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Ferrari after Monza's success back in the race: The Liberation

2019-09-09T09:37:44.521Z


Ferrari has successfully returned from the summer break with the second win of the season in succession. Charles Leclerc was able to break the Mercedes dominance again. What does that mean for Sebastian Vettel?



Monza saw red on Sunday afternoon: the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza was bathed in red smoke. Flags with the "Cavallino rampante", the logo of the Scuderia, blew, thousands of red-clad Tifosi cheered their star Charles Leclerc on the podium - plus the sounds of the Italian anthem. On the racetrack of the small town northeast of Milan Ferrari celebrated its first home win since 2010 - and at the same time a very successful return from the summer break.

The 21-year-old Monegasse Leclerc had scored the first victories of the Italian racing team with his double success of Spa and Monza. After the oppressive long dominance phase of Mercedes, whose winning streak was interrupted until the Grand Prix of Belgium only by Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, Ferrari reported back.

Cause number one was the consistency of Leclerc, who - as well as in Spa - could save his pole position to the finish. Over 30 laps he defended his lead ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. His driving made for discussion: In lap 23 Hamilton tried to attack the Monegassen in a left turn after both drivers had overtaken Nico Hulkenberg. The world champion tried it outside and came off the track.

Fast and adaptable

Hamilton complained afterwards that Leclerc had only been warned by the race director. During the race, he sparked on his box, the Ferrari driver had pushed him into the grass. Last year, Verstappen was given a five-second penalty in Monza for a similar action against Bottas. Nevertheless, there were conciliatory words at the end of the race from Mercedes: "We had a few moments in which it was tight, but we can talk about it in private, it's nothing big and we will continue to race against each other I'm looking forward to having many more races with him, "said Hamilton. Leclerc deserved to win.

The scene also showed that Leclerc learns quickly: In Austria, he had after a long pursuit of Verstappen victory shortly before the end of the Dutch still out of hand.

In Monza, the Mercedes hunt for details on Leclerc failed. He was fast on the straights, Hamilton and Bottas made driving mistakes in the closing stages. But also by strategy, the otherwise clever German racing team Ferrari could not get on this day: In lap 20, Mercedes tried with Hamilton an undercut against Leclerc. The Scuderia responded quickly and brought him a lap later in the box, the shorter service life, the Ferrari driver came just before Hamilton back on the track. Bottas came to the tire change in the 27th lap and had eight instead of two seconds behind the leaders.

Mercedes remains title contender

The four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel Ferrari delivered with his dangerous driving error and the subsequent time penalty, however, a new reason to answer the hierarchy question clearly for Leclerc. Had he had to pull Vettel in China still, Vettel was degraded in Spa to brake pad. In Monza, it did not need a stall order, the worried the 32-year-old himself.

Although Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto said regarding Vettel's status in the team after the race: "No, there will not change." But dealing with disputes between the two drivers after qualifying speaks a different language. The team had ordered that Leclerc Vettel on his second quick lap slipstream should give, but the Monegasse denied the support. After the race, Binotto said, "Yes, there were a few discussions with Charles, but now we've forgiven him for everything he did."

Getty Images / Mark Thompson

Charles Leclerc at the award ceremony on the podium

Seven races are still to drive in the current Formula 1 season, 175 points to be awarded. Lewis Hamilton, who was the only driver to score points in every Grand Prix, continues to lead the overall standings confidently - and is 102 points ahead of Leclerc, who has now surpassed his team-mate Vettel with a total of 182 points in the drivers' standings. The two full-throttle courses from Belgium (around 60 percent) and Italy (around 80 percent), which are Ferrari, are over. And despite all the euphoria surrounding the home win: Mercedes remains title contender, and also the current World Championship third Verstappen drives a strong season.

But the team has shown that the team has used the summer break to successfully back in and win the first wins. Especially with a Charles Leclerc, who improved in his sophomore year in the premier class of motorsport, Ferrari can hope for more racing success. A circumstance that was hardly conceivable after the race on the Hungaroring, in which Vettel and Leclerc finished more than one minute behind.

And so Leclerc commented on his victory in Monza in a word. It read: "Liberation".

Source: spiegel

All sports articles on 2019-09-09

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