Max Verstappen Wins Behind the Safety Car at Monza
11 أيلول 2022 17:30
Daily Mail published this article:
Max Verstappen ripped through Ferrari dreams in Monza by winning a controversial Italian Grand Prix for the first time – beating Charles Leclerc into second place as the race effectively ended behind a safety car to boos from the grandstands.
World champion Verstappen was super-quick but was helped towards the victory – his fifth in succession and 11th of the season – by Ferrari’s pit-stop gamble that backfired.
Verstappen now leads by 115 points going to Singapore, where he can win the title (if the maths favour him heavily) on the first Sunday of October.
Leclerc has started on pole for Ferrari and was leading on lap 12 of 53 when he was asked: ‘What do you think about pitting for Plan A?’ That was as a virtual safety car phase came into play after Sebastian Vettel parked up his Aston Martin.
Leclerc replied: ‘It will be tight but probably the best solution.’
Plan C seemingly meant to pit there and then and hope the medium tyres on to which he was moving would last 41 laps.
That was always going to be a tough proposition. Verstappen, who started seventh as a result of an engine penalty before scything through the field at a rate of knots to lie second at this point, took the lead.
On lap 21, Ferrari saw they would need to stop again. ‘We’re thinking Plan C,’ Leclerc was told.
Verstappen was in on lap 26. Leclerc took the lead again by virtue of the champion’s stop but was soon being closed in on by Verstappen from 10 seconds back when he returned to the fray.
‘Plan C confirmed,’ Leclerc was told. He came in on lap 33 for softs. His deficit to Verstappen was 18 seconds at this stage. He made no inroad into the gap.
Ferrari were crying out for a safety car.
It came when Daniel Ricciardo pulled over in his McLaren on lap 46. The leading cars pitted in anticipation of a final shootout for victory. But it took an age to clear the track and the safety car stayed out to the very final bend. Most unsatisfactory.
George Russell, who started second, finished third. He drove well, but his Mercedes was no match for the two in front.
Lewis Hamilton started 19th and finished fifth for Mercedes, a victim largely of an engine-change penalty.
Max Verstappen ripped through Ferrari dreams in Monza by winning a controversial Italian Grand Prix for the first time – beating Charles Leclerc into second place as the race effectively ended behind a safety car to boos from the grandstands.
World champion Verstappen was super-quick but was helped towards the victory – his fifth in succession and 11th of the season – by Ferrari’s pit-stop gamble that backfired.
Verstappen now leads by 115 points going to Singapore, where he can win the title (if the maths favour him heavily) on the first Sunday of October.
Leclerc has started on pole for Ferrari and was leading on lap 12 of 53 when he was asked: ‘What do you think about pitting for Plan A?’ That was as a virtual safety car phase came into play after Sebastian Vettel parked up his Aston Martin.
Leclerc replied: ‘It will be tight but probably the best solution.’
Plan C seemingly meant to pit there and then and hope the medium tyres on to which he was moving would last 41 laps.
That was always going to be a tough proposition. Verstappen, who started seventh as a result of an engine penalty before scything through the field at a rate of knots to lie second at this point, took the lead.
On lap 21, Ferrari saw they would need to stop again. ‘We’re thinking Plan C,’ Leclerc was told.
Verstappen was in on lap 26. Leclerc took the lead again by virtue of the champion’s stop but was soon being closed in on by Verstappen from 10 seconds back when he returned to the fray.
‘Plan C confirmed,’ Leclerc was told. He came in on lap 33 for softs. His deficit to Verstappen was 18 seconds at this stage. He made no inroad into the gap.
Ferrari were crying out for a safety car.
It came when Daniel Ricciardo pulled over in his McLaren on lap 46. The leading cars pitted in anticipation of a final shootout for victory. But it took an age to clear the track and the safety car stayed out to the very final bend. Most unsatisfactory.
George Russell, who started second, finished third. He drove well, but his Mercedes was no match for the two in front.
Lewis Hamilton started 19th and finished fifth for Mercedes, a victim largely of an engine-change penalty.