By Alan Baldwin
MONZA, Italy (Reuters) – Ferrari thrilled their fans by keeping Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc unleashed in a wheel-to-wheel battle for the podium at their home Italian Grand Prix on Sunday despite the risk of a collision.
Spaniard Sainz, who had started on pole, prevailed for a third place finish with Leclerc fourth and only 0.184 of a second behind.
Fred Vasseur, experiencing his first Monza as Ferrari principal, had told his drivers in the closing stages that they could race without taking risks but they may have had a different interpretation to the Frenchman.
For Ferrari fans the battle was a highlight of a race that ended in a Red Bull one-two and Max Verstappen taking a record 10th win in a row.
Leclerc pushed hard to get past, both cars locking up into turn one with smoking tyres, leaving Ferrari fans with hearts in mouth.
The Monegasque got ahead with three laps to go but the Spaniard retook the lead at the Variante della Roggia and stayed in front.
“It was tough, hard racing. It’s always been a pleasure to race Charles whenever we’ve had the chance,” Sainz told reporters after a wave of red-shirted fans spilled out of the grandstands to celebrate in front of the podium.
Leclerc said it was what racing was all about.
“I’m sure many people did not enjoy that…the guys on the pitwall perhaps had one heart attack or two, the tifosi probably also, but for me, this is Formula One, this is what it should be all the time,” he added.
Vasseur, whose team moved up to third in the standings, had no regrets.
“For sure it’s much easier to comment when you have a happy end but I think it was also the best way to thank everybody, the support of the tifosi (fans),” he added.
“I was not very comfortable to freeze something five laps before the end. I told them no risk at all but its always relative… but it’s a happy end and I’m quite proud of the decision and of the job done by the drivers today.”
Vasseur said overall it was Ferrari’s best weekend of the year so far.
The Frenchman said it had been a huge weekend for him emotionally and he soon had to give up any pretence that it was just a race like any other as far as scoring points.
“You can’t say that it’s a normal one. I think its completely unique,” he said of the special Monza atmosphere.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)
