It was a grade that wasn’t exactly a grade. Max Verstappen finished with the second fastest time but he already knew that he would drop five places due to the changes made to the car. With Carlos Sainz, even worse: third fastest time, 18th place on the starting grid. And with Lewis Hamilton, further back (fifth in qualifying, 19th at the start), which made the Briton joke about the situation that could be his race: “They will all go on a DRS train and I will stay around waiting the strategy and also because of tire degradation and that sort of thing. I’m going to distract myself by watching Game of Thrones.” With all that, it was Charles Leclerc who benefited the most, opening up a golden opportunity for Ferrari at Monza.
Monza is for Ferrari: Leclerc takes the 8th pole position of the year, Verstappen is penalized and starts seventh
The Monegasque naturally managed pole position, with a lap more than a second faster than that of George Russell, second on the grid ahead of the two McLarens of Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo. Nyck de Vries, a Dutchman who was Formula E champion in 2021 and who took Albon’s place (out with appendicitis), came out of eighth place just behind Max Verstappen. Sergio Pérez, fourth fastest, started from 13th. Leclerc had all the conditions to be able to make a race to victory, Ferrari entered committed to erasing an era marked by successive mistakes like the one that earned Sainz the loss of time at a stop for not having one of his tires ready.
ferrari polo???? Monza
travel on board with @Charles_Leclerc while dominating the Temple of Speed! ?????????#GPItalian @pirellisport pic.twitter.com/OTLBKzx1Qv
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 10, 2022
“I knew that on that last lap of Q3 I would have to put everything to perfection and I did. I am very happy with the lap record, very satisfied with the performance we have achieved. It’s been a great weekend so far, the feeling inside the car has been fantastic. I hope that now things turn out like in 2019. Secret for the last lap? I just took more risks. It was the last lap, I knew I had to achieve the best performance and I worked for it”, commented the Monegasque after the eighth pole position in 16 races (one of the rare few points where he beats Verstappen).
Who wants to see the starting grid? Any? ????
How are we queuing for Sunday’s race at Monza????#GPItalian #F1 pic.twitter.com/7AZ7xDhoRS
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 10, 2022
As part of the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the Monza circuit, Ferrari presented an aesthetically renewed car for the occasion, with the F1-75 in red and yellow and the two drivers changing their suits from the usual red to yellow. “Since the Scuderia began in 1929 and when the team was founded 75 years ago, Enzo Ferrari has chosen yellow, which, along with blue, is one of the colors of the Modena emblem, to appear on the symbol of the company, the Prancing Horse”, the team explained in a statement about the second color. Even so, there would be no greater symbology than a victory in Monza.
THE @ScuderiaFerrari pole at Monza brings the crowd to their feet ????#GPItalian #F1 pic.twitter.com/iKYAZgSRWs
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 10, 2022
The start did not bring any touch, problem or abandonment but it was not the same for all the drivers: George Russell started very well, he pushed his effort a little more but Leclerc defended the lead in the best way; Daniel Ricciardo jumped to third, unlike his teammate Lando Norris, who dropped to sixth; Y Verstappen soon gained two positions at the start, moving up to fourth place over the course of the first lap. That is, to one of the podiums where he was already on the next lap. That is to say, completely in the fight for a new victory, which would be the fifth in a row. And for that, taking advantage of the Mercedes between them, Leclerc would give everything to get a greater advantage.
LECLERC MONSTER STARTING ????#sporttvportugal #F1naSPORTTV #F1 #Formula 1 #CharlesLeclerc pic.twitter.com/OSWbGY6O3Z
— SPORT TV (@SPORTTVPortugal) September 11, 2022
At the rear, those most affected by the grid changes after qualifying also filled different roles after the start, with Carlos Sainz taking just five laps to go from 18th to 12th while Lewis Hamilton moved up just one place to 18th. and Sergio Pérez maintained 14th. Back in command of the race, Russell quickly realized that the fight with Verstappen was something with different weapons and the Dutchman jumped into second place at the start of the fifth lap, and the teammate was struggling with brake problems which dropped him to last position.
ROUND 5/53
Do that P2????
