Max Verstappen has a chance this weekend to go within striking distance of his second drivers’ world championship when he leads Red Bull’s attempt to defeat Ferrari at the Italian Grand Prix.
With a cushion of 109 points over teammate Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, the runaway leader and incumbent champion is aware that a victory in Singapore or, more likely, Japan early next month might position him up to win the championship.
After celebrating his fourth consecutive victory in front of his ‘orange army’ at Zandvoort last weekend, the 24-year-old Dutchman and his team are aware that a fifth victory in a row at Monza’s ‘Temple of Speed’ would not only silence the ‘tifosi’ at the ‘Temple of Speed’, but would also effectively end Ferrari’s realistic hopes for glory.
Verstappen has won ten of the season’s fifteen races and believes he and Red Bull have demonstrated their ability to fight and thrive on any circuit and in any set-up configuration, even high-speed tracks such as the historic Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, where he has not yet tasted victory.
“I don’t believe we have any significant shortcomings, but we are aware that we are stronger in certain areas than others,” he stated.
“On a track with a lot of downforce, it’s a bit more difficult to get the most out of our package, but I believe our vehicle is optimal around medium downforce levels.
“Therefore, we eagerly anticipate Monza!”
Last Sunday, he secured his 30th career victory with a “hat-trick” of pole, victory, and best lap for the fifth time, guaranteeing he enters in Italy full of confidence and with more records in sight, including the 13-wins record for a season shared by Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel.
Both German drivers have raced for Ferrari with varying degrees of success, but both have won at Monza — Vettel for Toro Rosso and Red Bull, but never for the’scuderia’ – a feat yet to be accomplished by Verstappen.
As the bookmakers’ favorite, he will attempt to win his first Monza race this time.
Despite their inconsistency and recent accidents, Ferrari should not be disregarded.
Leclerc returned to the podium last week and won the 2019 Monza Grand Prix. The recent tragedies have left him and his colleagues feeling hurt and compelled to act.
– Daunting challenge –
Mercedes, who is threatening to surpass Ferrari in the constructors’ title, might pose a challenge if their revitalized form persists.
Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton has won a record five times in Italy, a milestone he shares with Michael Schumacher, if not since 2018. On Sunday, he came close to pulling off a surprise victory, if briefly.
Mattia Binotto, the team principal for Ferrari, acknowledges that it is a big challenge, but one that must be met after last Sunday’s error-ridden performance in the North Sea.
Ferrari will be competitive if they can recapture the straight-line speed they displayed earlier in the season, but Mercedes will likely struggle to equal them.
After their misfortune at Zandvoort, the Italians may give Carlos Sainz a new, lighter engine and accept a grid penalty this weekend, a decision that has been rumored but not confirmed.
Ferrari will also commemorate their 75th anniversary with a special livery that features yellow accents on their iconic red car’s front and rear wings, and yellow race suits for both drivers.
Fans of McLaren may want for a repetition of Daniel Ricciardo’s dramatic victory from last year, but that seems unlikely this time around, and the popular Australian, who is slated to leave the team at the end of the season, may be job-hunting as well as racing this weekend.
AFP