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And speaking of the last manoeuvre on Perez, the Red Bull driver admits:
"It was complicated, but it was the last lap and it's increasingly aggressive. He moved, and he was certainly marginalised, but as we told the stewards it wasn't harmful. He was close and in other circumstances, he would have been a little too aggressive, but since the track was dry there was a way out, I passed on the paved section and his manoeuvre was not too bad".
Looking to the imminent future, Alex Albon will face the Italian Grand Prix with Red Bull Racing:
"I can't wait to be in Monza. I lived in Italy for two years when I ran with go-karts, so I have a lot of friends there. Last week was a bit confused and there was a lot to learn, but now I will take some time to reflect and see what I have to work on with the team. Fifth place was a great result, but there are things I have to work on and improve, so I'll do my homework before this weekend to try to understand the car. Monza will be a continuation of the work done at Spa and I will keep learning as much as possible. I think it's a good thing that Spa and Monza are consecutive races because I'll have the chance to jump to the simulator and have fresh in mind what I learned in Belgium. This way I don't need time to understand the car again. I think we'll focus more on qualifying, which I couldn't do at Spa for the penalty, and it will be a lot of fun. Monza is not the easiest track for us, but now that I have driven the car I will already have a smoother FP1, getting to know the guys on the team better. I hope there is less media attention on Thursday and that it's a little quieter situation for me. As for the track, I don't really like driving there so much".
On Sunday, September 8, 2019, will be held in Monza, in speed time. In this regard, Lewis Hamilton expresses his feelings about the circuit and the Italian country:
"Monza is one of the historic circuits of Formula 1 and it’s really special because there are a lot of fans and the atmosphere, the energy it transmits are also crazy. Then go to this track with corners like the Ascari where you go very fast. After the break, we knew it would be tough both in Belgium and here and that we would have to handle the situation. At Spa, we were faster than we expected, but here it will be even more difficult because there are many more straights. I also asked to remove a piece of aileron to go faster and reach Ferrari's top speeds, but I still hope to be able to find a good compromise for this weekend. For me, Italy is certainly one of my favourite countries thanks to its very long history; recently, for example, I also saw a documentary on the Roman Empire. And then there is very good food, if I lived here I would find it difficult not to gain weight. These days I ate the best pasta and ice cream. Since I was a child I have always been an admirer of Ferrari, its car and the passion of the fans. I watched Formula 1 on TV and then living all these things live here at the Grands Prix is sensational. I also like the Italian language, maybe if I found an Italian girlfriend who could help me. This weekend will be difficult. The weather will go up and down, so it could make it easier or harder. I hope we will have a hard-fought race like the last one, but not where we approach the last lap but face a sort of battle already during the grand Prix. Sometimes we arrive on weekends and the team expects that we will be ahead, but then we end up behind. At other weekends we expect that we will be behind and then we are in front. So I won't know until we get out of the pits and start to see the time coming".
Asked if he might be tempted to drive for Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton answers:
"I don’t know if it’s being tempted. I think it's part of the game plan. I was just asked how I would feel if I ended my career without having raced for Ferrari: honestly, when you are part of Mercedes, you are part of a family all your life, provided that you stay with them of course. If you look at Stirling Moss or Fangio, they are still honoured within the family. You're part of their story and they take care of you for the rest of your life. This is important to me Loyalty is a very, very important part of me. But if there was a point in my street where there is something I want to change, then it could potentially be an option. I don't know if it's at the moment".
And finally, the British driver talks about his current seasonal performance:
"I think I’m living the best season of my career. I've never had such a constant performance during the year. Maybe there were a couple of races in which I didn't go too well, but in general, I was very constant. Considering also that the car didn't seem the strongest at times, in truth, it has improved a lot and the team is very happy, but it becomes increasingly difficult as you go towards the final part of the championship. In general, as far as I'm concerned, I don't notice how many points I have during the season. The only thing I look at is the position I am in when I see the maxi-screens and I arrive at the circuit, I have to be the first. I take one race at a time, I always know that there will be some stronger drivers and I don't know how the rest of the world championship will go. I always try to fight hoping that then comes the final victory. At the moment it seems very far away. There are eight races left at the end, there are many looking at how difficult the championship has been so far. There are many kilometres still to travel and many countries to reach, Singapore, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, the United States, and Abu Dhabi. Keeping your energies at a certain level and better managing your physique and time is not easy".
Continuing the speech related to the current season, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff comments on the performance of the Anglo-German cars at the Belgian Grand Prix:
"From a performance point of view, our weekend at Spa gave us a lot to work on. We were beaten in qualifying and, although our pace seemed promising, we couldn't win. However, considering our performance in Belgium last year, it seems that we have taken a step forward. This year we don't have the fastest car on the straights, but we've made some progress in low-speed corners and the way our car handles the tyres. So there are also positive aspects to take away from Spa. We don't expect the Italian GP to be a simple weekend. Monza is the F1 power circuit, which rewards high power and low drag. Although this season we had the fastest package on the grid, this is not ideal for a track where speed on the straight is a key factor in differentiating performance. However, we also saw that Ferraris look strong on high-speed tracks on Saturdays, but they don't look as strong on Sundays and that's where you get the points. We won't be the favourites in Italy, but we'll do everything we can to fight with the red team this weekend. Monza is a very special event thanks to the historic track and the fantastic atmosphere; you don't have to be a fan of Ferrari to appreciate the great passion of the fans. They might cheer for a different team, but in the end, they feel the same love for racing that drives us all. We can't wait to live an interesting weekend in Italy, to mark the end of this year's European season".
Mattia Binotto, team principal of Scuderia Ferrari, turns a thought to the many supporters who were able to celebrate the first success of 2019 last Sunday in Belgium:
"Presenting for our home Grand Prix after the victory of Spa-Francorchamps is undoubtedly the best way to get to Monza, especially to thank the fans who have supported us so much this season, so far not the easiest. We are facing a circuit with very high averages characterised by long straights and violent braking, on which a low downforce package is used. This weekend we plan to introduce our third power unit. We saw in Belgium that to win we have to be perfect on every front and our commitment is to do the same in Monza. There will be no space for mistakes. The home GP is always an important event but it is even more so this year since we celebrate 90 years of Scuderia Ferrari. Running in front of our fans always gives us an extra boost and further motivation to do well. After all, there is no more beautiful podium than Monza just as there is no better audience than the Italian one".
Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel will try to repeat what he did in Belgium. The winner of the Belgian Grand Prix, on the eve of the Italian one, expresses his feelings regarding the first career victory:
"It was a very difficult weekend, for different reasons. Clearly of what happened on Saturday, I also knew that with the performance we had we would struggle in the race. Mercedes were very strong in the long run. A complicated weekend, but in the end, we managed to put everything together. I have no idea why he didn't speak during the race. The engineers thought there was a breakdown, but I just had nothing to say, I just focussed on working behind the wheel. There was a lot of teamwork, on my part and especially from Sebastian, who did a fantastic job keeping Lewis behind for a couple of laps, and this was very helpful to me in the last phase of the race. I'm very happy to have achieved this victory. It's always difficult to take the first step, but once you succeed you take a lot of weight off your shoulders, and I'm very proud of that. But now there is not much time to think about it, because we are already here. Only four days have passed but we are already in Italy, and we must focus on the work to be done. It was a moment I dreamed of as a child. Now I had some time to realise, but not even that much, because the focus is on Monza. It means a lot to me, the first success in Formula 1 is always a long-awaited moment, especially if you drive for a team like Ferrari. It’s a release and it's good for the team too. It's the first and a half because we all know that in Canada, Sebastian deserved the victory. I realised even more what it has meant since I was a Ferrari driver. Seeing how much Ferrari represents in Italy for people, almost seems like a religion. In Italy, someone who doesn't cheer Ferrari is almost not normal. It's a great honour for me to represent this brand. I didn't do much to celebrate this victory, I hope I can do it after this race. As I said, there was no time to celebrate that much. I didn’t buy anything It's something that if you don't reach it you feel very far away, but when you reach it gives you a kind of injection of confidence. It's great that he finally made it and now I can focus on the future, with the hope that many more victories will come".
Addressing a thought to those who helped him achieve these goals:
"For me, the family was very important, my father made me start karting at three and a half years old, everything started from there after there were other important people. Jules (Bianchi) helped me a lot at a critical time in my career, when I didn't know what to do. He introduced me to Nicolas (Todt), who also played a very important role in my career, giving me many opportunities. And then the Ferrari Driver Academy, from GP3, definitely helped me".
And what about the future:
"I always hope in Formula 1, of course, dressed in red as a champion. That would be perfect. You always aim high, and it's the right approach. If you don't aim as high as possible, you'll never achieve your goals. And that’s what I do".
Speaking of the relationship with his teammate, the Monegasque driver admits:
"It's very good, I think we reached the right compromise between competition and collaboration to try to improve the car and work for the team. I think this was extremely important. Every time we get in the car I want to beat him and he wants to beat me. But when we are out of the car, we can share information, and talk together, try our best to help the team progress and bring the machine to the level it should have. It's very methodical, it pushes in every detail. And it's something I didn't realise before I got to Formula 1. In Formula 2 you happen to think: There is a bit of understeer, let's solve it for the next session, then go play at the Play Station. Now, in Formula 1, it's a little different, and surely Seb pushed me a lot on this aspect. I like the car to move, maybe a lot, too much. And that probably disadvantaged me on some tracks. I think that's the main difference between us. Especially when you arrive at a team like Ferrari, but it also applies to Alfa Romeo. You work with so many people, so there must be a minimum of maturity because you have to be credible in front of so many people".
Finally, in anticipation of the Italian Grand Prix, which will be held in Monza, Charles Leclerc admits that Ferrari could have some advantages, but:
"Surely our top speed is very good, so in qualifying, we can be very strong, and the wake does a lot too. We also have to manage everything well to do pole here. Mercedes was very strong even at Spa, so it won't be easy. I think we'll have the speed, but management will be very important".
Sebastian Vettel will also try to win the challenge with the Mercedes at Monza:
"I can't make predictions, but the track is similar to Spa. Or rather, it's different but it's similar in terms of car equipment. We hope we can be as competitive as we were there. On a relative level, it's hard to say. We saw the trend, as in qualifying we seem to have a certain advantage on this type of track, while in the race the values are very close. They were very fast last weekend, so I expect the main challenge for us to manage the tyres, find the right set-up and balance to be comfortable in the car and then get the most out of it. I can't make predictions but I think the battle will be very tight. We think we can have our say, and we hope so. Mercedes was in a position to win every race, for us it wasn't the same thing. But let's hope to be very fast this weekend. We got on the podium sometimes, but never on the highest one. This is a very important weekend, the biggest for Ferrari. We saw yesterday the passion that exists and we will see it all weekend. I'm sure it will give us a good boost. How difficult it is to predict, but certainly this is the right race to give something more. We have a good opportunity and we think we are ready".
Is the Italian Grand Prix the last chance to win this year?
"I don’t want to see it like that. We still have a lot of races ahead, but I don't want to look at between ten races, but this weekend. We are not the clear favourites, some signs can put us in a good position, but we must be cautiously optimistic and realistic. There are many elements: the dry ride is one thing, but there are many laps on Sundays. There's the weather... so many other factors. I see it as an opportunity; We want to start in front because that's the best opportunity. This kind of game is expected here. However, there is little that can be done to prepare, because then it depends on the timing of the session. The lap is quite short and there may be more flexibility, but we'll see on Saturday. I don't know if it will be dry or wet. If it rains, of course, it's useless. Last year it certainly made a difference, but you have to be in the right position. It also depends on the tyres. You have to see if it's more important to put the tyres in the right window or try to catch the slipstream".
Sebastian Vettel already won his first career Grand Prix at Monza in 2008, with Scuderia Toro Rosso:
"It was special. With an Italian team, powered by Ferrari. It was a magical day, I thought: winning is like that here. I was wrong: at the next victory in Monza, with a non-Ferrari car, I was booed. Ferrari is unique. When I was a child, Michael was always on television with a red car. Getting here was a dream, and I think it's hard to find words to describe Ferrari. It's a spirit, a state of mind".
Regarding Charles Leclerc's extraordinary performance, the German driver admits:
"I think it was positive that he surprised so many people outside the team, but inside Ferrari, we know him because he was part of the Ferrari Academy for a long time and it was clear that he had so much potential".
So he adds:
"He had a very positive season with Alfa at his debut in F1 and it's nice to see that he immediately found the pace of the best. From the team's point of view, it is important that we work together and not against each other. So far things work well from this point of view and this is important because otherwise, we would have wasted precious energy. This is a key factor and it's very positive. Last weekend was very important to him, although it was ruined by the circumstances, by Hubert's disappearance, so it wasn't a nice weekend. But it was his first victory, I'm sure he will be in F1 for a long time and that there will still be a lot of victories for him".