Verstappen overtakes Russell on the run to Turn 1#GPItalian #F1 pic.twitter.com/E64FZtsn0V
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 11, 2022
Shortly after the tenth lap, Ferrari had to make the first big race decision: Leclerc was ahead, Carlos Sainz continued to gain several positions to the point of reaching fifth and the attack on Pierre Gasly, Sebastian Vettel was forced to stop his Aston Martin with the entrance of the car insurance. Unlike the top riders, Leclerc even went to change tires but was still ahead of the top 10 in third place, with Sainz also moving up to fourth. Initially, the option would have been fine. And the gap to Verstappen over the next few laps showed just that, with Russell only changing tires on lap 23 and the Dutchman stopping just at the end of the next lap.
ROUND 13/53
Leclerc pits for medium tyres, Verstappen stays on track and now leads the race#GPItalian #F1 pic.twitter.com/ZxccMLNcIU
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 11, 2022
CLASSIFICATION AFTER 14 LAPS#GPItalian #F1 pic.twitter.com/5hc5x9Gjs2
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 11, 2022
The (many) fans of the transalpine team celebrated with Leclerc in front with ten seconds ahead of Verstappen, with Sainz still in third place without stopping to force himself a better position. A little behind, Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, who had not yet changed tires, experienced another direct confrontation for sixth position, won relatively easily (and above all cleanly) by the Briton. Sainz would only enter eighth place but, in virtual terms, everything was preparing for Another duel between Red Bull and Ferrari for fourth place. Alonso, when he pitted, was even on the verge of retiring, thus joining former world champion Vettel.
LAP 26/53
Race leader Verstappen pits for medium tires
He starts again in P2, 10 seconds behind Leclerc.#GPItalian #F1 pic.twitter.com/vaciqr1v4R
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 11, 2022
LAP 27/53
Hamilton ⚔️ Alonso
Lewis overtakes Fernando and moves up to P6 #GPItalian #F1 pic.twitter.com/Cv5M1GTDhB
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 11, 2022
The good indicators left by the soft tires of Sainz, who made a great pass to Pérez for sixth position in the condition (Hamilton would stop later, Norris too), led Ferrari to make the second big decision of the race, with Leclerc pitting again to change tires with 19 laps to go for Russell but 20 seconds to recover from Verstappen. The mission was complicated, but this time, whatever the outcome, there was not much to point out to the home team (which when it made the first stop still did not understand what kind of strategy Red Bull could have), and the Dutchman forced progression to gain margin in the face of a possible second stop. The fight for sixth position was also raging between Ricciardo, Hamilton, Gasly and Norris.
ROUND 31/53
Sainz (finally) in the pits!
On the go, a set of soft tires and back out in P8#GPItalian #F1 pic.twitter.com/4Mner9dcbh
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 11, 2022
ROUND 34/53
Leclerc brakes for the second time
Soft tires are fitted and he returns to the track in P2, just under 20 seconds behind the leader Verstappen.
Can you get that time back? #GPItalian #F1 pic.twitter.com/vAhmqX2m5m
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 11, 2022
The race seemed resolved but suddenly there was a loud noise from the stands with the confirmation that Daniel Ricciardo’s stop on the track would really mean the entry of car insurance. Everyone stopped to change tires with just five laps to go, and the Ferrari fans’ hope for a theatrical coup at the end of the Italian Grand Prix was more belief than conviction, but the race would really end car insurance (despite the whistles). In 16 races, Max Verstappen got his 11th victory and 13th podium finish, and for the first time in his career he achieved five wins in a row. The Dutchman also reinforced his leadership in the World Championship after a race that ended with Carlos Sainz fourth, Hamilton fifth, Pérez sixth and Nyck de Vries scoring points on his debut (ninth).
ROUND 51/53
The crane has arrived, but will there be time to restart the race? #GPItalian #F1 pic.twitter.com/onHk620lDS
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 11, 2022
RACE CLASSIFICATION (ROUND 53/53)
Points in the debut of @nyckdevries ????#GPItalian #F1 pic.twitter.com/OCVijR05ho
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 11, 2022
Source: Observadora