The scene was very amusing: while the two Ferrari drivers took turns on the pit wall to throw hats, take selfies and sign autographs on T-shirts, flags and banners, in front of the red tide that remained on the finish straight invoking Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz with the Poo po po po po poooo poo, the catchphrase of football memory, under the podium in Monza, Red Bull celebrated the double win in the Italian GP with the one-two of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
The traditional group photo of the Milton Keynes team looked like a private party, while outside there was the square festival with the public for special occasions. But when bottles of bubbles were uncorked in unison, the victory cry of the world champion team rose high and loud. And suddenly everything took on its rightful dimension. With Carlos Sainz’s podium, Ferrari had banished the nightmares of Zandvoort, winning back a fan base disaffected by the lows rather than the highs of the red, while Red Bull was finally able to celebrate the tenth consecutive victory of Max Verstappen who is starting to pay particular attention to the a record he can break, entering that dimension that only great drivers have the privilege of experiencing.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, celebrates victory in the Italian GP
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Ferrari took pole position at Monza by focusing on a very aerodynamically unloaded SF-23 to shoot monstrous speeds along the long straights of the Temple of Speed, while Red Bull decided to play with the Scuderia like cat and mouse.
The technicians directed by Pierre Waché knew they had a less fast RB19 at the speed trap, but they also knew that the riders could count on a much more consistent race pace with both compounds. And, therefore, a more aerodynamic configuration was chosen than the Ferrari, with the aim of being faster starting from the middle of the Parabolica to get to the finish line, exiting the straight with a much higher thrust than the redhead would have sought to compensate with a progression of the engine towards braking, counting on a very aggressive braking to avoid Max the opportunity to enforce the DRS which on a track like the one in the Brianza area is worth much less than on the other tracks in the world championship.
Carlos Sainz blocks the front under braking and offers Max Verstappen the opportunity to overtake
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
The order that the Milton Keynes team had given to Verstappen was not to accept any possible “provocations” from Ferrari. If the Dutchman didn’t take the lead at the start, that’s too bad because it was clear in Christian Horner’s staff that Sainz had to be cooked over low heat.
And the Dutch champion, purged of youthful excesses, behaved like a by now worn-out champion: he never forced an attack on the Spanish leader, preferring to put constant pressure on Sainz, in the awareness that the tires in support (those on the left side) of Ferrari would have gone into crisis much earlier than those mounted on the RB19.
Verstappen, therefore, sat down at the chess table and waited for Carlos’ first smudge. A small lockup on lap 15 at the Roggia braking point opened the door to overtaking which allowed Max to take off to break away towards that record that was coveting for him.
The action was decided and Ferrari was pierced unable to reply, because to hold up that frenzied pace Sainz and Leclerc were forced to hold on to every horse of the 066/10 power unit.
“I had to be patient to take the win – explains Verstappen -, Ferrari had a good top speed throughout the weekend and looking at how our rear wing was, we had to cut off part of the mobile flap and, therefore, our DRS wasn’t as effective as usual. This meant that I couldn’t go on the attack into the first corner, but I had to be patient and force Carlos into making a mistake. At one point, when his tires had worn a bit, the “I pushed to pull away late, until I brought him to block. At that point I didn’t miss the opportunity to overtake him at the exit of turn two. Then it was a question of managing the race and bringing the car to the checkered flag”.
Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB19 overtook George Russell, Mercedes F1 W14
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
If Max’s waiting tactic paid off, it must be recognized that the more aggressive strategy that brought Sergio Perez to the place of honor from fifth place on the grid also worked. In qualifying, the Mexican had paid for the Honda engine change after FP3 with a used unit and the inability to get familiar with the soft tires in qualifying.
This time Red Bull didn’t “gnaw” on the Mexican’s third row, because there was the belief that they had the potential to skewer the Ferraris when they would have become vulnerable with more worn tyres. The important thing was to get rid of George Russell’s Mercedes early: Checo tried a couple of times at the Prima Variante, punctually finishing wide and cutting the chicane. And in order not to pay a penalty, he followed up with the Englishman from the Star, until, one lap after Max’s decisive action on Sainz, on lap 16 he closed the overtaking of the W14, setting off on the hunt for the reds. And Perez too only completed the run-up on lap 46, when the Ferraris were by then “fruit” because before they were really formidable.
The Milton Keynes team recognized the honors for that of Maranello, having finally found a credible challenger, but returns home to prepare for Singapore having forfeited the sixth one-two of the season (which is the 28th in the history of the team) and with the awareness that that Max’s record 10-game win streak is a streak that isn’t going to break any time soon…
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