And speaking - and jokingly - about the differences between the relationship with Leclerc and Raikkonen, Seb says:
"More words. No, jokes aside, as Charles said, let's work together to push the team. The car is not yet at the level we would like. I said before that we didn't have the car to win all the races and that's our goal. It plays both of us if we push in the same direction because I believe that one day we will have that car that allows us to fight for victory everywhere. It's very important to work together. It's not fair to me when there are problems outside the car. Also for the team, it is important to develop the car. In the car surely Charles is very strong, he was stronger than me at Spa. And so I don't like it. I hope there is fun here, but this is our job. He's very fast, and he has a different driving style, so there's always something to learn".
Speaking of the F2 accident at Spa, Sebastian Vettel says:
"What happened in Belgium couldn’t get worse. It will be examined in great detail, I think it's correct, that's what we all expect. Giving conclusions now would not be fair. We must have a complete picture, there are many elements to consider. I'm a fan of races at Spa with a great track and an extraordinary story. Some of those curves are unique, but surely after what happened, we have to examine them carefully and take the time to understand exactly what happened before concluding. Stewart's comments on too many freedoms at the start? He competed in the chaining of negative situations that led to the accident. When the drivers died, I don't say regularly but much more frequently than what happens now. You certainly can't compare his era to ours. He competed at that time and knows what it felt like and can judge whether it's different now or not. We can't judge him the same way. As far as I understood, it was a kind of concatenation of negative situations that led to the accident. Every Saturday and Sunday we had moments when even driving, we reflected on what happened. In some ways, however, it's part of motorsport, which is dangerous. It's part of the thrill of this sport. The last few years have been an alarm clock, with the cases of Jules and now Anthoine. This shows that there are some things still to do better. Even if someone may think that now it's even boring. I prefer to have boring F1 championships if you could bring back the drivers who passed away, this is certainly not in doubt".
Turning the page and evaluating what will be the new cars present in the new formula that will start from 2021, the German driver admits that he does not have a precise idea of how they can be:
"I don’t know how faithful those images will be. There are no clear rules yet, so it's quite useless to approach the photos. Maybe that's more like someone would like it to be the car. There is a great opportunity to improve things and we as drivers have illustrated our main points. The debate was very nice and it is a show of respect that for the first time decision-makers asked for our opinion. We pushed to make things simple and have close battles in the race. Whatever the look of the car will be secondary: if the races are beautiful, everyone will like cars. Does it Influence my decision to stay in F1?"
He responds:
"Yes, of course. I don't know how long the new rules will last, but my contract expires next year. Everything that happens next will be based on the new regulation, so I'll have to look at it. Beyond what concerns me, there will be an opportunity to find yourself in a better situation for the future. But it's not that everything is horrible now. Every change, however, is always an opportunity to do better or worse and we hope to do better".
Sebastian Vettel is finally invited to identify the key figures that made his arrival in Formula 1 possible:
"Now the most important person is Mattia because he is the boss and so he decides how the car goes. In general, the family. It's impossible to start without the support of family members. Then, as far as I'm concerned, certainly a lot of help from Red Bull, Dr Marko. I was very lucky because I never needed a manager. I’ve always been free".
There are two areas where the Drag Reduction System is allowed: the first on the straight of the pits, with a point of the determination of the detachment between drivers established before Turn 11 (Curva Parabolica); the second on the straight before the Variante Ascari, with detection point placed before Turn 7 (second Lesmo Curve). In addition, the former Formula 1 driver, the British Derek Warwick, is appointed deputy commissioner for the race. He has already performed this function in the past, the last at the German Grand Prix. As mentioned, Red Bull Racing decides to mount the new specification of Honda's power unit on Max Verstappen's car. This involves a heavy penalty on the starting grid. Pierre Gasly, on Toro Rosso, also driven by a power unit of the Japanese company, also fell to the same fate. McLaren decides to mount the third evolution of Renault's power unit on Lando Norris' car. English is so penalised on the starting grid. After the Belgian Grand Prix, Woking's team manages to save the engine of Carlos Sainz Jr., who will receives no penalty. Winning at Monza is always an emotion, whether you drive a Mercedes or a Ferrari, the result is always the same. The circuit is filled with fans and is coloured red every time a Grand Prix is played: a show even for the most bitter enemies. This is the fastest Grand Prix of the whole season, comprising fifty-three laps that require a lot of top speed and good traction. The weekend starts in the best way for Ferrari, as Charles Leclerc confirms himself at the top of both free practice sessions on Friday.
The real protagonist, however, is the weather, given that a light rain leaves the circuit wet and particularly slippery, and causes three neutralisations during FP1: Kimi Raikkonen, who clashes with the parabolic barriers, Sergio Perez, who crashes at the exit of the Ascari variant, and Pierre Gasly, who is the victim of a tailhead in the centre of the first variant. Despite this, Charles Leclerc closes the first session at the top of the standings with a time of 1'27"905. The drivers lap on dry tyres only when there are seven seconds left before the end of the session, and Ferrari opts for the use of Medium tyres, while the other teams prefer the use of the Soft tyre. The Monegasque precedes Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris' two McLarens in the first place, Lewis Hamilton, a victim of a tailhead during his attempt with dry tyres, Alex Albon, Daniil Kvyat, Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel in the eighth position. In the second free practice session, the Monegasque driver gets even better by lowering his time and bringing him to 1'20"978, just 0.068 seconds faster than Hamilton. This time Sebastian Vettel manages to be already competitive and finishes the tests in third place, but still 0.2 seconds behind his teammate. Valtteri Bottas follows fourth place, who precedes Max Verstappen and Alex Albon. The Thai driver is once again the author of excellent performance. A great Friday for the Maranello team, but not entirely positive. Mercedes proved more competitive than expected on a track that should enhance Ferrari's characteristics. In this regard, Charles Leclerc comments:
"It's a good feeling to be the fastest after Friday, but I'm not sure the situation will remain that way. Mercedes are quite fast, they did their lap well in difficult conditions after it had started raining again, so on equal terms, things could go differently. There's still a lot of work to be done".
Vettel is a little less satisfied and has not yet found the right balance with the car.
"In general it went quite well, but we have time to improve even more. My tour was not perfect because there was a lot of traffic, and everyone threw themselves out for fear of rain as soon as the green light took place. The qualification? We'll have to think about preparing the tyres on the throwing lap and look for some wakes. The enthusiasm of the fans? The key is to make sure they are at the end of the race as well. I don't know how it will go, I can't make predictions. I have balls, but none of the crystal".
Given the results, Scuderia Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto is once again forced to explain the situation within the team, with particular regard to the hierarchy between the two starting drivers.
