03/09/2023
NEWS STORY
For once, we are going to climb down off the fence.
Over the years we have been accused of bias either in favour of one driver or team or against, and while there was a time your editor possessed a pair of rosso tinted spectacles they have long since been thrown out.
Today however, for reasons regular readers will fully understand, we will admit to being biased in favour of one particular driver.
It would mean a great deal, on purely personal level, if Fernando Alonso were to claim the top step of the podium.
Having qualified tenth, and with no sign of rain, this is unlikely, but we can dream. We have called on Aston Martin to pull out all the stops, so it is basically in the lap of the gods.
Funnily enough, a certain editor shouted himself hoarse here for a certain 'red team' in 1998, and having been rewarded that day 25 years ago, perhaps the Gods will look down kindly again today, albeit for a certain 'green team'.
Even though this wonderful circuit has been somewhat emasculated over the years, it remains a firm favourite of the drivers, and one that all want to win, if only to experience the joy of the podium.
Yesterday set us up nicely, with Ferrari sandwiching Max Verstappen as he targets a record tenth successive win.
In days gone by, it was not unknown for Ferrari to produce something special on Friday or Saturday merely in a bid to ensure a full house on Sunday, but this weekend seems different, the Maranello outfit genuinely appears to have a chance... it certainly has the speed.
However, Verstappen, who pays little heed to records, has even less towards sentimentality, will be determined to extend his championship lead, a championship that could be secured as early as the next double-header.
The win appears to be down to Max and the Ferraris, however over the years we have seen the race decided at the first chicane - though in 2021 it wasn't on the opening lap.
Though Carlos, Max and the rest will be keen to be first into that first chicane, they will do well do learn from the lessons of the past.
Mercedes and McLaren have been playing down their chances, while the sheer speed of the Williams could see Albon in the mix for decent points, and then there's Sergio who really does need another strong performance.
Impressive yesterday, indeed all weekend, was Lawson, who has settled in with amazing speed at AlphaTauri.
Despite what the likes of Toto Wolff and Frederic Vasseur might say, the poor pace of the Alpines yesterday is proof that the FIA needs to act in terms engine convergence.
A single stop is the quickest option, with the hard compound being the main protagonist. However, it remains to be seen if some will decide to start on the medium to have more flexibility, with a good level of grip at the start, or risk starting on the soft to try and make up places in the early stages.
The two-stop strategy is conditioned by the fact the pit lane is very long and therefore time is lost at each pit stop, but it could be a valid choice if the race is neutralised at any point.
Of course, the 'Temple of Speed' is famous for its slipstreaming, however in recent years we have witnessed the phenomenon of DRS trains, and this could be a real problem today, not only for the drivers but for the watching fans.
Such are the speeds - the cars averaged over 160 mph in Q3 - the race usually lasts around 75 minutes, so sit back and enjoy the ride... and maybe give Fernando a cheer.
The pitlane opens and the cars begin heading out.
The pitlane closes and ahead of the anthem the air temperature is 29 degrees C, while the track temperature is 42 degrees. It is a beautiful, sunny day.
"How do you think you can win," Verstappen is asked on his way to the grid by the lovely Rachel Brookes. "By finishing first," he dryly replies.
All are starting on mediums bar Hamilton, Bottas and Magnussen who are on hards. All on fresh rubber bar Albon, Hamilton, Tsunoda, Lawson, Hulkenberg, Bottas, Sargeant and Magnussen.
Sainz leads the field away for the formation lap. All get away cleanly.
Oh dear, Tsunoda has pulled to the side of the track on the back straight ahead of the Parabolica. "Failure, engine failure," he reports.
The grid forms before Sainz leads the way for another formation lap.
"The car is not turning well in the right-hand corners," reports Leclerc. "Is it good?" He is informed that all is well.
Unable to move the stricken AlphaTauri it appears the start will now be aborted with a short delay (5 minutes) before the restart.
As the cars wait on the grid... overheating, still awaiting an official call from Race Control, team personnel are gathered in the pitlane.
Initially the marshals prevent the crews form going on to the track, but eventually some mechanics break through and head out to their cars.
Adding to the fun, Haas suggests that there is a systems issue with starting lights.
Finally, at 15:13. Race Control breaks cover to announce that the formation lap will start at 15:20.
Once again, Sainz leads the way as the (third) formation lap gets underway, the race now reduced to 51 laps.
The grid forms.
They're away! Sainz moves across to cover Verstappen, while the Dutchman has the edge on the second Ferrari.
Sainz leads into the first chicane, ahead of Verstappen and Leclerc, who has Russell on his inside. Just behind Perez is under pressure from Piastri and Albon.
