In Formula 1, as in many other areas and sports disciplines, inertia has a great impact on results. For the last two years, it seemed that no matter what obstacles were placed in front of Red Bull, the energetic team, driven by an imperial Max Verstappen, always landed on their feet. The dictatorship of the red buffalo put an end to the one that led Mercedes to seven consecutive titles between 2014 and 2020, after the four glorious years of Sebastian Vettel, the one in charge of writing the Milton Keynes (Great Britain) team into the history books. The streaks can be good and bad and you can also go from one extreme to the other in a flash. Red Bull is caught up in this dynamic, which began the year with the same rush that led Verstappen to throw confetti the last two years, and which now can do nothing but bail out water. The champions’ shudder coincides with the vigour of McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari, who this Sunday in Monza beat the Woking team, which arrived in Italy with the fastest car and let itself be robbed of its wallet by strategy.
Charles Leclerc’s victory is the third of The Prancing Horse This season and the second for the Monegasque, the last to win in red at Ferrari (2019). Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris certified the double podium for the papaya cars, while Carlos Sainz finished fourth and Fernando Alonso, eleventh. Verstappen’s sixth place underlines Red Bull’s decline, we will see if it is temporary or longer-lasting, while also slightly opening up the World Championship dispute, which continues with the Dutchman at the wheel and with a 62-point lead over Norris, and 86 over Leclerc.
The tables were turned at Monza, where Ferrari took a risky gamble with a one-stop strategy that seemed almost suicidal before the race began, but which ended up being confirmed as the right one. The aerodynamic package that the technicians fitted to the red cars at the Temple of Speed opened a glimmer of hope through which the star of the day slipped in. Leclerc stayed on track, levitating, pampering the tyres, crossing his fingers and everything else, and hoping that the McLarens, especially Piastri, would not manage to clear the 18-second lead he had in his favour in 14 laps. Not even with a series of timed laps could the young Australian catch up with Leclerc, who crossed the finish line two and a half seconds behind and created a unique scenario, one of those that make your hair stand on end.
“This season is a heart-stopping one, with the number of ups and downs we have. But how beautiful are the ups!” said the brand-new winner. “What a great strategy,” added Leclerc, who was full of praise for his people, both those who work in Maranello, where he will once again fly the brand’s flag on Monday, and on the circuits, especially those who guided him from the pit wall. “The strategy was difficult to decide, but everything worked out. Everyone did their job well: the stops were good and the drivers met the objectives that were given to them,” said Fred Vasseur, the director of Ferrari, who this weekend incorporated a series of updates to his SF-24, which will have to be re-evaluated in Baku in two weeks. “On Monday everyone is a hero,” said Piastri, when asked if, had he known, he would have chosen to plan the Grand Prix around a single visit to the workshop. “Obviously, now I would change my mind. But it was the riskiest option,” the Melbourne rider reflected.
In Italy, in one shot, the most universal symbol of racing has entered the fight for the constructors’ title, a goal that only a few weeks ago seemed absolutely unattainable.
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