Leo Turrini feels “it’s time to reflect on the supposed complete disinterest of John Elkann in racing”. Leo Turrini on Ferrari's remarkable achievement.

A historic day. Based on the facts, this was the Sunday that saw Ferrari claim a sensational victory in the Italian Grand Prix. It was a race where the Scuderia had the obligation to achieve the best possible result, and to do so, as tradition dictates, they brought a specially updated SF-24 to the National Autodrome, equipped with a fresh engine to leave nothing on the table. It was a race Ferrari desperately wanted to win, despite unfavorable predictions, underwhelming qualifying, fierce competition, and doubts about tire management, which did not seem promising before the event.

This hunger prevailed over everything, backed by Charles Leclerc’s great determination, as he aggressively overtook Lando Norris at the Roggia. It was also thanks to the strategic masterpiece from the pit wall, which, despite the initial guidance, used tire management to its advantage, finishing the race with only one stop and outwitting McLaren. Despite having superior pace, McLaren couldn’t respond to Ferrari’s “checkmate” and had to settle for the lower steps on the podium, leaving the spotlight to Ferrari’s triumph.

As if that weren’t enough, the day became even more historic and memorable for the Italian marque because, in the WEC race in Austin, Kubica, Yifei Ye, and Robert Shwartzman also took victory in the number 83 Ferrari 499P managed by AF Corse. Unlike the hard-fought win at Monza, this victory was less of a struggle, as the yellow-liveried Ferrari was almost always in control of the race. Special credit goes to Kubica’s performance, as in the first two stints he set an unsustainable pace for the competition, including the two official 499P cars.

This double victory, never before achieved by any car manufacturer on the same day, was discussed by Italian journalist Leo Turrini in his blog “Profondo Rosso.” He noted that September 1st has become an unforgettable date for the Maranello-based team, which is also the only manufacturer in the world to win in a single year the Monaco GP, the Monza GP, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This impressive trend, based on the facts, shows a brand in excellent shape and highly competitive in motorsport. It also raises the question for fans and insiders about John Elkann’s true interest in motorsports.

“1-9-2024. I invite my fellow Ferrari fans to mark this date. I believe this has never happened before: a car manufacturer wins an F1 Grand Prix (and what a GP: Monza!) and a round of the world endurance championship (6 Hours of Austin) on the same day. I’ll also add that this season, Ferrari cars have triumphed at Monza, Monte Carlo, and Le Mans. Perhaps it’s time to reflect on the supposed complete disinterest of John Elkann in racing. Something doesn’t quite add up.”