"There is no clear or clear order between Vettel and Leclerc. We just have to provide them with the best care possible. Having two top drivers is a nice problem to manage and we hoped it at the beginning of the year, a nice climate was created and the awareness that the team comes first. Belgium has shown that when we need to help each other, Seb's gesture is as World Champion but it is neither obvious nor trivial, he did it with pleasure. The goal is to maximise the points of the team, aware that everyone runs for themselves. Sometimes your teammate can take points away from opponents. I don't hide that talking about it with the drivers was embarrassing in the first races. We weren’t used to I, today is a shared fact. At Spa, it was a team victory. Sooner or later Charles could pass Sebastian. Sebastian made a big comeback in Germany and even in Hungary, he managed to do better than Charles. There is no hierarchy Charles was often faster in qualifying on the dry lap, but in the race, Seb is very strong. When he left Red Bull Vettel no longer felt part of the project; today he is part of our family. His contribution to the growth of the team and the machine is important. Next year with Seb we will sit at the table to understand his intentions and compare them with ours. We have the certainty of having a talented young man already under a long-term contract. Hamilton? I'm glad he appreciated Ferrari like so many drivers. If Vettel leaves, we will make the best decision. Verstappen? I grew up in Michael's era, at his side were Barrichello, and Massa... I think that you have to have a great first guide and another driver able to win races and score points. Hamilton and Bottas’s type. Having two drivers so strong creates management difficulties".
And returning to talk about the results obtained at Spa, Binotto admits:
"Spa? It was our demerit not to have won before. There were opportunities, if we had exploited them, the budget would be more balanced. After the summer we told ourselves that it would be difficult to get to the title, but that we should try to win more races and finish second among the manufacturers. Spa and Monza are fundamental in this regard. And here, as in Belgium, there are the wishes for a great weekend, we will be perfect".
Ferrari team principal gets his hands in front after seeing the cancellation of the margin on Mercedes, rather worrying.
"We didn’t promise a one-two but there are wishes to do well. In Belgium, we won with only a second ahead of Hamilton, which means that there is no margin. You need a perfect weekend to win and it's far from obvious. We don't want to make proclamations, but to win as many races as possible from here to the end of the season".
Meanwhile, however, Lewis Hamilton is surprised by Mercedes' reduced gap from Ferrari:
"The small gap from Ferrari is surprising and honestly I didn't know what to expect from this weekend. There is not a big difference from the last weekend, we expected them to be fast on the straight, and they are, but there are enough corners where we can recover. They're not so fast in the corners and that balances things a bit. In addition, we do better on the race pace. I still think it will be a rather difficult race, but we are on a similar level and this is positive. We won't prepare a specific set-up for the rain, but we will try to prepare the car to be as fast as possible on the single lap and see what happens in case of rain. Now we just have to analyse the data to find the best combination, try and see where you can improve and where I can improve as a driver".
Valtteri Bottas is also convinced that the team can have a great opportunity, given the relatively small gaps:
"I think we have an opportunity, but we’ll have to do everything perfectly. The weather affected the tests, sometimes it rained in some corners and this prevented us from obtaining detailed data on the efficiency of tires and cars. The car didn't go so bad, I didn't have the wake in my fast lap. The long runs have been quite positive".
On a day characterised by intermittent rain, Max Verstappen does a similar job to the other weekends of the season, even though Sunday in the race he will have to start from the bottom of the grid due to the decision to mount the Spec 4 of the Honda power unit.
"In the wet, I would certainly have more opportunities to come back from the bottom of the grid, but even in the dry, we proved to be very competitive if we evaluate the pace we kept today. During the two sessions, we worked as always, carrying out a normal program. The weather complicated things a bit, but the car gave me good feelings. There is not much to complain about, clearly, we have to make progress in terms of balance, but on an unfavourable track on paper, I think I have a good chance on Sunday. The new engine is certainly better, difficult to quantify how much, but it has more power".
For Alex Albon, the first two practice sessions were complex. However, the Thai driver feels confident:
"It was a bit of a complicated session, but the feeling with the car is good, even if the low downforce is never nice for driving. We'll make changes for tomorrow, but it didn't go wrong. We'll see tomorrow, especially what Ferraris will do in qualifying. But we're there, we can undermine their competitiveness".
During the afternoon, Lewis Hamilton met the press and the media, with whom he talks and expresses several curiosities. To the question about the new era that is coming to life soon in Formula 1, and what stimuli Hamilton can have the British driver answers:
"I already know that I want to continue. At least at the moment, I think so, I love what I do. Two years ago I had some doubts about how I would feel, but I have more and more fun every day. I like to navigate this beautiful thing called life and position my life differently, focussing on new things I like to do. I'm very excited about what's coming in 2021. Motivation has never been in question and I look forward to seeing how this sport will change. If they will do a good job or a bad job and how can I be part of this change for future generations".
Lewis Hamilton is one of the best drivers in tyre wear management. Is it a matter of sensations, or are there other aspects?
"It’s pure sensitivity. There's nothing you can achieve by looking at the tyres. It has to do with sensitivity and the type of track. Then there are other parameters to consider. For example, asphalt has different levels of abrasiveness, more or less intense, and also the corners can be more or less aggressive on the tires. Other parameters are the level of use, the breaking point and the braking balance, the level of engine power utilisation, and what type of gear you are using...there are many things to combine. But in the end, it's a matter of sensitivity".
And is it something you can learn or can you just improve?
"Certainly it’s something you can learn, it’s not something you get to suddenly. It takes time, just as on the qualifying lap you learn that the pace in the launch lap must be different from one track to another. Even how much you can push before the rubber starts to give way. Aerodynamic balancing is also important. If you remove the front wing depending on the race and you find yourself with an understeering car, in the end, the rear tires also begin to give in. Then drain the rear looking for a neutral trim but then find yourself with oversteer. There are so many aspects to look out for".
How difficult was it to live a race weekend in which there had just been a fatal accident in Formula 2? It is always thought that these accidents can no longer happen.
"Instead they can happen and that’s why I posted that message on Instagram. In Japan, we had that tragic accident (in Jules Bianchi, ed) but when I was eleven years old and I was racing on karts, one of my peers died in an accident on the track. So I had already had this sad experience early. For a driver, it's something that hits you very hard, in the depths of your soul. That evening I couldn't sleep, I couldn't believe what had happened that day. Then I also think we lost Charlie Whiting and Niki Lauda this year and the world went on anyway and this makes me think that sometimes life is very sad. Of course, these accidents no longer happen very often. They were once very frequent and the public saw pilots as superheroes dodging death. But even if we live in a very safe age, the danger is always there. The possibility is always there. In life, it's human to take a lot of things for granted, and it's our way of being. I arrive in the morning and start talking to my engineers entering the work cycle of the weekend. It's normal. And if I had an accident in which I were to hurt it would be a shock to many. But I'm aware when I get in the car that my days are not endless".
Should GPDA be more active on safety in Formula 1?