All through the first chicane with no issues. Again through the second chicane the field gets through without any problems, as Russell has a look at Leclerc and Albon eyes Piastri.
At the end of Lap 1, it's: Sainz, Verstappen, Leclerc, Russell, Perez, Piastri, Albon, Norris, Hamilton and Hulkenberg.
Albon passes Piastri at the second chicane.
Lap 2 sees a fastest lap from Sainz (26.006) as he maintains a 0.788s lead over Verstappen. Hamilton (hards) runs a little wide in the Parabolica.
Lap 3 sees Verstappen go quickest (25.702), as he closes on the leader whilst having Leclerc 0.915s behind.
The entire field is covered by 15s.
"He's already sliding a bit, so all good," reports Verstappen. "Be sensible," he is told.
Alonso has his time deleted for running wide in Turn 10 (Ascari).
At the start of Lap 6, with the aid of DRS, Verstappen gets alongside Sainz but the Spaniard slams the door... firmly.
"That was naughty," Claims the Dutchman. "Good move," Sainz is told.
At the start of Lap 8, Perez make a similar move on Russell, but again the door is quickly shut.
Behind the Mexican, Albon has dropped back 3.226s but still holds off the McLaren pair.
The leading three are covered by just 0.613s.
Check out our Sunday gallery from Monza here.
Told "Mode 8, Mode 8." Verstappen replies: "They have a lot of top speed, for F*** sake!" "He's struggling with the rear, a lot," he is told.
Perez continues to hassle Russell, but the Briton isn't having it.
At the end of Lap 10, Gasly is the first driver to pit, the Alpine driver switching to hards. However, due to an issue with the jack it's a slow stop.
As Zhou pits, at the end of Lap 11, Leclerc is losing ground to the leaders.
Hulkenberg is clearly struggling, the German losing positions to Alonso and Lawson.
"Undercut will be very powerful," suggests Russell.
"Very understeery," reports Hulkenberg as teammate Magnussen pits.
At the start of Lap 14, Perez makes another move on Russell and as a result both miss the chicane.
"He pushed me off," says the Mexican, who actually locked-up into the corner. Though he is ahead the Red Bull driver hands the position back.
A lap later Verstappen makes his move as Sainz locks-up. They are side-by-side through the Curva Grande but the Red Bull driver has the line into the second chicane.
As Verstappen pulls away, Perez finally nails Russell. Meanwhile, Norris asks to be allowed to pass his McLaren teammate. "I'm a lot quicker, ask him to pick up the pace."
Albon pits at the end of Lap 15, rejoining in 13th.
As Verstappen builds a 1.7s lead, Leclerc is closing on his Ferrari teammate.
"Carlos is struggling a little bit with the rears," reports Leclerc.
"Tyres are nearly finished," admits Sainz.
While the McLaren pair consider their options, Hamilton is closing in.
At the end of Lap 19 Sainz pits, as does Russell. The Spaniard rejoins in 9th and the Briton 11th.
Meanwhile, Perez is just 0.574s down on Leclerc.
Verstappen pits at the end of Lap 20, as does Leclerc, leaving Perez in the lead.
The world champion rejoins in 6th with Leclerc 8th, just behind Sainz. Stroll also pits.
The Ferrari pair are battling, aware that all that is really left on the table is the final place on the podium.
Perez pits at the end of Lap 21, as Piastri takes the lead, ahead of Norris and Verstappen.
Perez rejoins in 7th right behind the battling Ferraris.
As Sainz posts a new fastest lap (25.558), Norris pits, the Briton rejoining in 11th.
Russell is under investigation for leaving the track and gaining a position on Ocon.
Piastri pits at the end of Lap 23, the Australian rejoining in 11th, right alongside his McLaren teammate. Indeed the stewards note their subsequent argy bargy at the first chicane.
Russell is given a 5 time penalty, as Verstappen sweeps by Hamilton to claim the lead.
Ocon and Bottas both pit.
Sainz passes Hamilton for second, with Leclerc and Perez also passing the Mercedes which subsequently pits. The seven-time world champion rejoins in 10th, behind Alonso.
Lap 27 sees a new fastest lap from Verstappen (25.434) as he enjoys a 5.6s lead.
Hamilton nails Alonso at the first chicane, the Spaniard having a pretty anonymous afternoon.
After 29 laps everyone has pitted.
At the start of Lap 30, Perez has a sniff of Leclerc, but the door is shut.
Albon is under intense pressure from Norris, the Williams driver suggesting a switch to Plan B, which no doubt means a second stop.
Perez makes a move on Leclerc at the start of Lap 31, but super, late braking from the Ferrari driver maintains the status quo. The Red Bull driver mounts another attack at the second chicane, they touch, but are able to continue.
