Max Verstappen (Red Bull), outstanding leader of the World Cup, will seek his tenth consecutive victory this weekend at the Monza Autodrome, the temple of speed, which is hosting a new edition of the Italian Grand Prix, the fourteenth round of the 2023 calendar. At 25, the Dutch driver is going through the sweetest moment of his sporting career and with nine rounds to go his career is more than on track. third world crown, which could arrive with much anticipation, in October, in Qatar (8) or the USA (22). At the moment, he has 339 points and has 138 of income over the second classified, his teammate Sergio Pérez.
But also, Verstappen can sign this Sunday the longest winning streak in the history of the Formula 1, after equaling in Zandvoort the record of Sebastian Vettel, who chained 9 wins between Belgium and Brazil in 2013, with Red Bull. Max’s current supremacy is almost insulting: He has won 20 of the last 24 races and with his latest victory against his countrymen he also raised Red Bull’s mark of 13 straight wins, the best start in the team’s history, which has now been 14. consecutive victories, if we add the last race of 2022.
Alonso and Aston Martim, on the defensive
Monza and its long straight are synonymous with speed and in this section Red Bull once again postulates itself as the great favourite, without forgetting McLaren, which has also stood out lately in this regard. On the other hand, it is one of the weak points of Aston Martin, which last week in Zandvoort took a step forward with the new floor and the improvements incorporated after the summer. Fernando Alonso he squeezed them to the maximum to return to the podium two and a half months after Canada and finished second in the race, 3 seconds behind Vertstappen. The 33 was closer than ever this year, although Italy will be another story.
Alonso, who at 42 years old continues to ride at his best level, is third overall in the championship, far behind leader Verstappen, at 171 points, but on the prowl for runner-up, 33 points behind Checo Pérez. This season he already has seven podium finishes and has raised his particular harvest to 105 victories after two decades in the elite of Formula 1.
Last Sunday he broke two records: the longest interval between his first podium finish and his last (7,462 days: almost twenty and a half years, between Malaysia 2003 and last Sunday); and the longest interval between his first and his last fastest lap (7,378 days). If Aston Martin continues to get the development race right with the AMR23, Fernando will choose to continue expanding these brands. For now, he can boast of being the only driver who this year has always entered Q3 and in all the races, except one, he has improved or maintained his starting position.
Opportunity for Ferrari and Sainz
The Italian Grand Prix is the great party par excellence of the tifosi of Ferrari, although this year the Scudería arrives at the home event in low hours and forced to improve. The team’s last victory was in Austria 2022, with Charles Leclerc. And before that, Carlos Sainz prevailed at Silverstone. While last year Leclerc fought for the World Cup with Verstappen until the middle of the course, this season the team is fourth in the World Cup, more than 400 points behind Red Bull.
Leclerc won at Monza in 2019, but the previous triumph dates back to 2010 with Fernando Alonso and 2006 saw Michael Schumacher’s last victory here with Ferrari. Hope is the last thing to be lost and a podium of Sainz or Leclerc this weekend it would certainly have a balsamic effect. Victory, improbable, would unleash delirium in the stands.
Sainz has not yet managed to get on the podium so far this year and is fifth in the championship. Leclerc treasures a second place (Austria) and two thirds (Baku and Spa), as the biggest haul this year, occupying sixth place in the World Cup, three points behind his teammate. Those from Maranello will wear a special decoration this weekend in homage to the endurance team that won the centenary 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.
Attention to the tires
A legendary circuit that benefits powerful engines and requires minimal downforce setups, Monza has a 5,793-meter track and eleven turns (four to the left), where the highest speeds in the World Championship are reached. And from Friday, when the free practice sessions begin, expected to be dry, the tires from the less rigid range of compounds will be used: C3 (hard, recognizable by the white stripe), C4 (medium, yellow stripe) and C5 ( soft, red).
This weekend the mandatory allocation that Pirelli has already tested in Hungary will be used and the majority of the pilots criticized so much. There will be eleven games per driver instead of the usual fourteen and there will be qualifying Q1 with hard tires, Q2 with mediums, and Q3 with softs. The FIA and F1 intend with this to reduce costs and pollutionalthough as already seen at the Hungaroring, the consequence is a more lackluster Friday, since the teams barely roll to save tires with a view to the ‘qualy’ and the race.
2023-08-31 10:51:59
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