Ferrari – What if the Zandvoort disaster is a good omen for Monza?
The Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort was anything but memorable for Ferrari. Both cars of the Scuderia left the Netherlands with broken spirits. In a strange twist of fate, both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc retired at the same point: the notorious Turn 3, one of the two banked corners of the Dutch track.
The seven-time world champion lost control at the apex of the corner on the painted asphalt made slippery by light rain, crashing into the barriers and effectively compromising his teammate’s recovery. Leclerc, on the other hand, was taken out after contact with the aggressive Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
The history of Ferrari’s last double retirement before Monza
To find Ferrari’s last double retirement before the Italian GP, we have to go back 27 years, to the historic 1998 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, just over 300 km south of Zandvoort.
The 1998 Spa GP is etched into the memory of F1 fans, particularly Italians, thanks to RAI commentator Gianfranco Mazzoni, who famously said just before the Source incident, in a Blues Brothers style, “tutto regolare fino a questo momento” (“everything normal up to this point”). The phrase has remained in the hearts of Italian fans.
During that GP, the infamous clash on lap 25 between Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard’s McLaren became legendary. Schumacher rear-ended Coulthard at Pouhon, leaving the McLaren without a rear wing, while ending up on three wheels. Both returned to the pits, and Schumacher angrily climbed out to confront Coulthard. Only the McLaren mechanics managed to keep the two apart.
If Hamilton and Leclerc shared the corner where they retired, the Ferrari drivers in Spa ’98 shared the lap. On lap 25, Eddie Irvine, Schumacher’s teammate and involved in the opening-lap chaos, spun in the gravel with the spare car. Thus, both Ferraris retired almost simultaneously.
The triumph at Monza 1998
Two weeks later, the action moved to Monza. The 1998 Italian GP took place at a crucial moment of the season, with Mika Häkkinen leading the Drivers’ Championship and McLaren topping the Constructors’ standings. Ferrari, buoyed by the home crowd, aimed to close the gap, with Schumacher determined to leverage fan support and the potential of his car.
Mika started well from pole, leading David Coulthard and Schumacher. He built a strong pace, seemingly controlling the race with a two-stop strategy to manage tire wear on Monza’s abrasive asphalt. On lap 14, however, Häkkinen made a critical mistake at Variante della Roggia, locking his wheels into the gravel. Schumacher seized the opportunity to take the lead, also passing Coulthard during pit stops. Häkkinen salvaged fourth place, limiting the damage in the championship.
Schumacher dominated the rest of the race, taking advantage of Ferrari’s speed on Monza’s long straights and a flawless strategy. Irvine supported him perfectly, keeping pressure on Coulthard, securing a potential Ferrari one-two. Michael Schumacher won the race easily, claiming his fourth win of the season and his first at Monza with Ferrari, thrilling Italian fans. Eddie Irvine finished second, giving the Scuderia a one-two finish, while Ralf Schumacher completed the podium in a surprise third place for Jordan.
Could history repeat itself for Leclerc and Hamilton?
So far, Ferrari’s 2025 season has been a complete disaster. Nothing seems to be going right. Yet, Monza has often been the stage for unexpected feats for the home team. Remember Leclerc holding off Hamilton, then at Mercedes, in 2019, or last year’s incredible victory when he outsmarted McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris with a brilliant strategy?
Monza is a magical place for Ferrari and for Formula 1, and it may well produce more memorable stories this year. At Maranello, nothing is going smoothly, and when everything goes wrong, we can only hope for destiny’s intervention. Could the story of 1998 repeat itself for Leclerc and Hamilton?
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