Italian Grand Prix: the drama of an entire season in one race

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After the surprising success of Pierre Gasly, the Alpha Tauri team could no longer be held

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Peter Fox / Getty Images

Too much for a race:

Both Ferrari retired on the home track in Monza, one burning, the other with a total loss.

Lewis Hamilton makes a mistake and Pierre Gasly wins the Italian Grand Prix at Alpha Tauri.

Which of these events do you think is more unlikely?

Spoiler: They all happened.

And since Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc did not injure himself despite his spectacular departure, it can be concluded that the Grand Prix of Italy probably compensated Formula 1 fans for the Mercedes power demonstrations in a loop.

But from the beginning.

The result:

Formula 1 has not seen such a podium for a long time.

146 racing victories in a row previously went to either Mercedes, Ferrari or Red Bull, after seven and a half years Gasly in the AlphaTauri has now ended this series of the big three.

Carlos Sainz drove in second place in a McLaren, Lance Stroll (Racing Point) came third.

Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas couldn't get past seventh and fifth place, both Ferrari retired, as did Max Verstappen in the Red Bull. You can read the race report here, the minutes here.

Ferrari on fire:

Even before the start, there was speculation about the humiliation the Scuderia would have to expect on their home track, as Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel started the race from positions 13 and 17.

For the first time since 1984, no Ferrari driver was among the top ten in Monza.

With the first double failure since 1995 it got even worse - and pictures to be labeled.

On lap six the brakes failed on Vettel's Ferrari, without delay he had to go through the first chicane, right through the styrofoam barriers.

Small flames hit the left rear of the vehicle.

"The line has exploded. I have no more brake pedal," he radioed to the pits.

A quick end with horror instead of horror without end.

"I don't know what to do next," said Vettel afterwards on RTL: "You keep thinking, it doesn't get any worse. But apparently things are still worse this year." 

Leclerc in danger:

Vettel's team-mate Leclerc went off the track in the middle of the race after a safety car phase.

The Monegasse crashed into the tire wall on the high-speed course at the end of the Parabolica, but was uninjured.

The race had to be interrupted after the accident.

Meanwhile, a crane released the Leclerc car from the tire stack.

It almost fell off.

"This is the worst outcome of a messed up weekend," said Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto on Sky: "We have to look ahead. Spa and Monza were probably the worst races for us."

And Hamilton?

Shortly after Leclerc's departure, the race management confirmed a ten-second stop-and-go penalty against the world champion, who had previously driven into the pit lane, although it was closed for safety reasons at the time: Haas driver Kevin Magnussen was close with his defective car shortly before of the box entrance.

The restart that followed the clean-up work threw the field again mixed up.

Hamilton got off well again, but had to serve his time penalty - and found himself at the bottom of the field.

From there he only made it to seventh place.

An unexpected outcome, the Mercedes driver had initially confidently led the race.

"Is he sleeping or what?":

After Bottas, who started the race from second place, was passed right at the start and was no longer able to compete for the podium, the path was clear for the underdogs: "Unbelievable, I don't know yet whether I already realize that. It was such a crazy race, "said Gasly, who won a Grand Prix for France for the first time since Olivier Panis in Monaco in 1996 and was deported from Red Bull to the subsidiary team almost exactly a year ago.

"I'm not really getting on with it yet, I have no words."

The Alpha Tauri team boss saw it a little more soberly: "We just brought Pierre in at the right time and with the red flag and the safety car phase, the circumstances helped us. On the last lap I was in the middle sector as he was lost, thought 'is he sleeping now or what?' ", Franz Tost is quoted in" Motorsport-Magazin ".

Vettel's successor, Sainz, came closer and closer to Gasly in the end.

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A man, a trophy, a bottle: Pierre Gasly couldn't believe his victory

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MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP

250 doctors and nurses in the stands:

Ferrari had invited 250 nurses and doctors to follow the race live as a symbolic thank you for their fight against the coronavirus.

You were the first to watch the track in the Corona season.

They were sitting in the midst of hundreds of cardboard displays that could be bought on the Internet for 40 euros.

Among them: an avatar by Sebastian Vettel, who photographed himself and around 80 team members for a good cause.

The money will then benefit the state research institute for infectious diseases in Rome. 

That's it:

With the chaos race of Monza, the era of Williams as a "family team" ends after 739 races, 114 wins and 16 world championships (read more here).

Claire Williams as deputy team boss and placeholder for her father Sir Frank Williams will not be in Mugello this coming weekend.

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