"Only last year has the GPDA begun to be more united. Previously it was just a disunited group of people, there weren't all the pilots and we didn't work together. Now we discuss common issues and work in groups. But only now (and he claps his hand on the table to reinforce the message ed) have we started to have representation in FIA meetings. I think they had already invited us in the past but we weren't interested in participating. Now I was at the last FIA meeting in Paris where we were heard for the first time. So I'm sure we can now work alongside the federation, and there are many things to work on. In addition, for example, after the driver's briefing on the track, we often meet other people for safety issues such as helmets. And we are taken into account. We must then look at other areas of motorsport where safety can be improved. Like Formula 2 cars, for example, they're probably not safe enough, they have to be more resistant".
Hamilton, where do you find the motivation to still run with such intensity after achieving so many successes?
"Since perfection is never achieved, and the continuous search for perfection is what I like about Formula 1, there are always possibilities to improve things. It's certainly not easy to keep raising the bar. It's easier to chase the summit than to try to stay there but that's what we have to do. And I'm a super competitive person, I'm like that. I don't know if you do any sports, but I'll give you an example. I play tennis with my father and I always beat him but he's getting better all the time. So I have to improve my technique, and my service (while he says it mimics gestures with the racket ed). And today in Formula 1 all these kids arrive who are very awake, just like I was at their age. But I have to try to maintain youthful freshness, combining my experience to maintain my leadership over them. I love this challenge".
Does Lewis Hamilton expect a difficult race at Monza?
"We know that here with all these straights Ferrari will be very competitive, but often when we get to the race I can make the tyres last a little longer than expected. And if our pace was close to theirs we could have a good race and qualify well. If it rained, it would be much better for us to be able to get into the fight".
How should the British driver adapt when he runs alongside other drivers who have nothing to lose and are fighting for victory in a single race?
"For me, the goal is to score as many points as possible for the team. When you're a little further behind you try to take a few more risks to gain a position, but when you're at the top of the championship instead you think longer-term. But even when you're young in general you're more aggressive. Today my perception is different and when I'm in the car I think about how much space I have to leave for another driver and the fact that behind me there are two thousand people who worked to give me that car and they count on me knowing how to make the right decision. Without being selfish, therefore, without trying to gain an extra position, which is not bad in itself, but can cost the team the constructors' championship. As I got older I became a team player and I better understood that I can't win all the races. When I was a kid I thought: No! I want to win them all! But then you understand that the championship is a marathon and not a sprint race. And that's a philosophy you don't have when you're in your twenties".
Hamilton is now fully integrated into the Mercedes team. Can you ever imagine going elsewhere?
"Yes, I can imagine it but I know how long it takes to build what I have now with this team. When I arrived at Mercedes I found a team with a very open mind and growing. Only from the second year did we start working to achieve who we are today. I know that in another team all this would have to be rebuilt. I definitely wouldn't find the way of working that I have here that allows me to achieve today's results. These are really small things that make a difference. At first, for example, in the garage, I didn't have a helmet ready next to the car and I was always in the middle of the mechanics' feet with a helmet in hand. Small things like I said, but that makes a difference in the way you prepare to get into the car. My table in the office and close to that of the engineers. They are often stubborn and fixed with their data. They tell you "This is the data and we have been doing things like this every year for twenty years. So you do as I tell you. But sometimes you have to shake them up and say, No! This time we have to try a different path. It takes a lot of time to break these mechanisms. If I went to another team they would tell me "Who the hell is this here that tells me how I should do my job? But you have to build a relationship of trust to be able to work together".
Lewis Hamilton considers his career complete even without ever having raced for Ferrari? Lewis thinks about the answer, takes time, and then answers:
"I think so. You have to think that when you are part of Mercedes you are part of a family all your life. So 100% I could finish my career today and be happy. And I would drive a Ferrari on the street (laughs. Evidently, he's not convinced because he reflects on the answer and asks himself the question, ed). Would I be angry if I had never driven for Ferrari? I don't think we should dwell too much on situations that we don't know. Of course, I see Ferraris on track and I love their colour. The passion of the Ferrari team under the podium when there is one of their drivers is different. But I don't know if this is written in my future. Time will tell".
Ferrari's good time continues even during FP3 which takes place on the morning of Saturday, September 7, 2019. The first position is obtained by Sebastian Vettel, who recorded a time of 1'20"294, ahead of Verstappen and Bottas. The tests begin with a delay of ten minutes following Alex Peroni's accident in F3. The driver's car flew into the air landing on the iron railings, for this reason, the race direction decided to remove the Bollard to the Parabolica. During the tests, several Mercedes engines encounter technical problems. In this regard, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says:
"We started analysing the data to understand what happened, but we only had five days to do it. We have an idea of what might have gone wrong, but we haven't completed a thorough analysis. Question marks remain".
After what we saw during practice, I can think that Scuderia Ferrari can grant another victory to the Italian public, at Monza. However, Ferrari's team principal, Mattia Binotto, tries to appease the spirits:
"Our advantage is superior in qualifying and lower in the race. At Spa we won by only a second of margin, so to repeat this result we will have to be perfect. There is always a bit of apprehension, especially since reliability has been a weak point for us this year".
Nevertheless, after the tests, the souls of the crowd begin to light up during qualifying in an atmosphere full of Italians starting from the tributes on the helmets, suits and liveries. Among these, we also find a nice Lando Norris, who in honour of his childhood idol, pays homage to the Motorcycle World Champion Valentino Rossi with a replica of his sun and moon both on the helmet and on the boots, as well as to turn around the paddock with a funny fisherman's hat signed The Doctor. Given qualifying, Race Director Michael Masi makes a change after the events of the F3 Grand Prix. To avoid massive slowdowns in search of a wake introduces a minimum speed to maintain during the launch lap. The qualifying session starts at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 7, 2019, and unlike Friday, there is no rain. Monza is a circuit where the wake is fundamental to ensure a fast lap, and as expected many drivers go out in pairs between teammates, just to make the most of this effect. Ferraris start from Q1 with Medium tyres, while Mercedes tries to qualify for Q2 with Soft compounds. Leclerc immediately leads with a time of 1'20"126 and reconfirms his excellent pace. Only fifteen minutes after the start of the session, the first red flag is displayed. This is because Sergio Perez stops on track in Turn 3, thus being eliminated from Q1 and finishing qualifying behind his teammate for the first time. Sebastian Vettel paid the price: the German driver was improving thanks to the wake granted by Leclerc, but the Ferrari driver was forced to return to the pits. Perez is not the only one with problems on the track: when he resumes the test session, Max Verstappen also starts to proceed slowly due to a probable engine problem. Q1 then ends with the elimination of Grosjean, Perez, Russell, Kubica and Verstappen, who would have already started last for the replacement of the power unit. Mercedes and Ferrari take to the track for Q2, with Valtteri Bottas giving Lewis Hamilton the trail, and Sebastian Vettel does the same for Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque marks the fastest time, 1'19"553, and once again leads the time standings, followed by Hamilton, Vettel, Ricciardo, Bottas and Albon. Stroll, Norris, Giovinazzi, Gasly and Raikkonen are at risk of elimination, the last following an off-piste in the second sector. At two and a half minutes to the end, the drivers are still all stuck in the pits. Nobody wants to take to the track first and offer the wake to the opponents.
