Italian GP Takeaways: Verstappen makes history, Ferrari lands coveted podium

Following each race weekend this year, theScore’s editors offer their takeaways. We continue the 2023 schedule with the Italian GP.

Verstappen overcomes high-speed challenge for record-breaking win

Max Verstappen stands alone in the Formula 1 history books after his record-breaking 10th consecutive victory Sunday. Just one week after tying former Red Bull pilot Sebastian Vettel’s nine-race win streak at his home grand prix, Verstappen claimed the feat for himself in Italy – the homeland of his biggest opposition.

But unlike most of his other victories this season, Verstappen faced arguably the biggest challenge of his historic streak in the form of a high-speed Ferrari.

“I never would have believed that was possible, but we had to work for it today, and that made it definitely a lot more fun,” Verstappen said.

Starting second, Verstappen was sandwiched between a pole-sitting Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, who lined up P3. And while we’ve grown accustomed to seeing the Dutch pilot breeze by his foes no matter where he begins, the low-drag rear wing fitted by Ferrari gave Sainz the top speed to neutralize Verstappen for the opening laps. Saturday’s qualifying showed a roughly 7-kilometers-per-hour difference between the front-runners, while Leclerc’s advantage also allowed him to keep in touch with the two-time champion as he struggled to get by Sainz.

Speed trap data from qualifying:

Though Sainz and Ferrari challenged Verstappen unlike any other team this season, it still wasn’t enough to delay the inevitable. A lockup by Sainz at the first chicane on Lap 15 proved to be the fatal opening Verstappen needed as he completed the overtake into the next braking zone. From there, Verstappen cruised to his 10th straight win, much to the dismay of the Tifosi in the grandstand.

“They had a lot of top speed; it was so hard to get close and get a move on into Turn 1, so I had to force him into a mistake, and luckily, it came at some point where he locked up, and I had better traction of course out of Turn 2,” Verstappen added.

Though the 2023 season has made Verstappen’s dominance synonymous with boring to some viewers, his Monza challenge was anything but dull. Ferrari threw the kitchen sink at the world champion, but the 25-year-old showed off his greatness as he put together a deserving drive for the record books. – Daniel Valente

Ferrari makes some noise at home

It’s been a painful season for Ferrari, but the team did its best to deliver a quality result at home.

After taking pole position, Sainz managed a well-deserved third-place finish at Monza for his first podium of the season.

“It cannot get any tougher than what it was today,” Sainz said.

Sainz led the first 14 laps before Verstappen finally overtook him. The championship leader bided his time as Sainz struggled with his rear tires and eventually made his move.

However, the real race for Ferrari came between Sainz and Leclerc as the teammates battled for the final spot on the podium. And it was a complete reversal of what usually happens for the Tifosi, as they didn’t manage to bottle it.

“It was tough, hard racing,” Sainz said. “It’s always been a pleasure to race Charles.”

With team principal Frederic Vasseur likely holding his breath, Sainz and Leclerc went wheel to wheel as the two narrowly collided several times. With three laps remaining, Sainz got on the radio to ask the team to call off his teammate so both cars could finish.

“It was a bit of a strange feeling, but I am a big fan of letting them race,” Vasseur said.

Ferrari finally seems to be rounding into form and showed great pace in Italy. Sainz picked up third- and fifth-place finishes over the last three races, while Leclerc earned third- and fourth-place results. Both cars picked up a DNF over that time, but that came from collisions instead of reliability issues.

The hope in the Ferrari garage is that it can continue to build off these results. While having its two drivers push the limit against each other comes with tremendous risk, the hope is that it reignites some fire in each driver.

“This is what I love about racing, the adrenaline you feel when you are racing each other,” Leclerc said.

The 17 points picked up in Imola helped Ferrari move ahead of Aston Martin for third place in the constructors’ standings.

“It’s definitely a big step forward,” Sainz said. – Brandon Wile

Albon, Williams making gains

They’re obviously not in “worst-to-first” territory, but Alexander Albon and Williams continued to make big strides in Italy. Formula 1’s lone Thai driver followed up his eighth-place finish at Zandvoort by going one better in Monza, crossing the line in seventh to match his best result of the season.

In addition to scoring points in consecutive races, the former Red Bull pilot has thrived in qualifying, reaching Q3 in his last two events; Albon started fourth on the grid in the Netherlands and sixth this weekend. If anything, a spot on the third row for the Italian Grand Prix actually disappointed him, a sign of how far the FW45 has come in a relatively short period.

“I actually thought we had you,” Albon said to good friend George Russell after the Mercedes driver qualified ahead of him in fourth place Saturday. “In Q1 and Q2, I was like, ‘We’ve got the Mercedes in our pocket.’ Then you pulled it out (of) the bag for Q3.”

Imagine thinking at the start of the season that Williams, which finished way adrift of the field at the bottom of the constructors’ standings in 2022, would even be in the same stratosphere as Mercedes in 2023. It’s like bizarro F1. Long may it continue.

It’s particularly delightful watching Albon thrive after being the victim of Red Bull’s infamously ruthless decision-making process during his spell with the Milton Keynes-based outfit. It always felt like Albon, now 27, never got a completely fair shake as Verstappen’s teammate despite his obvious talent.

After enduring a challenging 2022 campaign, Albon now seems to have machinery capable of mixing it up with the top teams, at least in power circuits where his car can rely on its impressive straight-line speed to reel in the field. He deserves nothing less. – Gianluca Nesci

Alpine’s power unit weakness exposed at the Temple of Speed

A week after leaving Zandvoort with 16 points and a podium, Alpine departed Monza empty-handed, struggling to find pace in the circuit known as the Temple of Speed. That should be no surprise, as Alpine’s rumored power unit deficit surely did them no favors on the high-speed track.

Previous reports indicated that the Alpine power unit trailed the rest of the grid by roughly 20-33 horsepower. With engine development frozen until the next regulation changes in 2026, the French side would be at a major disadvantage. Monza was a glimpse into just how costly that power deficit could be.

Both Alpine drivers failed to make it out of Q1 as Esteban Ocon placed 18th while Pierre Gasly slotted in 17th. In Saturday’s qualifying, Gasly recorded the slowest maximum speed crossing the finish line, while Ocon ranked 16th. Sunday only compounded their misery with Ocon retiring and Gasly finishing 15th, over 82 seconds off the lead.

To be fair, Monza isn’t all about engine power. Aerodynamic drag also plays an important part. However, it’s become obvious that Alpine’s power unit lacks the necessary grunt to go blow-for-blow with its competitors. The team has collected two podiums this season, one coming in Monaco and the other in Zandvoort – two tracks that rely more on downforce levels than engine power.

Alpine interim team boss Bruno Famin confirmed earlier this summer that his side’s engine was “a bit behind.” Based on Alpine’s showing in Monza, he may have been underestimating just how behind it is in terms of raw power. – Valente