Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene said that the Maranello side must retain faith in its Formula 1 title bid in the wake of a disappointing Italian Grand Prix. Ferrari arrived at Monza off the back of an emphatic triumph the previous weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, and locked out the front-row of the grid on Saturday.
Kimi Raikkonen led Sebastian Vettel through the first sequence of corners but the latter spun to the back of the field after a close scrap with title rival Lewis Hamilton. The Finn headed Hamilton for much of the race but developed a blister on his left-rear tyre after the pit stop phase and was eventually overhauled by the Mercedes driver.
It meant Mercedes extended its unbeaten run at Monza to five years, while Ferrari and Vettel lost further ground in both championships: “It was definitely not the result we were looking for to give to our fans, who supported us in fine style all weekend, for which I thank them on behalf of the entire team,” said Maurizio Arrivabene – “After the collision at the second chicane, Kimi had to fight two opponents on his own, while Seb, in a badly damaged car, fought his way up the order. We know we have a very strong car, which was clearly demonstrated by the fact we monopolised the front row of the grid. Now, the important thing is to react as a team, in an orderly and determined fashion, without ever giving up. There is still a long way to go in the championship and we are already preparing for the next challenge in Singapore.” – the Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal concluded.
Sebastian Vettel trails Hamilton by 30 points, while Ferrari now faces a 25-point deficit to Mercedes.
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