There is always something special about Ferrari at the Italian GP in Monza. The Prancing Horses always find something extra to deliver to their beloved Tifosi. Carlos Sainz converted his excellent form all weekend to pole position. Charles Leclerc was close behind in third, with Max Verstappen becoming the filling in a Ferrari sandwich.
Ferrari’s Brilliant Pace
Ferrari came to the Italian GP in 2023 having had a disappointing campaign. Yet, 2 days later, they are on top of the timing sheets at the end of Q3. The pace was there right from the beginning, at least for Carlos Sainz. Charles Leclerc faced some issues in Q1 but built up his weekend and delivered when it mattered the most.
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Carlos quicker than Charles
Carlos Sainz has spent a long part of the season behind his teammate Charles Leclerc due to questionable Ferrari decisions. However, at the Italian GP, he looked quick from the outset. He was much more comfortable in a car both drivers have described as ‘peaky’.
He was fastest in 2 out of the 3 practice sessions at the Italian GP. However, it was his lap in Q3 that mattered the most. Charles Leclerc pulled out a brilliant lap like he so often does in Qualifying. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen was metronomic like always, delivering the best he could.
Max Verstappen went on pole, and it looked like he would stay there for the Italian GP. However, Carlos Sainz pulled out a monstrous middle-sector on his final run, quicker by almost 2 tenths. On a day when pole was decided by just a tenth of a second, that was the decisive strike.
Penalty Scare Averted
Earlier in the session during Q1, both Ferrari drivers were being investigated for going extra slow on their cooldown lap. This upper limit was implemented by the race director to avoid the farce that happens at the end of Q3 at the Italian GP where drivers jockey for a slipstream. Both Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc were going slower than that time.
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However, just as Carlos Sainz was finishing his in-lap at the end, the stewards deemed the incidents legal. Maybe they just wanted to get out of the racetrack alive. Can Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc work together to stop Max Verstappen? Or will he win the Italian GP as well? Follow us to find out.
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