Then, however, Alexander Albon takes to the track first, followed by the two Ferrari drivers who take to the track in pairs, with Leclerc preceding Vettel. As for the Mercedes team, it is once again Valtteri Bottas who gives the slipstream to Lewis Hamilton. The German driver is the fastest in the first sector with the help of his teammate, but despite this, both Ferraris do not finish the last lap and Hamilton takes advantage of this by overtaking Leclerc by just 0.089 seconds. Q2 ends with Giovinazzi, Magnussen, Kvyat, Norris and Gasly excluded from the final session. Therefore, Hamilton, Leclerc, Vettel, Ricciardo, Bottas, Albon, Sainz, Hulkenber, Stroll and Raikkonen are competing for pole position. The first driver to hit the track for Q3 is Sebastian Vettel, ahead of Charles Leclerc. Meanwhile, this time it is Lewis Hamilton who provides the slipstream for Valtteri Bottas. The slipstream game begins: as already seen during F3 practice, the drivers battle it out for the best positions. In fact, Sebastian Vettel goes long at the first corner taking the runaway. Now behind the Ferrari driver are the two Renault drivers, then Leclerc and Raikkonen. Sainz gets in the way of the two Mercedes drivers, while Vettel finds himself leading the pack, so without a slipstream, and sets a time of 1'19"457. Meanwhile, his teammate takes provisional pole thanks to a 0.039-second lead over Hamilton and 0.150 seconds over Vettel. Shortly afterwards qualifying was interrupted a second time, when Kimi Raikkonen crashed into the wall at the exit of the Parabolica. Valtteri Bottas and Alex Albon find their times frozen by the session's neutralisation through the display of the red flag, while Sebastian Vettel risks having his time cancelled, as he may have crossed the white line delimiting the track's trajectory with all four wheels.
While waiting for qualifying to resume, Bottas is awarded the time: contrary to first impressions, the Finnish driver crossed the line before the red flag came out. Bottas was third 0.047 seconds off the lead, while Vettel was fourth 0.1 seconds behind, and the top two - Leclerc and Hamilton - were just 0.039 seconds apart. With five minutes to go, following the green flag, nobody wants to come out of the pits. The time is getting tighter and tighter and the risk of not being able to cross the finish line in time for a final attempt is growing. Only with two minutes to go does Hulkenberg pluck up courage and exit the pit lane, while all the others queue up. But the German driver proceeds very slowly and like him many other drivers. It is one of the most bizarre situations ever seen in Formula One qualifying. Nico Hulkenberg cuts the first corner very slowly. An even slower Stroll tries to stay behind him. No one wants to favour the others with the contrails. In Ferrari, the plan was to have Leclerc in front of Vettel so that the latter could take advantage of the wake, but Sainz gets in the middle of the two with his McLaren. The positions between the two Ferrari drivers reverse and no one goes to the lead in the pile, and everyone is waiting for someone else. Vettel, impatient and without a good time, signals to pass to his opponents, so the Spaniard passes it and with him also passes Leclerc, but surprisingly all the drivers except the latter two take the checkered flag and therefore do not make one last attempt. An embarrassing outcome for everyone, too caught in the search for the wake and avoiding giving it to some opponent. Qualifying ends with Charles Leclerc's fourth pole, as well as second in a row. Lewis Hamilton will start in the front row alongside the Monegasque driver, followed by Valtteri Bottas, Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, Nico Hulkenberg, Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, Lance Stroll and Kimi Raikkonen. After qualifying, Lewis Hamilton declares:
"I'm honoured to be in the front row and to be able to fight with Ferraris, it's good to have stood in the middle of each other. It was disappointing in the final not to be able to launch ourselves, but we waited too long and time ran out. That throwing lap was very dangerous, even if fun. We wanted to stay behind to take advantage of the wake, we needed it, however, I repeat, the front row is positive".
His teammate, Valtteri Bottas, who almost always gave him the ski during the practice session, ranks third:
"I was lucky to have realised the time in the first run for a few seconds, then instead in the last lap launched I took the flag, however looking at the race our simulations were good, we are happy with the result, but tomorrow is the day that counts".
But the real protagonist of this weekend is Charles Leclerc. After the victory in Belgium, the Monegasque driver also won pole position at Monza, surrounded by all the fans of Scuderia Ferrari:
"It's an honour to be on pole in front of all of you. It's a shame I couldn't make the last spin, there was a big mess. It's incredible to see so many people, since Wednesday at the Milan event, it's fantastic, I'm happy for pole, but it was a real shame that in the end there was all this confusion. We didn't want to block the opponents. Seb was able to take pole and we didn't want to sacrifice one car for another. McLaren and Renault were going 20 km/h, there was no place to go. Seb passed me there with the mess, then I stayed behind him until the last straight when they told me to overtake him and I did, but there was no more time for the ride. Tomorrow will be an important day, the race pace during the long runs was good so I'm confident".
This is a fact that translates into a general investigation, at the end of a qualifying session considered embarrassing by many. Sebastian Vettel is enraged, only fourth, without waking at the beginning of Q3 and in the last desperate attempt. In the first lap launched everything had gone as planned: Vettel in front, signing the fourth-fastest time without a wake, Leclerc behind, taking the provisional pole. But in the second attempt, where the roles should have been reversed, Leclerc seemed more hesitant and with the addition of traffic Vettel remained without the precious help of his teammate.
"It's useless for Charles to overtook me near the Parabolica to give me the wake: it was too late now. He had to be in the front right away. On the last throwing lap, everyone slowed down and I signalled to push, but Charles also slowed down. Anyway, I'm happy with the car, qualifying went well, the car was great, and I did a great lap but I didn't have the wake. That's the difference between taking a pole and not doing a pole today. With Charles, I think we didn't do what we thought today. Nobody gave me the wake, today I was a little lonely. I'm not fully happy because I thought it was clear what we had said before. I was the one who told everyone to get up, people slowed down, Charles slowed down and in the end, I didn't cross the finish line. Anyway, it's a good result for the team and we'll see what we can do tomorrow".
