The disappointment is great at Ferrari after victory in Formula 1 had to be left to Max Verstappen for the fifth time in a row. Red Bull Racing’s rival was the best in Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix.
Charles Leclerc started from pole position in Monza, but was unable to hold his leading position. The race was eventually finished behind the safety car, which made for an anticlimax.
“It was a frustrating ending. I wanted to race. It’s a shame. I gave everything today. I would have loved to win in front of the amazing tifosi, but it simply wasn’t there,” said Leclerc.
The Monegasque won three times this season, compared to eleven victories for Verstappen. Although the championship has been out of sight for Ferrari for a while, Leclerc is trying to focus on the positive.
“Our speed was good,” he said of the race in Italy. “Let’s not forget that our expectations for this circuit were not very high. It was a nice surprise that we took pole. We made some progress and were more competitive than in previous weekends.”
Binotto: “There’s stil work to do”
Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto also saw some rays of hope, although he also remained critical. “To finish second and fourth is a good result, although of course it is a shame not to win when you start from pole,” he said.
“Max was simply faster than us again. We did make progress compared to the previous races, although it is not yet enough. There is still work to do in view of Sundays and tire wear.”
Leclerc’s gap to World Cup leader Verstappen is 116 points. In theory, the Dutchman of Red Bull Racing can already become world champion at the next race in Singapore.
The Singapore Grand Prix is followed by races in Japan, the United States, Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.
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