Monaco Grand Prix – Giovinazzi’s brilliant move
10th, the Italian driver made his first appearance in Q3 this season!
It’s a small achievement that went unnoticed behind the big news of Charles Leclerc. But yes, Antonio Giovinazzi made it to Q3 in Monaco! A 10th place and a first in 2021 for the Alfa Romeo driver. A first since the qualifying session held on November 14, 2020 in Turkey.
Accustomed to Q2 (3 eliminations out of 4 before Monaco), Giovinazzi clearly had a perfect Saturday. Avoiding the trap of Q1, he qualified for Q3 on his final flying lap, overtaking Ricciardo’s McLaren.
« This is a day when we put everything together. Finally, we get what we deserve for a while now » rejoiced the 27-year-old driver in the paddock. « We did everything right, the car has been working well since the beginning of the weekend. The team sent me out on track at the right time and we did the lap we needed. »
Antonio Giovinazzi: « We are getting what we deserve for a while »
Like many top 10 drivers, his only regret was the red flag raised at the end of Q3 after Leclerc’s crash at the Piscine esses.
« I think my turn was very good. We could have finished even higher. I have been feeling confident since FP1 and this feeling is important on a track like Monaco.
For the race, Giovinazzi now plans to hit two birds with one stone: get his first points of the season. We need the same thing: a clean start, a good strategy, and a good race. We hope to achieve a good result.
On his side, Kimi Räikkönen (14th) did not make enough of a difference at the right moment. “I think we did nothing wrong. I just wasn’t fast enough on the laps that counted,” “Iceman” said in the paddock. He’s counting on a bit of luck to unfold his race.
Kimi Räikkönen: « I just wasn’t fast enough on the laps that counted »
And it’s time to start the counter for the team led by Fred Vasseur: still 0 points for Alfa Romeo, like Williams and Haas!
