Carlos Sainz ahead of Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc: The heart of the Red Tide is still beating and will be beating harder on Sunday, September 3rd. The Spaniard’s pole gives the first row, which regroups, lines up and tries to wipe out all the recent past with a broom.
There ferrari what has not been all my life, in Monza it became beautiful; Charles and Carlos understood why, wherever the near future took them, there would never be another like this. Italy, Ferrari, Monza, house. History is history, legend is legend, Ferrari is Ferrari. Two Carletti Do not forget.
Once the last checkered flag certified Carlos Sainz Jr. At the end of qualifying for the Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Monza circuit, a shiver ran down the spine of Ferrari employees. Who else has seen a ray of sunshine appear on the Brianza circuit at the height of the season full of clouds, where trying to find the light switch was sometimes tiring.
Fourth pole in Carlos’ career
The Spaniard won the fourth pole in his career. all driving red (last year he managed Silverstone Spa AND Austin), right on the track, which more than any other demonstrates the connection between Cavallino and the world of motors.
Today it is difficult to say whether this will be enough to interrupt the hegemony of Max Verstappen even for one Sunday. but in the meantime, the Reds signaled to remind the world that the magic of Monza can push even a car that is objectively inferior to competitors to performance and results that exceed all expectations.
23 poles out of 73 releases
Including Sainz’s pole position, Ferrari took 23 pole positions at Monza out of 73 pole positions at the Italian Grand Prix. a record that is double that of McLaren, the team that has the most contact with the Reds today (but in 11 pole positions).
But if you really want to widen the circle So today it is the 24th pole position achieved by a motorized car. ferrari in history Monza: in 2008 it was actually Red Bull From Sebastian Vettel starts in front of everyone, at the moment of its own motorized ferrari (would come under the auspices Red Bull several seasons later).
Leclerc’s last victory in 2019.
Now the goal will be to improve the average compared to the victories won at the Lombard circuit. it’s thanks to the last one received by Leclerc in 2019 their number reached 19. Just a year ago, the Monegasques won pole, ahead of the usual Verstappen, which, however, in the race did not give him the opportunity to pass first under the checkered flag.
And Leclerc was always the last one to score the pole and the winning combination. that same weekend, driving a red car, remembering the fabulous week of early September 2019 when he won for the first time at Spa, and 7 days later at the Brianza temple of speed.
Monza is a happy island
What makes Ferrari find resources in Monza that even it doesn’t even know exists? this is a really difficult exercise and hard to explain. As in 1964, the year dominated formula one from Jack Bram and from his stable, of which he is the driver and owner (when we say “home” and “shop”): The Italian Grand Prix was unexpectedly won by Scarfiotti’s red. who outpaced his teammate Parks at the finish line in the last race of that season, where two Italian single-seat drivers managed to compete for the win.
“Resurrection” by Niki Lauda
Twelve years later, in 1976, in Monza we see a renaissance of the sport. (and maybe even beyond) Niki Laudaon the track a few weeks after the terrible fire at the Nürburgring, in which he almost died, finishing superbly in fourth place, albeit despite very bad pain at altitude from injuries to his face caused by burns.
Exactly where a year earlier Lauda, who finished behind Regazzoni, won his first title with Ferrari. Another one or two, supplemented by a podium, in 1979: Jody Schecter triumphed, now one step away from the World Championship, “escorted” to the finish line by Gilles Villeneuve.
Tears and red tide
In 1988, when Senna’s McLaren dominated, the Monza once again became a lifeline. from ferrari torn inside because “Drake”, Enzo Ferrari. Senna is also going to win Italian Grand Prix, because he wants to give the team Woking record is a unique and inimitable direction, the goal of which is to win all 16 races of the World Championship.
He will get to 15, because at Monza, with two laps to go, he wags the moving chicane, and behind him Berger and Alboreto give life to a brace that even today, 35 years later, smells of tears and history. thinking that “Drake” from there he laid his hand on it. And again in 1996 Ferrari is not the favorite because the Williams is faster.
The Michael Schumacher years
But the second victory of the Schumacher era came at Spa. (first in the spring, during the high water in Montmelo), e the third one arrives at Monza on time, which sounds like a warning for the coming years.
Kaiser will conquer 4 morethe last in 2006, when at a press conference a few minutes later he burst into tears announcing his retirement from the competition (then he would return with Mercedes, but that’s another story).
From Alonso to another Spaniard…
When Alonso wins in 2010, the last success before Leclerc’s success in 2019, he will fool himself that the World Cup is already in his pocket. but at least they will enjoy this human flow of people under the podium, adoring the new red poet. Maranello.
The people who, two years later, though defeated, shooting with a camera from above, just to show how beautiful this tide is, where red prevails over everything. And that tomorrow, even in a bad season, he dreams of returning to the direct coloring of the entire finish. Then there would be a Spaniard ready to shoot on cameras: it will burst in front of everyone, as if by magic …
