Here is the full text transcript of our report from Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza:
Ferrari duo Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc say they will need to work together to have a chance of denying Red Bull’s Max Verstappen a record 10th successive victory in Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix.
Carlos Sainz edged out Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc in a thrilling finale to qualifying on Saturday, with the Tifosi delighting in Ferrari taking first and third at the team’s home race.
Asked about his chances of converting pole to victory, – the Spaniard said: “I don’t know – this is my honest answer is that at the moment my logic and logical mind tells me that Red Bull should be very quick tomorrow and very difficult to beat in the race. But I’ve been optimistic all weekend, I’ve been positive and it’s worked for me so far, so I’m going to keep being optimistic and positive. We’ll need to work as a team and give it our best shot.” – Carlos Sainz added ahead of the race.
On his way to the grid, Liam Lawson’s left mirror has come loose. It hasn’t fallen off and AlphaTauri should be able to fix it. Lawson, who starts from 12th, will continue to be Daniel Ricciardo’s substitute as the Australian recovers from a broken hand after having surgery last Sunday. Ricciardo crashed during second practice at the Dutch Grand Prix last weekend and broke his metacarpal in his left hand due to the sudden movement of the steering wheel when he hit the barrier.
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The Monza circuit is one of the lowest degradation tracks of the year, so a one-stop is expected even though Pirelli have brought the softest tyre compounds to this event. It’s almost certain we will see Max Verstappen make history by becoming the first ever driver to win 10 F1 races in a row, or a Ferrari win on home soil. The huge Ferrari flags are back in the main grandstands and I cannot see an empty seat on the main straight. This is probably Ferrari’s best chance of a win this year and if Charles Leclerc can jump Verstappen at the start, the fans will go crazy. Monza is ready for a mighty Red Bull versus Ferrari battle this afternoon.
The formation lap is under way, and the starting tyres have been revealed. Lewis Hamilton is the only member of the top 10 to go for hards. He is just one of three drivers not starting on mediums, with Valtteri Bottas and Kevin Magnussen also on hards. That’s a terrible start to the afternoon for the other Italian team. Yuki Tsunoda has pulled up on the side of the track with an apparent technical issue. The start has been aborted as a result, and we’ll have another formation lap, which we understand will reduce the actual race length by a lap.
There’s concern that the marshals might need a recovery vehicle out on track to get Tsunoda’s car out the way. That might mean a red flag and a little longer wait for the start. Fingers crossed we can get going as soon as possible. The mechanics of all 20 drivers are running down the pit lane as they prepare to return to the grid to cool get the temperature of those cars back down. After a long pause, the gate to the grid has finally been opened and the mechanics are on the grid. With the mechanics now back on the grid, they’ll be awaiting a five-minute warning from the race director for another start proecdure. With Yuki Tsunoda and his car now cleared, it shouldn’t be too long.
Mercedes communications director Bradley Lord admitted that Lewis Hamilton’s decision to start on hard tyres leaves him vulnerable in the event of an early Safety Car. Lord says that would enable those on mediums to switch to the hard, which could potentially see them to the end of the race. Lewis Hamilton’s hope will be for a later Safety Car, ideally after those on mediums have stopped and while he remains out on track.
Here we go again…Carlos Sainz leads Max Verstappen away on another formation lap, and it’s almost time for the real action to begin in Monza.
Lap 1/51: Carlos Sainz gets away well and covers Verstappen off on the inside down to Turn 1. Charles Leclerc also needs to do some decent defending to hold off the aggressive Mercedes of George Russell behind him. Lando Norris manages to take a place off Lewis Hamilton at the start, most likely down to those hard tyres he is on. Oscar Piastri has also done incredibly well to pass the Williams of Albon early on to go into sixth.
Lap 5/51: Sainz couldn’t manage it, and now Verstappen is right on his rear wing! Ferrari could do with Charles Leclerc putting some pressure on Verstappen from third. Leclerc is also within DRS range. Lewis Hamilton’s hard tyres are just coming to him now and he is within DRS range of Norris. Elsewhere, Nico Hulkenberg has overtaken Fernando Alonso to get into the points.
Lap 6/51: Incredible racing! Max Verstappen tries to send it round the outside at Turn 1 and subsequently up the inside at Turn 2, but Carlos Sainz delivers some defiant defence. Verstappen comes on team radio to say it was “naughty” from Carlos Sainz, but Martin Brundle is satisfied it was good racing all round.
Lap 7/71: George Russell in third and Sergio Perez in fifth are doing very well to cling onto the front runners here and are just over a second behind. Perez is looking to strike on Russell too as he is within DRS range but there is no gap. Carlos Sainz is holding firm, just about! He continues to place his car very sensibly into the opening corner. Is this playing into Charles Leclerc’s hands, who is having a relatively relaxed time of it as he follows them around in P3?