Next time around the Mexican isn't taking no for an answers and sweeps by the Ferrari.
Gasly makes his second stop of the afternoon.
"It will be tight to make it to the end," warns Sainz. "OK, do your best," he is told.
Lap 33 sees another fastest lap from Verstappen (25.240).
Stroll and Lawson both pit at the end of Lap 33, as does Zhou.
Lap 34 sees a PB from Alonso (26.563) who remains tenth.
Told that Albon ahead is struggling, "Norris responds: "Yeah, yeah, I see the same as you do..."
"You're doing a great job managing," Albon is told, "McLaren are starting to struggle."
"Now we're screwed, because I don't know how long these tyres are going to last," moans Hamilton. "Others have made it as far on the medium tyre," he is assured.
Norris makes a move on Albon at the start of Lap 38, but misses the chicane and has to hand the position back.
"He forced me off," claims the McLaren driver.
Hamilton is closing in on the Albon/McLaren scrap.
"Box to overtake," Norris is told - McLaren going for the undercut on the Williams. However, it turns out it was a dummy call to force Williams into pitting.
At the start of Lap 41, Perez has a look at Sainz at the first chicane but has to back off.
After racing through the Curva Grande side-by-side, Hamilton makes a move on Piastri at the second chicane... they clash and both miss the corner.
While the stewards note the collision, the big question is how much damage did the two drivers incur.
"He just turned across me under braking," claims the McLaren driver.
Indeed, Piastri pits for a new front wing. He rejoins in 13th.
"He's moving really late on braking," complains Perez of another near miss involving Sainz.
"I don't know what he tried there," says Sainz.
Meanwhile, Ocon has retired.
Hamilton gets a 5s time penalty for causing a collision.
Norris has another go at Albon at the second chicane, but again the Williams driver holds him off.
Elsewhere, another lap, another failed attempt by Perez to pass Sainz which sees the Red Bull driver miss the first chicane.
Check out our Sunday gallery from Monza here.
Hamilton makes short work of Norris and sets about hunting down Albon.
Finally, at the start of Lap 46, Perez nails Sainz going into the first chicane, his cause helped by the fact that the Spaniard locked-up.
Sargeant and Bottas are under investigation for causing a collision.
Sainz' day gores from bad to worse when he is passed by his teammate, however Leclerc locks-up and the Spaniard keeps his place. The Monegasque has another go at the second chicane and they almost collide, as the Spaniard continues to hold off his teammate.
Hamilton has passed Albon for 6th, going around the outside of the Williams at the first chicane.
Leclerc mounts another attack and again Sainz locks-up, but still manages to hold station.
"Guys, let's bring this home," pleads Sainz.
At the start of Lap 50, Leclerc, with the aid of DRS, tries again, but still Sainz holds on.
Elsewhere, Piastri and Lawson have touched at the second chicane as they battle for 12th.
Sargeant is given a 5s time penalty for causing a collision with Bottas.
At the start of the final lap, Leclerc tried again... he lock-up and almost hits his teammate.
Verstappen takes the flag, thereby scoring a tenth successive victory.
Perez takes second, ahead of Sainz, Leclerc, Russell, Hamilton, Albon, Norris, Alonso and Bottas.
Piastri is eleventh, ahead of Sargeant, Lawson, Zhou, Stroll, Gasly, Hulkenberg and Magnussen, though that could change with those late penalties.
"Very tough, very tough," says Sainz. "It can't get any tougher than it was today.
"To keep up with the Red Bulls, I paid the price with the rear tyres but I did everything I could to defend... hard racing.
"It's always a pleasure to race Charles when we had a chance. We had fun out there!"
"To get through Charles and then Carlos I had to use all of my tyres," adds Perez. "I really thought at times, especially at the beginning. In the end we managed to get both of them.
"I feel a lot more comfortable in the car so I think we'll see my best form in the next races."
"I never would have believed it was possible," says Verstappen of his record tenth win, "but we had to work for it today, so that was fun.
"It was so hard to get close and get a move into Turn 1, I had to force Sainz into a mistake. I tried to stay patient, it's a long race and I just had to pick my moment."
On paper it will very much appear to be business as usual, but that wasn't the case, with some great cat and mouse battles throughout the field.
Though the original start was somewhat shambolic, for the most part the penalties were fair, though we would love to be a fly on the wall at some of the post-race debriefs.
While the big guns will get the plaudits, it was another brilliant performance from Albon, with a special mention to Lawson.
Verstappen scores his tenth successive victory, and Red Bull its fifteenth, all while closing in on that third title.
OK, Fernando was missing in action, but all in all it was an entertaining afternoon.