Italian Grand Prix – The hits/misses according to the editorial team
Max Verstappen won his 5th consecutive Grand Prix on Sunday, further solidifying his massive lead over his competitors in a race that ended under the Safety Car, much to the disappointment of the audience.
The highlights of the Italian F1 Grand Prix
Carlos Sainz’s comeback from the back of the grid
Launched from the depths of the grid, in 18th position, after penalties due to an engine part change, the Spanish driver pulled off a comeback worthy of Barcelona against PSG in 2017. Carlos Sainz overtook his competitors with almost disconcerting ease to settle in 4th position, behind George Russell. He even hoped to finish on the podium, but that was without taking into account an exceptionally slow intervention by the Safety Car towards the end of the race. « I was a bit frustrated in the end. Obviously, the podium was very close – in the final laps, I was catching up to George at 1.5 seconds – I was very fast at that moment », declared the Ferrari driver after the race. « Unfortunately, the Safety Car came out after a very good race, a race where I had a lot of pace. » One could almost forget his weekend of misfortune in Zandvoort.”
A fantastic Nyck de Vries, finishing in the points in his first race.
His name is on everyone’s lips after his surprise replacement of Alex Albon, who suffered from appendicitis this weekend. Nyck de Vries shone at Monza, first in qualifying by reaching Q2, and especially in the race on Sunday. He confirmed his natural talent aboard a Williams car that he is not accustomed to and held his ground throughout the Grand Prix, barely losing a position and finishing in the points, in 9th place. Not to mention that he was elected Driver of the Day in Monza.
“>Pilot of the day title, by the way. Everyone is asking for more and now wonders when the Dutch driver will permanently settle in Formula 1, especially in that of a particularly disappointing Nicholas Latifi…”
A Max Verstappen who can’t be stopped
Who will have Max Verstappen’s scalp? The question is no longer even being asked, as he collects his 5th consecutive victory with a disappointing end to the race.
“The reigning world champion is flying higher with each Grand Prix. It’s smooth, it’s clean, it’s almost too easy for the Red Bull driver. Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari is unable to keep up the pace, even though the Safety Car at the end of the race would have probably promised an exciting restart, reminiscent of Abu Dhabi 2021. Unlike the latter, the Italian Grand Prix this time ended under the intervention of the safety car – we’ll come back to that below. Note that, by the way, Max Verstappen claims his first Italian Grand Prix victory.”
Honorable mention nonetheless for George Russell, aka Mister Consistency, who finishes in the top 4 for the 6th consecutive time and achieves his 7th podium of the season. The British driver is quite impressive, to the extent that one would forget that this is only his first season with Mercedes.
The flops of the Italian Grand Prix
The FIA and the never-ending intervention of the Safety Car.
The FIA and interventions of the safety car at the end of a race always promise intense debates the following Monday. Not caused by Nicholas Latifi this time, for a change, but by Daniel Ricciardo due to a technical issue.
“The steward’s intervention to clear the McLaren from the track dragged on, to the point that the commissioners decided to end it there and conclude the race under the Safety Car. A very disappointing ending criticized by many teams, with Ferrari at the forefront, especially since Charles Leclerc could have attempted a breakthrough on Verstappen in the final laps.”
Whether we agree or not with the FIA’s decision, it would be appreciated if the management could arrange its notes and decide once and for all whether or not to finish a Grand Prix under the Safety Car. What’s your opinion?
Both Alpines out of the points
Weekends follow each other and are not alike for the French team. After a strong performance at Zandvoort last week, Alpine struggled at Monza. Neither of the two cars scored any points, a first since spring and only the second time this season. Although Alonso had a good start, climbing five places to reach the top 10, his happiness was short-lived as he was forced to retire on lap 31.
On Esteban Ocon’s side, the start was not bad either, but the Frenchman found himself stuck behind the DRS train in the middle of the pack. His hopes of scoring points vanished with the five final laps due to the intervention of the Safety Car, condemning him to eleventh place.
Nicholas Latifi, thank you and goodbye.
Enough is enough. The words may be harsh, but it is true that the cup is full when it comes to the retention of Nicholas Latifi in Formula 1. Humiliated by a rookie Nyck de Vries, it is time for the Canadian driver to bow out, after several years of drought and continuously awaited results. At Monza, he finished 15th, a lap behind, despite starting in 10th place, thanks to numerous penalties. While Williams’ boss, Jost Capito, couldn’t stop praising Nyck de Vries, he still avoids commenting on the identity of the second driver next year. This is because Nicholas Latifi, son of billionaire and influential businessman Michael Latifi, brings in significant – and invaluable – millions to the British team…
