent company, given that the two Red Bull drivers and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton are also listed on the penalized list.
“We have to see how these penalties will reshuffle the grid, because there are some drivers who will take 5 positions, others 10 and others 15. Some will start at the back, so we will have to see how the grid will be and then what we can do”, concluded the Ferrari driver. .
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