The Dutchman Max Verstappen is on the verge of becoming world champion for the second time in Formula 1 with six races to go. And the Ferrari fans vented their frustration in the home GP of Italy: about the unfortunate outcome of the race and a season that developed so unfavorably for them.
The Ferrari fans booed at the award ceremony. Because they saw themselves cheated of a chance for their favorite Charles Leclerc.
Ironically, the racing cars crossed the finish line at the slowest speed on the fastest track on the Formula 1 calendar. The Italian Grand Prix in Monza ended with the safety car at the front. The winner Max Verstappen in the Red Bull Honda is about to successfully defend his world title.
His first triumph in Monza was accompanied by catcalls from the 100,000 Ferrari fans. They saw themselves deprived of a gripping finish – and their favorite Charles Leclerc’s chance of being able to attack Verstappen in the last few kilometers.
Charles Leclerc couldn’t be entirely satisfied with the outcome of the race in Monza.
Time passed and the Italian marshals couldn’t get the wrecked car out of the danger zone quickly enough
Leclerc had started Ferrari’s home game from pole position, and that came as a surprise because Red Bull was the measure of all things on high-speed tracks recently. The Monegasque showed he wanted to keep his hopes up for a turnaround in the title race. The opportunity seemed good, because the championship leader Verstappen was downgraded by five grid positions due to an engine change. The Italian team longed for some sort of liberation. Ferrari President John Elkann had publicly criticized Scuderia’s recent mishaps: “We have seen that too many mistakes are still happening to everyone.”
When Verstappen was second after just five laps in Sunday’s race and started chasing the leading Leclerc, the Scuderia used virtual neutralization as a desperate tactic. After 13 laps, Leclerc got fresh tires with which he should drive 40 laps in order to have an advantage at the end. But it shouldn’t come to that. When Verstappen also received fresh tires mid-race, he soon caught up and forced Ferrari to make another pit stop. 20 laps down, 20 seconds down on a Red Bull, Ferrari seemed hopeless.
The frustration for the Scuderia turned to hope again six laps before the end when Daniel Ricciardo’s McLaren rolled to a halt. The wrecked car stopped at the edge of the track, which is why a safety car phase was called. Memories of last year’s final in Abu Dhabi were awakened when Lewis Hamilton lost his lead and the world title because Verstappen was able to get fresh tires because of the neutralization.
Pole setter Charles Leclerc is once again unable to use his good starting position and is at a disadvantage against Red Bull. #Formula 1 #srfGP https://t.co/cXBA3NaWuV
— SRF Sport (@srfsport) September 11, 2022
At that time, race director Michael Masi, who was later dismissed, had his share of the reversal. Because he bent the rules of the order after the security vehicle and only put some of the vehicles back in the right order. The commissioner really wanted to end the season at full speed.
This time the situation wasn’t quite so promising for the attacker, who was called Leclerc in Monza. The two first-placed riders got new rubber, but Verstappen’s tires were fresher. Nevertheless, the signs pointed to drama. If the race is allowed to start again, the slipstream on the long straights at Monza can be a crucial help.
But time passed and the Italian marshals couldn’t get the wrecked car out of the danger zone quickly enough – the McLaren was still in gear. A crane was needed, after which 16 cars had to be put back in the right order. One lap before the checkered flag, German race director Niels Wittich knew that there would not be enough time to restart the race. In accordance with the rules, he decided to leave the cars behind the safety car – and he had the support of the majority from the paddock. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, who suffered in Abu Dhabi, said: “That’s the rule, you have to follow it. Even if it doesn’t bring the most spectacular ending.”
Max Verstappen remained calm. He said: “The atmosphere wasn’t great for me. But it is what it is.”
Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto regretted: “That would have been nicer for the show”
The Ferrari team boss, Mattia Binotto, would of course have wanted a race clearance for the final phase: “That would have been nicer for the show.” But he also knows that populism must not take precedence over security and fair play. The breakdown of the McLaren would not have justified an abort including a restart, and the rounding back was carried out correctly according to the rules agreed with all racing teams, according to the world association FIA. The decisive note from the rule-keepers is this: If a safety car phase occurs in the race, it must not have any effect on the procedure.
Max Verstappen celebrated his fifth win in a row. And the audience immediately vented all their frustration at the lost opportunity – and also at the course of a Ferrari season that had started so hopefully. Verstappen is 116 points ahead of Leclerc with just six races left. The Dutchman could already be crowned world champion in the next race in Singapore. In Monza he got boos at the award ceremony. But he remained calm: “For me, the atmosphere wasn’t that great. But it is what it is.”