Lap 11/51: That’s masterful stuff from George Russell as he brakes later than Perez to hold onto P4. Which Red Bull, if either, is going to get their move done first here? We’ve had our first stop, from Pierre Gasly, but it wasn’t a good one. Alpine had trouble getting one of his wheels off and he lost almost six seconds as a result. He’s come out at the back of the field on the hard tyre.
Lap 14/51: This is a great battle too! Both George Russell and Sergio Perez run wide at Turn 2, with the Mexican having to give the place back after making the more egregious offense.
Lap 15/51: The pressure gets too much! Carlos Sainz suffers a big lock up into Turn 1, and although he initially holds onto the lead, Verstappen’s better traction out of Turn 2 enables him to get past. Will Ferrari react with a pit-stop for Sainz after that big lock up?
Lap 18/51: Max Verstappen is already three seconds clear of Carlos Sainz. Meanwhile, the Spaniard’s team-mate Charles Leclerc is applying heavy pressure from third. The gap is under half a second, and a pit stop is surely imminent for one of them.
Lap 20/51: With that gap to Verstappen growing at a remarkable rate, Carlos Sainz finally comes into the pits. It’s not the best stop, taking 3.3s, and that may have cost Ferrari, as he comes out behind Valtteri Bottas in P9. George Russell also pitted, and has come out just behind Sainz. Max Verstappen is next in, along with Charles Leclerc. That leaves Sergio Perez in the lead, but he’ll be losing a fair amount of time to the Ferraris and George Russell. Verstappen comes out in P6, while Leclerc very nearly gets in front of Sainz, who beats him to the apex at Turn 2. That would have been a bit close for comfort for the Ferrari pit wall.
Lap 22/51: Sergio Perez comes in and that extra lap on old tyres appears to have cost him. The Ferraris come through just in front of him, but will no doubt soon be coming under heavy pressure. That leaves the McLarens and Lewis Hamilton as the top three. Hamilton, on those hard tyres, will be hoping for a Safety Car…
Lap 24/51: George Russell is a long way ahead of Ocon now but he now has a five second time penalty for this. He currently runs sixth. After the pleasantries they’ve exchanged in the media this week, Max Verstappen gets one over his old rival by easing past Lewis Hamilton to retake the lead. They are of course not in the same race today, with Hamilton extending his stint on hard tyres in the hope of a Safety Car window to stop in. That might be the last company Verstappen has today, with the Dutchman’s lead over Carlos Sainz in third now five seconds.
Lap 31/51: Meanwhile, out front, Max Verstappen is gradually extending his advantage. It’s now beyond six seconds, with the Ferraris paying far more attention to the other Red Bull. Sergio Perez is doing everything he can to get past Charles Leclerc for P3, but the Monegasque produces some immense late braking to hold on. Perez then gets out of shape as he continues to attack a few corners later.
Lap 32/51: This time there’s nothing Leclerc can do, as Perez eases past on the home straight. When Hamilton came out on the medium tyres it looked like he would be flying, but he currently is ninth and a good few seconds away from the McLaren’s ahead of him.
Lap 35/51: We’ve seen second pit stops for a few drivers over the last couple of laps. Liam Lawson, Zhou Gunayu, Pierre Gasly and Kevin Magnussen have all been in again and consequently are now the bottom four. It will be interesting to see whether any of the top 10 are forced to stop again.
Lap 39/51: The battle between Albon and Norris is bringing Lewis Hamilton into contention. The Mercedes is now within a second of Oscar Piastri, who holds P8. This promises to provide plenty of entertainment over the closing stages.
Lap 43/51: While trying to overtake Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez is forced off onto the escape road. “He keeps moving really late and braking,” says Perez. “He did the same to Max, just see him off, we have reported,” says the Red Bull garage.
Lap 46/51: It’s been so brave from Carlos Sainz, but the game is up. After one last brave effort denied Sergio Perez a lap earlier, the Red Bull eases through at Turn 1. That means it’s a Red Bull one-two at the front. Will Charles Leclerc sense a chance to take advantage of his team-mates tired tyres for the final podium spot?
Chaos as Ferraris battle! Lap 47/51: This is madness! Charles Leclerc looks set to ease pass team-mate Carlos Sainz at Turn 1, but he runs too deep into Turn 2 and gives the Spaniard a chance to fight back. The battle continues and there’s another big lock-up from Sainz at Roggia, and they somehow avoid contact as he stays ahead. Leclerc appears to have the much fresher tyres, but there are only three laps to go. The Ferrari garage have been on the team radio to tell Charles Leclerc to play it safe but this doesn’t look safe! They touch and Leclerc locks up- that could have been a disaster for the home team!
Max Verstappen has done it! The Dutchman seals the longest winning streak in Formula 1 history, leading home Sergio Perez in a Red Bull one-two. Carlos Sainz ends the Italian GP in third place, ahead of his Maranello teammate.
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