The accumulation of penalties from almost all of the above plays in favor of the Monegask for this Saturday after a brilliant Friday for Ferrari, with Sainz leading the way
Ferrari wants to hit the table at the Italian GP and it has everything in its face. That’s why there’s been speculation about how they’ll screw up this time. Carlos Sainz was the driver who finished fastest in the time schedule. The man from Madrid already knows what it means to assert himself on the legendary Monza circuit, but he has not yet shined in the red. Neither, no matter what… because they wear yellow. Sainz reacted to the best time his teammate Charles Leclerc had set in the morning, which has all the pressure in the world.
However, the key to this Friday was given by the voice of Formula 1 in Spain. Antonio Lobato, on Twitter. He was absolutely right when he pointed out that the most important thing was not so much the results themselves, but the mathematics. The stewards, engineers and the drivers themselves had to take stock from the first hour as many chose Monza as the optimal place to punish. With the exception of Valtteri Bottas, who already knew he was going to replace the entire power unit a week ago due to his Zandvoort breakdown a week ago, and Yuki Tsunoda, who would already receive ten penalty positions after five reprimands (more later because they took the opportunity to putting a new engine on it), the rest of the drivers on the grid started to think seriously about the possibility of doing the same. And they weren’t. Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen or Carlos Sainz, three solid candidates for victory (especially the last two), are part of the huge list of drivers who will lose position in terms of what they achieve this Saturday.
The misfortune of some is the joy of others, and for Charles Leclerc a golden opportunity is presented in the form of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, he can take advantage of Monza’s ‘field’ factor to bolster his favoritism, which he already showed in free practice. On the other hand, he has no choice but to at least get a podium. The need for a win is crucial, both from a psychological and sporting point of view, as the 109-point margin Verstappen arrived at this weekend was priceless.
Anything other than taking advantage of those penalties to maximize their result at Monza will be another disappointment for Leclerc’s fans and, in general, for the tifosi. Anything less than pole position or second place as the lesser evil will serve as ammunition for those eager to see the red and yellow cars fail this weekend.
Fernando Alonso had a discreet day, but luckily for him quiet. The Asturian finished behind team-mate Esteban Ocon (another one of those who will decide this Saturday whether to replace the bike and penalize or not) in both sessions, albeit by a few thousandths. Ninth at the end of the day, the Spaniard has high hopes for this weekend.
Alonso will reach at least one milestone, and maybe two on Sunday. The first, the solid one, is that it will match the 350 starts in a Formula 1 GP that Kimi Räikkönen had achieved during his career, a feat he would like to engrave on the Naranjo de Bulnes rock he has visited so many times in his career. native Asturias. The second goal is simple to some extent: to conquer the 278 races that the Finn of those 350 finished. Reliability will be a point to take into account if you want to complete the Italian event, where, in addition to reliving the sensations that this circuit always leaves its environment, it must finish between the points yes or yes.
Everything we see this Friday could take a radical turn if the predictions of rain that could get worse on the Italian circuit come true. This Saturday, and to a lesser extent Sunday, water can be a party goer no one wants.
Source: La Verdad
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