Photo: Red Bull Racing
The Italian Grand Prix is done and dusted! Carlos Sainz gave the Tifosi some hope on Saturday, but that didn't guarantee a victory for him on Sunday. And once again, Red Bull Racing has had its eyes on the prize, with Max Verstappen breaking yet another Formula One record.
Winning the Italian Grand Prix would have boosted confidence and morale for Scuderia Ferrari team members and fans alike. Several years have passed since Charles Leclerc achieved that performance for the Italian Squad, but this time, everyone was watching for Carlos Sainz. He topped two of the three Free Practice Sessions, while Max Verstappen was the fastest in the first one. But qualifying was up next, which was the key to setting the grid for the main event.
The Spaniard was only P7 at the end of Q1, and both Williams drivers were faster than him. Seeing Albon in P2 just behind Verstappen was somewhat unusual, but the feeling was amplified with Sargeant in P6. Still, the battle was far from over as the next session approached. The Flying Dutchman continued to set the pace in Q2, running on Medium tires, with a lap time of just under one minute and 21 seconds.
Leclerc and Sainz were just inches away in P2 and P3, while Alex Albon had fallen to P4. Mercedes-AMG fans were also hoping for a miracle, with Lewis Hamilton claiming P5 and George Russell taking P6. But the decisive moment would come in Q3. Running on soft tires, the remaining ten drivers continued improving their rhythm.
With seven minutes to go before the end of the session, Verstappen and Perez were leading the pack. But we all know that the final starting grid is set in the last few seconds of Q3. The top nine drivers in Q3 dipped below the one minute and 21 seconds mark, with Carlos Sainz claiming Pole Position just inches ahead of Max Verstappen. Charles Leclerc followed suit, as George Russell and Sergio Perez were just slightly behind.
Yuki Tsunoda suffered an engine failure on race day before the race began. Max Verstappen was hot on Sainz's tails from the get-go, but it was in lap 15 that he overtook the Spaniard. And in typical Verstappen fashion, nothing else could stop him from winning the race at the end of the day. It is his tenth consecutive victory this season, so he has broken yet another F1 record.
Sebastian Vettel previously held this, and the Flying Dutchman plans to extend this victory to new heights. It was a perfect race for Red Bull Racing as Sergio Perez finished P2, just six seconds behind Max. Carlos Sainz scored a bittersweet result for Ferrari, taking P3: his first podium since the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix. He had an epic duel with Charles Leclerc towards the end of the race, and it's worth watching the replay to see it.
The gap between them was less than 0.2 seconds, while George Russell crossed the finish over ten seconds later. Lewis Hamilton was even farther back and had Albon, Norris, and Alonso hot on his tail. With Round 16 in Singapore coming up in two weeks, Max Verstappen extends his lead in the championship with 364 points. Sergio Perez is 145 points behind, while Fernando Alonso is still up in P3. Lewis Hamilton is six points behind, so there's still hope for a podium finish by the end of the year. But one can't help but wonder if Ferrari's ace drivers have yet given up on that dream.
The Spaniard was only P7 at the end of Q1, and both Williams drivers were faster than him. Seeing Albon in P2 just behind Verstappen was somewhat unusual, but the feeling was amplified with Sargeant in P6. Still, the battle was far from over as the next session approached. The Flying Dutchman continued to set the pace in Q2, running on Medium tires, with a lap time of just under one minute and 21 seconds.
Leclerc and Sainz were just inches away in P2 and P3, while Alex Albon had fallen to P4. Mercedes-AMG fans were also hoping for a miracle, with Lewis Hamilton claiming P5 and George Russell taking P6. But the decisive moment would come in Q3. Running on soft tires, the remaining ten drivers continued improving their rhythm.
With seven minutes to go before the end of the session, Verstappen and Perez were leading the pack. But we all know that the final starting grid is set in the last few seconds of Q3. The top nine drivers in Q3 dipped below the one minute and 21 seconds mark, with Carlos Sainz claiming Pole Position just inches ahead of Max Verstappen. Charles Leclerc followed suit, as George Russell and Sergio Perez were just slightly behind.
Yuki Tsunoda suffered an engine failure on race day before the race began. Max Verstappen was hot on Sainz's tails from the get-go, but it was in lap 15 that he overtook the Spaniard. And in typical Verstappen fashion, nothing else could stop him from winning the race at the end of the day. It is his tenth consecutive victory this season, so he has broken yet another F1 record.
Sebastian Vettel previously held this, and the Flying Dutchman plans to extend this victory to new heights. It was a perfect race for Red Bull Racing as Sergio Perez finished P2, just six seconds behind Max. Carlos Sainz scored a bittersweet result for Ferrari, taking P3: his first podium since the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix. He had an epic duel with Charles Leclerc towards the end of the race, and it's worth watching the replay to see it.
The gap between them was less than 0.2 seconds, while George Russell crossed the finish over ten seconds later. Lewis Hamilton was even farther back and had Albon, Norris, and Alonso hot on his tail. With Round 16 in Singapore coming up in two weeks, Max Verstappen extends his lead in the championship with 364 points. Sergio Perez is 145 points behind, while Fernando Alonso is still up in P3. Lewis Hamilton is six points behind, so there's still hope for a podium finish by the end of the year. But one can't help but wonder if Ferrari's ace drivers have yet given up on that dream.
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