While the Tifosi rejoiced in Charles Leclerc’s stunning one-stop victory, Carlos Sainz fell short from the podium, with a strategy that didn’t quite work in his favour as he ultimately extended the opening stint a little bit too long.
With Monza’s low downforce and high-speed corners, Sainz highlighted how the team had anticipated a different type of race compared to previous years due to the new surface. Graining became a big factor, pushing Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull to a two-stop race.
“The team we had hopes that it was going to be a very different Monza, with a lot of graining.
“It was very tight between the one and a two-(stop) and it was going to be all about who adapts the best to the situation and who adapts the strategy to what we saw today on track and I think we did a really good job as a team to get it right.”
Sainz found himself slightly out of sync with Leclerc’s winning strategy, staying out on a set of graining mediums for a few laps too long and dropping away from the top 3 in the process.
“On my side obviously we stayed maybe 5-6 laps out too long because it cost me 6-7 seconds of race time… I had lost too much race time.”
In what he described as a “tricky Monza,” the team managed to get most things right, with Leclerc securing a well-deserved win and Sainz finishing just off the podium in fourth.
The Spaniard had run in P2 but was overhauled by Piastri and Norris in the closing laps.
“I think we nailed the strategy today and the weekend on a very tricky Monza and we came out with a win and a fourth.”
The team’s performance in Monza highlighted Ferrari’s major increase in pace, especially in comparison to the McLarens.
“Today we were in a genuine race with the McLarens.”
Despite this, with Monza’s demand for straight-line speed, losing the tow was a significant disadvantage to Sainz following the pit stops of the top 3 in the mid-teens.
“Here the tow makes a bit of a difference… I could really feel how slow you become without it.”
Ferrari’s new floor upgrade came to Monza, which many hoped would boost performance, and Sainz is cautiously optimistic.
“I genuinely think today we were in the race with the McLarens which was great to see.
“At the same time it’s Monza… we will need to wait to see more normal tracks to see if this upgrade has really turned our season around and we’re going to fight for wins from now on or we are going to go back to what we saw in Zandvoort.”
As the dust settled on the team’s victory, Sainz reflected on what is his last race at the circuit as a Ferrari driver.
“It’s been an incredible weekend for me, I’ve enjoyed it a lot,” he said.
“It’s a shame not to be on the podium today, at the same time I feel like today was a bit of a coin toss, whether to stay out or not, get it right, Charles has nailed it together with the team.”
“Honestly very happy to see the team winning here this weekend, I wish I was up there with the podium with Charles but I think he deserves the win more than anyone today, so congrats.”