Scuderia Ferrari's team principal, Mattia Binotto, finds himself having to give explanations, especially after the praise at the beginning of the weekend about the importance of the team game.
"Too bad for Sebastian. The second attempt is the one in which he should have made the most of the wake. Things didn't turn out as we predicted them, then what happened happened. Seb was very fast today, I think he could have done a great qualification. He felt it, he was convinced he could do very well. Being in this position is not what he hoped for. I understand your frustration. After the things to do after qualifying, we will talk to him and try to understand what could be done differently. These are situations that arise, I don't say unpredictable because we knew that everyone would come out at the last minute and try to stay ahead. The wake counts a lot, we saw him this morning trying qualifying, it's at least four-tenths and it was crucial to make good weather. We have to look at everything honestly, for us it's all life. We will cover the data and some situations, even in the first run, there are some to be clarified, and then we will evaluate. A pole is always a pole, it remains a beautiful result. I'm so sorry for Sebastian. Having said that, being in front of everyone at Monza is the first joy, the roar of the fans was heard. Someone on a pole on the first try is there in front of the end wondering who makes me do to shoot. We want a double tomorrow, and today's qualifying doesn't complicate the plans. It will be a long race, fought. Starting first and fourth, the start is key. You can do well until the first chicane, the stretch is long, then there will be opportunities at the pit stop and with our speed maybe even chances on the track. Meanwhile, there will certainly be something to clarify in tonight's debriefing".
The commissioners' investigation will close with three reprimands for Sainz, Hulkenberg and Stroll. A better outcome than that seen in F3, where seventeen drivers were penalised out of participants. The thought of the Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, at the end of the qualifying of the Italian Grand Prix, however, is different:
"Have you ever seen such a thing? No? Neither do I. Such a thing was not even worthy of a junior formula. The problem was that everyone was trying to have a good wake and it became a nervous game for those who came out first. Then someone came out first but only to reduce speed even more by passing through the off-track chicane. It was like a group of kids and everyone looked like idiots. Hulkenberg drove the group and then passed straight through the chicane and then some other cars stood ahead to reduce speed. It wasn't a show worthy of Formula 1. We have limited the damage, we are in a position where if we finished the race like this, I would sign. But there's all the Grand Prix ahead of tomorrow. We have a good car and we have to keep our foot down and score important points".
But Charles Leclerc is not collecting the accusations, having also been involved, and he replies:
"There was no intention on our part (to block the opponents, ed). There was also Seb who was able to take the pole position and we didn't want to sacrifice one car for the pole of the other. It was pretty complicated I think that situations like the one that happened after the second corner should not happen, there were two cars side by side that went to 20 km/h and we couldn't overcome them. I think most of the drivers behind would have liked to pass, but they didn't have the opportunity. This situation generated a big mess towards the end and that's why some machines failed to start their spin. The plan was that in the first run Seb would wake me and in the second I would give it to him. I got out of the pits in front of him, then there was the huge mess after Turns 1 and 2. McLaren and Renault stopped in the middle of the track and we had nowhere to go. Seb overtook me there with the mess because we were quite aware that time was tight, then I stayed behind him until the last straight where I heard on the radio: You can overtake Seb. So I passed it, but then I didn't even have time to start the lap. It was a shame, but I don't think I could have done much more".
Max Verstappen, unable to score a time during the practice session, hopes it will rain on Sunday, to take small advantage of it:
“I would prefer a wet race, Monza is not a track suitable for us. On the other hand, we have the new engine, cooler and with a power upgrade. I didn't want to leave last in Belgium, for my home race. Even if it went wrong anyway. I've never seen the opportunity to win. What do we miss? We are third in the pilots' world championship. It’s not bad As power on the straights Ferrari is ahead, Spa and Monza seem made for her. But on tracks like Hungary they suffered. Compared to Mercedes at the beginning, our RB15 was not so good, but we recovered. Many drivers say they dream of racing for Ferrari. I say I want to race with the fastest car possible. If it were red I would love to be in red, if it were grey in grey, if it were blue, the same thing. Ferrari is a great brand, but a driver ultimately wants to win. Leclerc and I together? We could coexist, as teammates there would certainly be respect, Charles and I both want to win. I don't deny that there could be clashes, but we wouldn't get to what Nico and Lewis did for example in Mercedes".
On Sunday, September 8, 2019, arrives quickly, the paddock is already in fury for the race and is filled with known faces. The strategy involves a single stop. Almost certainly, in the second part of the race, the Medium compound tyres will be mounted, but the use of Hard tyres is not to be excluded. After playing the anthem of Mameli, an Italian national anthem follows the spectacle of the tricolour arrows flying over the Monza racetrack. The wait is high, as are the expectations of the fans, especially after the Milan event. When the traffic lights are off, the Italian Grand Prix officially begins. Charles Leclerc and Valtteri Bottas leave well. The Finnish driver joins the Ferrari driver, while Lewis Hamilton precedes Sebastian Vettel who is looking for a space to slip in.
The British driver regains his position on Bottas at the variant of the Roggia and incredibly Vettel is overtaken by Nico Hulkenberg. In the rear some cars slow down drastically: among them, there is also a Racing Point, which being behind Verstappen, much faster, ends up being buffered. The Dutch pilot damages the front wing and finds himself forced to take the escape route. Lando Norris also lost a lot of time on the first lap and is now having to follow the group from the seventeenth place. After a disastrous start, Sebastian Vettel manages to regain his position at the beginning of the second lap and launches himself in pursuit of the Mercedes that precede him. Although Hamilton and Bottas do not seem defeated at all, Charles Leclerc gains 0.2 seconds and in a short time begins to bring the gap to 1.5 seconds. Meanwhile, Alex Albon passes Carlos Sainz in the second chicane, but the Spaniard immediately returns the favour in Turn 6. The two drivers come into contact and Albon ends up in the gravel, losing positions. Antonio Giovinazzi takes advantage of it and gains a position. After eleventh, the Thai driver now tries to overtake Kevin Magnussen, while Daniel Ricciardo passes his teammate, Nico Hulkenberg. The two Renaults are in fifth and sixth place at the moment. Vettel recovers ground on the two Mercedes drivers and takes himself just under a second from Bottas. Unfortunately, however, the German driver compromises his race on his own, loses the car at Turn 10 and ends up in a spin and ends up off the track. Returning to the race, the Ferrari driver also centres Stroll’s Racing Point and damages the front wing. The Canadian driver, enraged, certainly does nothing better and after complaining about Sebastian Vettel's behaviour, he performs the same manoeuvre and returns to the race without checking that there was no one, forcing Pierre Gasly to make a mistake to avoid it. After stopping in the pits to replace tyres and front wing, Sebastian Vettel crashes to last place. A disaster: it's the second year in a row that in Monza the German driver ends up in a spin. Not only that: both Vettel and Stroll end up under investigation by the stewards and shortly after it is announced that the four-time World Champion will have to serve a Stop and Go of ten seconds, while Stroll will have to serve a drive-through. Meanwhile, Alex Albon passes Kevin Magnussen well during the eighth lap, cutting the chicane, but he does not return the position, so he is awarded five seconds of penalty.
