(Motorsports news) Red Bull chose a more understated strategy while many teams, particularly Ferrari, opted to introduce custom aerodynamic designs for the fast Monza course. It chose to just cut its regular upper flag to reduce drag since their RB19 car was already rather aerodynamically efficient.
Max Verstappen nonetheless qualified on the front row and dominated the race to earn a Red Bull 1-2 finish ahead of teammate Sergio Perez despite the modest effort made to increase its top speed. Ferrari was aware of the differences in strategy while evaluating its own performance at Monza, but it was evident that it still had every right to be proud of having fought bravely throughout qualifying and the race.
Jock Clear, Leclerc’s performance coach, responded when asked if there was any cause for concern given that Red Bull had continued to be so quick without bringing a comprehensive Monza package: “I don’t think there’s any panic. To be really honest with you, I don’t want to blow smoke up Red Bull’s arse, but with a driver and chassis that strong, we were thrilled to beat him in qualifying. That is a fantastic feat.
They are singing, and the car is functional everywhere. They may not have brought a specific wing package for this race, but we still value the competition they bring, so being in front of them is wonderful. Ferrari’s team manager Fred Vasseur said that the Monza weekend overall was still its best of the year so far, despite the fact that the team was unable to convert its pole position into a race victory.
Ferrari kept up a good pace over the weekend, so it’s the best, he claimed. If you take Baku into account, where we finished first and fourth, and where we finished first and third this weekend, it was also the best qualifying. “This is the first time we have had the opportunity to compete with Red Bull.
Even though Red Bull had a faster speed than we had, we were still able to stay competitive for a significant portion of the race, so all things considered, it was the best weekend. Additionally, Carlos Sainz has my highest praise because I believe he made progress. Not necessarily in the qualifying and the race, but from lap one of FP1, I’d say he was involved in the weekend’s preparation as well. It’s a useful lesson for the remainder of the season.
Also read: How the Ferrari Monza F1 special demonstrates that there is still place for emotion
