Super Max. The Flying Dutchman. Mad Max. Well, now its historic Max. No other driver in Formula one history has achieved ten victories in a row. While Carlos Sainz out qualified him, Max Verstappen moved into the lead on lap 15 after the initial chicane never looking back. With eight more races to go, what new heights will Max Verstappen climb?
Ferrari was truly the best of the rest today. Carlos Sainz had himself a grand prix weekend to remember. First, he earns pole by two tenths of a second. He is the seventh driver this year to start on pole and lead a lap. He led fifteen laps before being overtaken by the flying dutchman. Ferrari qualifies well. Unfortunately, Ferrari’s car does not translate to the best on the grid on race day. For some reason, Ferrari use up their tires quicker than the top running Red Bull’s. Verstappen even commented to Carlos that he felt sorry for him when he saw the Ferrari rears slipping. Still, Ferrari was better than the rest of the field by a wide margin. Hopefully they can keep this momentum going.
Monza is always a sporty race. After the first long straight, comes the trickiest chicane on the schedule. It is historic for causing problems for drivers. Two years ago, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen had a massive wreck as they battled thru the tricky corner. This year features several wheel-to-wheel battles coming into the chicane as well as on the exit. Who would break last? Who could hold the line? These were the battles fought by Verstappen and Sainz, Perez and Leclerc, Sainz and Perez, Leclerc and Sainz and several other pairings. Sainz locked up his rear tires three laps in a row thru the chicane at the end of the race, as he fended off his teammate.
Lewis Hamilton had his elbows out today. He bullied his way around the track, frustrated with his Mercedes lack of pace. He earned a five second penalty when he collided with Oscar Piastri causing front wing damage to the McLaren. Despite the penalty, as the final laps wound down, Lewis Hamilton drove from eight to sixth.
McLaren’s resurgence appears to have run into a wall this week. Both drivers struggled during qualification. Piastri earned a five second penalty during the race then fell out of the points when Hamilton wrecked him. Lando Norris struggled mightily thru out the race and worked hard just to achieve eight. Not all was lost. Piastri managed to earn the fastest lap of the race despite falling out of a points finish.
Alpine and Aston Martin were nonfactors this weekend. It surprises me that Lance Stroll appears to be guaranteed a seat next year with such an abysmal performance this year. There appears to be better drivers waiting for their opportunity. Williams is benefiting from stronger leadership. Alex Albon consistently finishes in the points while Logan Sargeant continues to improve every week. The new regulations are accomplishing the goal of parity as the teams rise and fall week to week. Red Bull remains on top though. No one will unseat them this year. On to Singapore!
