It’s a question of pride, it’s a question of honor. The pole position in Monaco is something different from all the others, because it takes you back to motor racing from times gone by, when it was the driver who made the difference. And that’s exactly what he did Charles Leclerc on the winding streets of his house, Driving like a devilregardless of the tension, the pressure of the team, of friends, of the fans, thinking only of the goal of being ahead of everyone at the end. A prodigy. After all, Leclerc has uncommon qualities, he is the only one who has beaten Verstappen on equal terms in recent years, but precisely because it has not happened frequently for him to have a Ferrari at the level of Red Bull, he has also made a few too many mistakes, in generous attempt to make up for his mechanical deficiencies. Starting in front of Monte Carlo means having half a victory in your pocket, provided you know how to manage yourself. Driving 78 laps between two obsessive metal barriers is intoxicating. Making a mistake is an instant and that’s exactly what Leclerc won’t have to do, already knowing that Carlos Sainz will race for him: the Spaniard has also said so, which is rare among teammates. And then when will Charles ever have the enormous advantage of being 5 cars ahead of the terrible Verstappen? Max sensed it wouldn’t be easy: “Monaco is the toughest test for us“, he declared in recent days. But since he is not the type to give in to the evidence, he tried anyway, making a not very serious but decisive mistake at the S.te Devote curve, the one where Leclerc made the difference by being – at that point – the fastest ever. .
Leclerc is there, Ferrari too, as demonstrated by Sainz’s third fastest time due to an SF24 which has mechanical traction, stability in corners, balance when braking. Never like on this occasion can we therefore lean towards a logical optimismdespite knowing that the unexpected, the surprise, can always happen in Monte Carlo. Verstappen, in theory, is left out. And Oscar Piastri, the best of the rest? The Australian of distant Tuscan origins is a phenomenon in its infancy, one with clear ideas and a long vision. Does he have the experience to be a protagonist in the Principality? In theory no, but he is continually improving and in qualifying he put Norris behind him, so to speak. He immediately revealed his objective: “I have to go to command immediately and stay there.”. It’s not so obvious for a driver who sometimes shoots very well and other times less.
In reality, Monte Carlo has somehow already celebrated the eve Ferrari’s constant rise to the top. Verstappen made a mistake because he knew that Leclerc would attack him, Red Bull was not able to invent the pole move that it expresses on the Saturday of every race, red is, on paper, the winning colour, provided that Leclerc doesn’t overdo it in his heat and that the team manages him well from the box. The rest will come accordingly. Meanwhile, the Maranello technicians have something to rejoice about, having put guru Adrian Newey in difficulty, who will soon hover over their heads on the most popular and glamorous track of the championship. Small anticipated satisfactions, which demonstrate how Ferrari works well regardless of what happens outside the gates of GES, where there are loads of technicians arriving. In the meantime, the appetizer in front of the blue sea of Monaco is served but the important thing is that at the end there is a champagne toast. We look forward to it. And trust.
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