Charles Leclerc had to step aside, letting Carlos Sainz slip onto the podium he dreamed of all weekend, fighting until the last lap, but in the end he came away happy. Ferrari a Monza he attempted the feat, that is, not to deliver the victory to Max Verstappen. He tried even more not to give Red Bull the satisfaction of a double. Risking a lot, perhaps too much. But how did Charles experience those last laps? What did he think when he saw his teammate blocking in front of his SF-23? Here are the words of the Monegasque, interviewed by Mara Sangiorgio, for sky sports f1, at the end of the Grand Prix.
Leclerc: "tough fight but we had fun"
The fans were definitely more scared than the drivers. The battle with Sainz in the final laps of the Grand Prix caused a lot of concern. The two came close to contact several times but according to both, and also the team principal Vasseur it was an honest fight. Both knew how important it was to score points here in Monza, both for the performance of the SF-23 on a low-load circuit and for the presence of the many fans supporting the Red in its home race. It was not the intention of the two to cause a fratricidal accident but when you enter the track it is always difficult to put aside your emotions and your hunger for victory.
Fortunately there was no contact between the two and therefore there was no shortage of smiles and compliments in the paddock. The first to compliment Sainz for the good battle and the first podium of the season is Charles Leclerc, who commented on those heart-pounding laps like this. “At first I braked, I didn't want to take unnecessary risks. It was the best thing to do, there were no other options. I don't think I asked too much of the tires at the beginning, my pace was better at the end of the stints. I had to keep Perez behind and save the tires, I gave everything but Carlos took the podium. It was fun and at the very least our duel, we braked at the last minute and we pushed like crazy. I love this Formula 1 with the duels, it was exciting. It's a shame not to have taken the podium, Carlos enjoy a special moment.
It couldn't have been done better than that
Compared to the intentions at the start of the race, i.e. being able to bring home a double podium, and why not, maybe even a victory, Ferrari has downsized. In fact, it was not possible to compete with Red Bull and for this reason Charles said he was satisfied with 3rd and 4th place. Ferrari confirmed itself as second force and this result gave the Maranello team third place in the constructors' standings. The rest of the group was seconds away, but, according to Charles too, the next races will be more difficult.
“It will be difficult already in Singapore, with a very loaded car. It was an incredible weekend, got me pumped up this week. I don't know if the fans enjoyed it, but today 3rd and 4th was the best possible result. Red Bull was impossible to keep up with".
