Monza’s triumph rewards Ferrari, now closer to the top in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships: former driver René Arnoux analyzed the title fight. Do Charles Leclerc and Ferrari have a chance?
Morale is sky-high at Ferrari after the Monza victory: the success in Italy, achieved with an updated SF-24, propels Charles Leclerc and Ferrari to the top positions in the championship standings. In the days following the Italian Grand Prix, former Ferrari driver René Arnoux shared his thoughts in an interview for Italiandaily newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, offering his perspective on the title race.
Red Bull in crisis: Arnoux isn’t surprised, constructors’ championship is open
The 76-year-old from Grenoble commented on the title situation after Ferrari’s win at Monza. The battle at the top is wide open: “For months, I’ve been saying that the ‘sex and money’ issue (referring to Red Bull, editor’s note) would have repercussions. I always believed it could destabilize the team. Even Verstappen is feeling it: an F1 driver is a very strong person, but at the same time, very fragile,” Rene Arnoux explained.
With Red Bull in crisis, Ferrari could take advantage: “A 39-point gap isn’t small, but given how poorly I see Red Bull, it’s not that big either. But McLaren is also in the mix. I think it will be a great battle,” observed the Frenchman.
“Charles, you can be unbeatable, but you need more consistency”
Rene Arnoux’s view on the drivers’ championship is different. He remains cautious: “Charles is 86 points behind Max Verstappen. That’s a lot, I fear too many,” the former driver analyzed before acknowledging Charles Leclerc’s abilities. “When he’s in top form, like in Monaco and Monza, it’s hard to catch him, very hard. But there are 24 races: Charles just needs to be more consistent.” – the former Formula One driver pointed out.
Norris can catch Verstappen, but on one condition
Lando can aim for Max’s lead, but his team needs to change its approach. “Norris is also far from Max (62 points), but that’s already something else. […] But to do so, McLaren needs to play as a team. They need to work for him!”
“Who will win the championships? I can only say that I hope they win, realistically speaking. Since I fear Charles Leclerc is too far behind, for the drivers’ title, I say Norris. Naturally, for the constructors’ championship, I say Ferrari.” – Rene Arnoux concluded, as reported by Gazzetta dello Sport.
Source: f1ingenerale
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