No ‘new Italian miracle’ at the temple of speed
The Italian Grand Prix certainly gave coffee producers a boost, in the sense that to survive the total boredom of what happened on track from lap four to the finish, a couple of strong espresso shots were necessary.
Among the yawns, at least one unexpected winner emerged: Max Verstappen. Raise your hand if you had him as the favorite at Monza, or if you imagined that on the Lombard track, the McLarens would end up twenty seconds behind the Red Bull.
We were hoping for a surprise from Ferrari, which has always managed to pull a rabbit out of the hat at Monza. After the first practice sessions on Friday, some even allowed themselves the illusion that Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton could deliver the biggest gift to the Tifosi. Those hopes quickly vanished once it became clear that the extremely low-downforce setup would not make the SF25 suddenly competitive, but instead a car that could only play defensively, with handling issues that forced the two drivers into driving acrobatics. Indeed, it was immediately obvious how Leclerc struggled to defend himself at the start from Oscar Piastri’s attacks, ultimately succumbing.
Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, was less combative and, considering the Zandvoort incident, planned his race for the long haul, executing risk-free overtakes that moved him from tenth to a final sixth place. Not much to write home about. Leclerc also could not do much, having to manage tire temperatures, which tended to overheat under his aggressive driving style, causing a loss of grip.
In short, it was not the Ferrari fans had hoped for. It was the same Ferrari of this year, promising a lot before the race but failing to convert those promises into results, even though this time the pace of Leclerc and Hamilton was better than on other tracks, and Charles Leclerc finished only four seconds behind the McLaren.
Max Verstappen, however, was phenomenal in his charge, and beyond his driving skill, the car was perfect from Friday onwards, allowing him to respond precisely to every attack attempt from Lando Norris.
The Red Bull proved to be the best car on track at Monza, and it seems clear that the two McLaren drivers could have done more if they hadn’t been racing each other, neglecting Verstappen, who has long been out of the title fight.
Piastri and Norris were sensible and fair in exchanging positions after the pit lane confusion that affected Lando, but there remains a question of whether Verstappen had an easier path thanks to the internal rivalry between the two “orange” drivers. If not, we might see Red Bull capable of winning again in two weeks in Azerbaijan, on another fast yet straightforward track like Monza, albeit without the same run-off areas, where Safety Cars could change predictions and rankings.
Meanwhile, behind the scenes among the top teams, drivers are already looking for seats for 2027, there is uncertainty over what Lewis Hamilton will do, discussions about his potential replacements, and a highly active market for top engineers, who are being paid handsomely to switch teams. Monza may have been dull in terms of racing, but what happened in the paddock motorhomes is still unfolding and will accompany us in the coming races and months like a thriller yet to be deciphered—or even written.
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