SF-24 fast on the straights
Two McLarens in front of everyone at the start of the Italian Grand Prix are a nightmare, for Ferrari fans, that no one could have imagined. These were not the expectations, these were not the premises, even if the other side of the coin is that the qualifying gaps are so small (5 drivers within a tenth!) that the race looks wide open.
Wide open to everyone, even to Ferrari, which despite the updates was the third team in the field on the eve of the most anticipated race by the Italians. It is an aggressive Ferrari, with a low aerodynamic load, a technical choice that, according to Fred Vasseur, could be the key to try to win in front of a crowd that is only waiting for that, even if the pitfalls of Monza are many, starting from the funnel at the first chicane after the start, to the temperature of the asphalt and how it will “marry” the tyres of the various cars, without forgetting that when you travel at full throttle for 76 percent of the time, reliability will also have its weight.
Last year, Sainz, with Ferrari, set the Autodromo alight with pole position and the first part of the race in the lead, but in the end he placed third. Now Leclerc will start from the second row with the fourth time and Sainz will be right behind, fifth. It will not be easy to think of climbing the positions immediately, but both Leclerc and Sainz have little to lose and many reasons – personal and otherwise – to take a risktogether with the hope that tyre degradation will be limited as in the last races.
And McLaren? Norris is very fast, but we know that Lando has a certain allergy to departuresas is his almost perfect car. This time he is comforted by the fact that he has Oscar Piastri next to him, ready to cover his back. However, both Russell, third with the Mercedes (Hamilton is sixth, ready to go out in the distance) and Leclerc are the type to attack immediately, already at the first chicane.
In the midst of so many uncertainties synonymous with the announced spectacle, those who have suffered so far are Max Verstappenonly seventh and struggling with Red Bull. His lead at the top of the championship remains large, but it is obvious that he will not be able to continue to race on the back foot: we will see what he can do knowing his skill: the moment is difficult for him and Monza could represent the turning point. In one sense or another.
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