{"id":12511,"date":"2023-09-02T17:10:44","date_gmt":"2023-09-02T17:10:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/?p=12511"},"modified":"2023-09-02T18:01:12","modified_gmt":"2023-09-02T18:01:12","slug":"italian-gp-carlos-sainz-sends-the-tifosi-wild-beating-max-verstappen-to-pole-by-a-hundredth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/italian-gp-carlos-sainz-sends-the-tifosi-wild-beating-max-verstappen-to-pole-by-a-hundredth\/","title":{"rendered":"ITALIAN GP \u2013 Carlos Sainz sends the Tifosi wild beating Max Verstappen to pole by a hundredth"},"content":{"rendered":"

Carlos Sainz has beaten Max Verstappen to take pole for the Italian Grand Prix, after pipping the Red Bull by just over a hundredth of a second. The Spaniard beat the Red Bull driver in the closing moments of the session to take his first Monza pole.<\/p>\n

There was a moment where the pole looked in doubt but an investigation into Sainz and his teammate Charles Leclerc was quickly dropped. They had been noted for not following the minimum cooldown lap time, but Leclerc couldn\u2019t get close enough to Verstappen to make it a Ferrari front-row lockout.<\/p>\n

A rare mistake by the two times champion saw him go wide and touch the edge of the gravel at the della Roggia chicane costing him time almost a tenth to Sainz. On his second attempt, Verstappen found himself sandwiched between the Ferrari\u2019s effectively boosting Sainz\u2019s tow.<\/p>\n

The Spaniard was fastest after the first Q3 runs, but Ferrari teammate Leclerc and Red Bull’s Verstappen went quicker, only for Sainz to steal it right at the end of Q3. Leclerc, who has been slightly behind Sainz all weekend at Monza, was just another half-a-tenth behind.<\/p>\n

In front of the riotous tifosi, Sainz said \u201cHonestly, it has been such an intense qualifying, especially Q3. We all three went for it. We were very on the limit and on the last lap I knew I had some lap time to come in Ascari and Parabolica and I went for it and it went well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSince I crossed the finish line, the whole in-lap, I haven’t finished the goosebumps. Everywhere we go, the noise from the support of the fans has been incredible. It is the best feeling you can have as an athlete.\u201d<\/p>\n

Verstappen said: “We made some good improvements compared to yesterday and in every session, it was very tight. I am happy to be second today. Normally we have a quick race car and I will try to win the race, but let’s first enjoy today.”<\/p>\n

Leclerc, savouring the rapturous applause from the fans, said: “My feeling can only be amazing with the tifosi. Of course, on my side I am a bit disappointed, I obviously wanted to be first.<\/p>\n

Going into Q3 it looked hard for Ferrari to take pole, Verstappen topping Q1 and Q2, but it all came together for Ferrari, good laps and a minor, but rare, mistake by the Red Bull. It had been close throughout Q3, their were stages where it looked as if Sainz, Verstappen and Leclerc could have taken pole.<\/p>\n

But the fears of the tosifi didn\u2019t come true as Verstappen by just over a hundredth of a second. On the final runs, Leclerc ran ahead of Verstappen and Sainz. A stunning first sector from Leclerc had him on course for pole and he kept it up throughout the lap to leap to the top of the times.<\/p>\n

Ferrari will be hoping to convert that into a win, however based on the form this season they could face a huge challenge to give the Scuderia a twenty-first win in Monza. Also, Verstappen has dominated the sport since May winning every race and sprint while Ferrari has struggled with its tyres in races.<\/p>\n

George Russell put his Mercedes fourth three tenths behind Leclerc but they were never realistically in the fight for pole. But the Englishman was a hundredth and a half ahead of Sergio Perez, as the Mexican faces an unlikely late-season come back to stop Verstappen\u2019s march to a third title.<\/p>\n

Mercedes knew going into this weekend’s qualifying would be difficult to challenge for pole, the characteristics of Monza, which favours strong straight-line speed and traction. Hamilton was a good example of that, he had found himself to be the driver at risk in Q2 as he struggled with the rear of the car.<\/p>\n

But following last weekends race in Zandvoort, Russell feels like Mercedes has made a break through after eighteen months where they have struggled at high speed circuits. He tied the qualifying head to head at seven all with Hamilton.<\/p>\n

It had been clear from Friday lunchtime FP1, that Red Bull and Ferrari would be the teams to beat. But for Mercedes shows they are making progress they were nine tenths faster than they were in qualifying last September at Monza.<\/p>\n

One of the surprises in the closing races of the European season has been Alex Albon, the Williams driver once again made it into Q3 and was sixth seven hundredths behind Russell. Albon returns to Monza having missed last year’s race with appendicitis.<\/p>\n

Oscar Piastri put his McLaren seventh, a quarter of a tenth behind Albon and ahead of Hamilton by four hundredths with his teammate Lando Norris a tenth and a half behind the seven-time champion. Fernando Alonso rounded our the top ten, nearly half a second off Norris.<\/p>\n

Yuki Tsunoda was the fastest of those knocked out in Q2, the Japanese driver missing out on the final part of qualifying by going just over a hundredth behind Norris. But Tsunoda outqualified stand-in teammate Liam Lawson by just under two-tenths.<\/p>\n

A decent performance by Lawson, having been brought in at Zandvoort last Saturday after Daniel Ricciardo broke his wrist in a crash during FP2. Alpha Tauri having a mix season compared to their midfield rivals and sister team Red Bull, a decent qualifying for their home Grand Prix.<\/p>\n

Nico Hulkenberg put his Haas thirteenth going over a tenth and a half faster than Valtteri Bottas and Logan Sargeant. Sargeant in between the two Alfa Romeo\u2019s, having made it through to Q2 he was just four thousandths slower than Bottas.<\/p>\n

Guanyu Zhou was fastest of those knocked out in Q1, he was a tenth and a half ahead of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon. Both Alpine drivers have appeared top struggle to find performance from the car this weekend.<\/p>\n

In Q1, Ocon had two on-track dramas, he nearly collided with Norris on a preparation lap and the McLaren was flying towards the Parabolica and then running into the gravel exiting the Ascari chicane mid-way through the opening segment.<\/p>\n

Kevin Magnussen was nineteenth ahead of Lance Stroll.<\/p>\n

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