A masterpiece of a race; that’s the only way to summarize Ferrari’s and, objectively, Charles Leclerc’s performance in the Italian Grand Prix. It was a weekend where, as tradition demands, the Scuderia from Maranello had the obligation and determination to do well and give their best in their home race, in front of their fans. To achieve this, they brought an evolved and specially adapted SF-24 to the Monza circuit, equipped with a fresh power unit to not leave even a tenth of a millisecond on the table. A race where, according to the data, Ferrari showed a determination to win at all costs, even going against unfavorable predictions leading up to the race, a not entirely satisfying qualifying session, and the extremely high level of rival teams like McLaren, along with doubts about the feasibility of the achievement due to tire management, which didn’t seem promising after the practice sessions.
In the end, the desire to win prevailed over everything, accompanied by Charles Leclerc’s great determination—he was aggressive at the start to trouble the McLarens and to overtake Lando Norris at the Roggia chicane—and by a tactical masterpiece from the pit wall, which, by capitalizing on tire management, brought home the race with just one stop. This move surprised McLaren, who, despite having superior race pace, couldn’t do much in the face of such a strategy and had to settle for the lower steps of the podium, leaving the spotlight to Ferrari, which thrilled its home crowd by combining intuition with a Charles Leclerc in a state of grace to complete the feat.
One of the architects of this achievement, team principal Frederic Vasseur, commented on the final result, explaining both the race strategy (planned from the outset) of one stop and praising the work of the team and the drivers.
“Good strategy, it was planned. The tire degradation surprised us at the start, but we suffered less than others and followed the plan. It was risky, but by increasing the gap over fourth place, we would have finished third regardless, just like at the start. The drivers were exceptional in managing the tires; everything went well, just like in Zandvoort, but now we’ve won.” – the French manager explained.
A strategy that, at one point in the race, was questioned but ultimately followed through due to the low risk in case of failure and the reassuring feedback from Charles Leclerc, who was in full control of the Italian Grand Prix.
“At one point, we considered two stops, but in the second stint, there was no degradation, and Charles Leclerc was comfortable in the car. We were safe. When we realized the worst-case scenario was a third-place finish, we decided to take the risk. Everything went well, Charles was perfect. It turned out well; we have to take risks, but it worked out for everyone. The team was exceptional.” – the French manager pointed out after the Monza race.
A strategy that led the Maranello team to take a risk, as mentioned, in the final laps, during which Ferrari’s technicians were focused solely on calculating the gap to the advancing Oscar Piastri: “At the end of the race, they were just calculating the gap to Piastri, and we felt safe. In the last lap, I realized we had won. In the second stint, McLaren pitted too early, and we knew it would be a long haul for them. It was still a risk.”
Finally, Frderic Vasseur admitted that they have plans to celebrate with the Maranello team, to fully grasp the emotions felt and the accomplishment achieved: “Now we’re going to have a drink. You only realize the emotions afterward; it’s not easy on the pit wall. But we’ll understand soon with all the fans.” – the Ferrari team principal concluded.
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