It was not the win that Scuderia Ferrari wanted at their home grand prix in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
Charles Leclerc started from first position on the grid at the Italian Grand Prix, but it didn’t take long for reigning World Champion Max Verstappen to catch-up and take first. The Monegasque ended up being on a different strategy to the Dutchman, which failed to work due to the championship leader’s superior pace.
It was a completely different day for Carlos Sainz Jr, with the Spaniard taking engine penalties meaning he would start eighteenth, but he raced brilliantly to finish fourth. Sainz made rapid progress through the field, and arguably would’ve been right amongst the victory fight had he not been forced into taking an engine penalty.
Ferrari Team Principal and Managing Director, Mattia Binotto, was pleased with the team’s performance despite not being able to clinch the win the team and fans hoped for.
“I believe our performance this weekend was better than that reflected in the final outcome. After a great qualifying in front of all our tifosi, in the race we tried to make the most of every opportunity, opting to be aggressive with both drivers.
“Overall, finishing second and fourth is a good result, although there is naturally a sense of regret at not bringing home the win after starting from pole. However, today, Max (Verstappen) was simply quicker than us.
“Regarding our performance, there is the awareness that we have made progress compared to the last few races. However, it’s not enough, as there is still work to do when it comes to our performance on Sunday and tyre degradation.
“There was a significant moment just before the race, when the President of the Republic visited our garage. Sergio Mattarella represents all Italians and Italy and it was nice to see the mechanics welcome him with a round of applause, as a mark of thanks for all his efforts and dedication towards our country.”
