Italian Grand Prix – Max Verstappen clinches his 5th consecutive victory in a disappointing end to the race

And it’s five. No one seems to stop Max Verstappen, who appears to be playing in another league, not even a rather confusing end of the race behind the safety car.

The beginning of the race

While the Dutch driver had started from the 7th position after receiving a penalty, he quickly made up for lost ground right from the start of the Italian Grand Prix. Thanks to a very good start, Max Verstappen gained three positions in the early stages of the first lap, and then added a fourth by overtaking Ricciardo smoothly.

Charles Leclerc also made a good start, while George Russell, just behind, went off the track, without consequences.

However, we will note the failed start of Lando Norris in 3rd position, who finds himself practically stuck on the starting line. An error that his teammate takes advantage of, gaining a position.

The reigning world champion sets the pace and consistently sets faster laps. After overtaking Ricciardo, he sets out to chase Russell and easily passes him on the 5th lap, at the end of the straight. His final target is Charles Leclerc, and he won’t last long, as a different strategy for Ferrari and Red Bull – two pit stops for the former, only one for Verstappen – deprives us of a wheel-to-wheel duel between the two drivers.

The Scuderia will not be able to come closer this time – the Austrian team was simply too strong, in a different category. We will only note a small scare for Sergio Pérez, whose front right tire’s brake disc was on fire after a pit stop, without serious consequences. It is actually the Mexican, in 6th place, who will set the fastest lap in the race. Red Bull has therefore spoiled the party for Italian fans, while the Scuderia was celebrating this weekend the 75th anniversary of the legendary car manufacturer and the 100th anniversary of the Monza circuit.

The comeback of Carlos Sainz.

Starting from the back of the grid (18th) due to penalties resulting from an engine change, Carlos Sainz quickly makes his way up through a good portion of the field. The Spaniard is already in 10th position by the 6th lap, and then overtakes Nyck de Vries on the 9th lap, despite the Dutchman’s strong performance in his first Formula One Grand Prix. Carlos Sainz then sets his sights on Fernando Alonso, easily passes him with the help of DRS on the 7th lap, and overtakes Lando Norris and Pierre Gasly. He is thus in 5th position by the 12th lap. On the following lap, he overtakes Ricciardo, caught between the two Ferraris, and secures fourth place, his final position.

A beautiful comeback after the successive mishaps of last week, notably a completely botched pit stop and a five-second penalty for cutting the trajectory in the pitlane. The Spaniard even hoped to overtake Russell and find himself on the podium thanks to a good pace towards the end of the race, but that was without counting on a safety car deployed in the final laps.

Lewis Hamilton also did not deserve any less, the Mercedes driver finished in fifth place despite starting from the 19th position.

An impressive Nyck de Vries.

Despite receiving a black and white flag for exceeding the limits of the track, Nyck de Vries can be (more than) satisfied with his first Formula 1 Grand Prix. The Dutch driver held on throughout the entire race and finished in 9th position, earning his first points and losing just one place… Meanwhile, his regular teammate Nicholas Latifi, who is well accustomed to the Williams, will finish outside the points, far behind in 15th place.

Cherry on top, Nyck de Vries will also clinch the Driver of the Day title. He will definitely make a strong impression, a good omen to hope for a seat in the premier category next year.

Brilliant effort from @nyckdevries on debut 💪

And a worthy winner of #F1DriverOfTheDay 👏#ItalianGP @salesforce pic.twitter.com/iGBNOGUdh6

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 11, 2022

Disappointing finish

After Sebastian Vettel’s abandonment in the 12th lap, which led to a virtual safety car, and Fernando Alonso’s retirement in lap 32 followed by Lance Stroll in lap 41, although with a pit stop for the latter, it is Daniel Ricciardo who has to stop due to an engine failure in lap 47. The FIA displays the yellow flag but takes a few seconds before ordering the safety car to come out, as was the case in previous Grand Prix races. Many drivers take advantage of this opportunity to change tires, including Verstappen, Sainz, Russell, Norris, and Leclerc. However, these attempts prove futile as the safety car is delayed waiting for the crane to clear the McLaren.

The race will ultimately end under the safety car, a rather disappointing conclusion after quite an exciting Grand Prix until now. Charles Leclerc and Mattias Binotto are downcast, just like the thousands of tifosi present at Monza. Or is this just a poor excuse to justify Ferrari’s glaring lack of pace against the Red Bulls? We’ll leave it up to you to decide…