Ferrari returns to victory in the Italian GP with a sensational Charles Leclerc who takes his second win of the season after his success in Monaco. The Scuderia gambled on the single stop in the 53 laps of the race and the Monegasque gave the Prancing Horse fans a special victory that repeats the one from 2019. Charles was perfect because he had to complete 38 laps with the hard set with a red car that did not have a tyre crisis, but allowed the SF-24 to make a historic ride that will remain engraved in the history of the Scuderia.
Ferrari invested and believed in the low-downforce aerodynamic package: it’s true, there was also the new anti-porpoising fund that worked, but the victory in Monza (the third of the season) is the result of having believed in the car being more unloaded on the long straights.
Leclerc suffered a bit in qualifying, but in the race he was a master in knowing how to perfectly manage a red car that made tire management its strength. In the temple of speed, it wasn’t the load that counted, but the efficiency and Charles was fantastic in dancing between the Variants without eating the tires. On the Stradale the red car gave a demonstration of superiority: it won’t be the same on the other tracks still on the calendar, but at home we saw a cynical Ferrari, capable of bringing out everything there was in the SF-24, implementing a perfect plan with a cold lucidity.
It was clear that it could be a triumphant day right after the start when Leclerc managed to close the first lap in second, piercing a Lando Norris at Roggia who was confused by the attack suffered by Oscar Piastri. The Englishman, who started from pole, finished third in three corners. He risked going sideways at the exit of the Variante and Leclerc passed him also putting a wheel over the asphalt surface.
It looked like Oscar Piastri’s race, but the young Australian pulled ahead fearing a comeback from Lando Norris (author of the fastest lap on the last lap in 1’21″432), and McLaren revealed the appearance of graining earlier than expected. A long run by Norris pushed the Woking team to anticipate the first pit stop on lap 14, forcing Ferrari to respond.
On paper, at least at the beginning, it was supposed to be a tactical race, but instead it quickly turned into a tense, breathless race. McLaren had planned a two-stop race and stuck to the initial plan, even though Oscar was asked if he would have felt like taking the risk of switching to a single pit stop and Piastri didn’t feel like it. Despite a perfect performance, he condemned himself to second place, because Ferrari cynically executed its plan, running the risk of being left without shoes.
Charles Leclerc has shown himself to be a top driver: now he is one of those who know how to manage the tires at their best, having a velvet foot on the accelerator, managing a pace that has not had any foreseeable drop.
Monza changes the identity of the world championship because McLaren is chasing Red Bull in the Constructors’ championship (the gap is only 8 points), but the Scuderia also seems to have returned to the world championship game because the red team with the win and the fourth place of Carlos Sainz is 39 points from the RB20. Unthinkable until last Sunday. Ferrari won and McLaren lost. Piastri demolished Norris’ certainties with an overtaking that showed how there was no team order in Andrea Stella’s team, but that will complicate the management of the two roosters who are now starting to peck at each other.
An excellent Carlos Sainz remained outside the podium: the Spaniard in fourth tried to defend himself from the comeback of Norris, but had to slow down to avoid ending up in the abyss of the second pit stop which would have demolished his performance.
Mercedes was never in the game: Lewis Hamilton finished fifth, while George Russell put himself out of the game with a long run at the first Variante. The weekend will be remembered more for Kimi Antonelli’s debut (with a bang) than for the result of the black-silver arrow, diminished by inadequate performances on the fast Monza: Lewis’ fifth place and George’s seventh are not placings in line with Brackley’s expectations.
Red Bull is clearly struggling, but Max Verstappen is coming home with a 62-point lead over Norris. The Dutchman’s sixth place is the best the RB20 could have achieved on the Stradale and Monza is evidence of how the world champion team is melting like snow in the sun. Max fought tooth and nail, but also had to deal with a slow pit stop (the right rear wouldn’t come off). Seeing Red Bull as the fourth force is thought-provoking, but the performance collapse is there for all to see. Verstappen has asked the engineers at home to get back to work: Max is unable to make much of a difference to Sergio Perez who finishes eighth. It’s a sign that something isn’t working in the system that Christian Horner is trying to keep together despite the obvious cracks.
Monza also rewards Alexander Albon with points with Williams with an excellent ninth place and also worth mentioning is the little point scored by Kevin Magnussen, capable like the Anglo-Thai, of trying a one-stop strategy. The Dane managed to drain a 5-second penalty for his excesses in the body to body with the Haas. The rest is just side dish…
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