Meanwhile, Alex Albon passes Kevin Magnussen in course of the eighth round, cutting the chicane, but does not return the position, therefore he is awarded five seconds of penalty. At the moment the ranking sees Leclerc leading the race, followed by Hamilton and Bottas. Behind the top three are Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Sainz, Giovinazzi, Albon, Kvyat, Magnussen, Perez, Stroll, Norris, Gasly, Raikkonen, Russell, Verstappen, Kubica, Vettel and Grosjean. The Ferrari driver pays his penalty on the thirteenth lap; for him now the race can not go worse, while in front his teammate stretches away bringing it to almost two seconds on Hamilton. While Verstappen started last, he has already come back and is in thirteenth place, behind Norris. It’s a very difficult race for Charles Leclerc, who continues to hear the presence of Lewis Hamilton. In the next laps, the British driver reduces the gap between the two to 1.5 seconds. The Monegasque driver can not make the slightest mistake. During the seventeenth lap, they go out from the pits of the mechanics of Mercedes but is a fake and the Ferrari team reacts. In the meantime, Kimi Raikkonen was given a penalty by the stewards, after starting with a set of wrong tires. The Finnish driver will have to serve a Stop and Go of 10 seconds. During the twentieth lap Lewis Hamilton anticipates the moves of Charles Leclerc and the pit stop, returning to the track just behind Daniel Ricciardo. The Scuderia Ferrari’s response is immediate. The Monegasque driver was recalled to the pits and returned to the track in front of Lewis Hamilton. Now the Monegasque driver has a set of Medium tyres, while the British will continue with a set of Hard tyres. The gap between the two is almost non-existent and the Mercedes driver is preparing to overtake, but Leclerc closes the trajectory. Valtteri Bottas is encouraged to increase the pace, so he can help his teammate once the pit stop has taken place. Charles Leclerc overtakes Nico Hulkenberg at the parabolic and Lewis Hamilton takes the wake of both on the straight, passes the German driver and attacks Leclerc at the Roggia, but the driver of Ferrari leaves no room and he’s still ahead. The struggle between the two has no end, the reigning champion tries again in curve 3, and goes inside the opponent, but once again finds the road suddenly barred, so much so that a small contact finishes by half on the grass. The British driver is forced to take the way of escape. A move that will make discussed is to give the black and white flag to Leclerc.
Once past Ricciardo, the two have only Bottas in front of them, but it still has to stop. His stop comes towards mid-race, and the Finnish driver returns behind Ricciardo. Sainz also made the pit, but the front wheel was mounted badly and the Spanish driver was forced to stop at the exit of the pit lane. The race is neutralized. At this phase, Charles Leclerc must be careful about the restart, because Lewis Hamilton is very close. But Leclerc takes advantage of the presence of Sebastian Vettel to take the wake and maintain the first position. A few laps later and the race is neutralized for the second time because Daniil Kyviat stops just before the first chicane. The Grand Prix resumed at the beginning of the thirty-second lap. Max Verstappen, who started last, passed Pierre Gasly and earns the twelfth position, after that, he chases Lando Norris, while his teammate and after serving the penalty, is already sixth. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton gains ground thanks to the display of the yellow flag that allowed him to recover ground thanks to the following mistake made just before the flag was flown. The two contenders for the victory are separated by just under a second, but Ferrari on the straight is strongly competitive, to the point that Lewis Hamilton decides to open on radio and ask to be able to exploit more engine power to its engineers. The ranking sees in the top ten places Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton separated by 0.5 seconds, then Bottas, Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Albon, Giovinazzi, Perez, Norris and Verstappen. The pressure is huge, and for the Monegasque driver, there has not been a moment of pause since the beginning of the race. This leads to the first and only mistake made by the Ferrari driver, who blocks the front tires to the first variant and cuts the chicane, finding Lewis Hamilton very close and ready to take advantage of the opportunity.
The British driver tries the attack on the outside and crosses trajectory with Charles Leclerc, but the Ferrari driver does not give in and stays ahead, pushing once again the British driver to open the radio and complain about the dangerous driving of his rival. As the two battle, Bottas gains ground and with the new tyres are found to be less than three seconds from the head. At this rate, Hamilton will be forced to give up his position to his teammate, who at the moment is the fastest driver on the track. With twelve laps to go Bottas is 1.5 seconds from Hamilton, who is struggling more and more to keep up with the Ferrari driver. Under pressure comes the mistake of the English driver, who blocks the tyres in braking, before facing the chicane after the main straight, and loses the position in favour of the Finnish driver. Bottas throws himself in pursuit of Leclerc, being only 1.5 seconds away. Meanwhile, Kevin Magnussen retires when they only send eight laps to the end, due to hydraulic problems. In the final laps Lewis Hamilton gives up and begins to lose ground drastically compared to Charles Leclerc and team-mate, Valtteri Bottas, the British driver then decides to aim for the bonus of one point trying to score the fastest lap, therefore making a three-stop pit from the end. At the passage of Leclerc in front of the central grandstand, the Italian fans are already standing; although Valtteri Bottas is close already feel the taste of victory, and also because the Finnish driver continues to commit small mistakes that go to increase detachment. The tension increases, but Bottas makes another mistake at the Waalweg path and loses a second. Charles Leclerc crosses the finish line in the first position: it is Ferrari’s first Monza from 2010 when to win Fernando Alonso. The team principal of the Scuderia Ferrari, Mattia Binotto explains his joy on the radio for Leclerc’s victory by saying:
"Charles, it's Mattia, for today you are forgiven, you are all of us".
After the liberating scream, Charles Leclerc thanks:
"Thank you very much, thank you all, you are the greatest, mamma mia there is no words, thanks for everything, you are the best forever".
Behind the Monegasque driver passes under the checkered barrier Valtteri Bottas, Lewis Hamilton, the two Renault by Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg, Alex Albon, despite the penalty, Sergio Perez, Max Verstappen, architect Antonio Giovinazzi, Lando Norris, Pierre Gasly, Lance Stroll, Sebastian Vettel, George Russell, Kimi Raikkonen, Romain Grosjean e Robert Kubica.