Charles Leclerc starts Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza on pole position and with more than 100,000 Ferrari fans behind him after a stellar qualifying run on Saturday pushed Max Verstappen even further down the grid.
Red Bull’s decision to switch out Verstappen’s engine meant the best they could hope for was sixth on the grid at Monza. But Leclerc ensured he is expected to drop down to seventh after the Ferrari’s blistering lap at the end of Q3.
The Monegasque, who won the 2019 Italian Grand Prix during his first season with Ferrari, has been driving hard all weekend and opted against the help of Carlos Sainz’s slipstream to record a 1:20.161 best lap time – 0.145 seconds ahead of Verstappen.
Leclerc, donned in historic Ferrari yellow for the 75th anniversary celebrations of the team, said: “It’s amazing. It wasn’t an easy qualifying session. I knew there was quite a bit of potential in the car and in the end we put everything together, I knew that in this last lap in Q3 I’d have to put everything together.
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“I managed to do it. I’m very happy with the lap, the performance. The feeling in the car is amazing and I really hope we can do what we did in 2019 tomorrow.
“I took much more risks [in the last lap]. It was the last lap, I knew I had to find a lot more performance there and I just went for it. Thankfully it worked out.”
Dutchman Verstappen comes into Sunday’s race with a 109-point lead in the Drivers’ Championship. And the defending world champion is expected to be hot on Leclerc’s tail despite being docked grid positions.
“I was close. We chose to go for a little bit more downforce out here and over one lap the car maybe wasn’t the best, but for tomorrow it can be quite strong,” Verstappen said.
“I know we have to start a little bit back but all-in-all I’ve enjoyed the weekend so far, and it will be an interesting battle tomorrow.
“I’ve just got to try and stay out of trouble in the beginning and work my way forward.”
Sainz put in another classy qualifying performance to make third, but starts at the back of the grid alongside Lewis Hamilton and Yuki Tsunoda.
Leclerc’s Ferrari crushed the field but can he stay in front come Sunday’s race? (Photo: Reuters)
“I’m not going to lie, it hurts to be starting at the back tomorrow,” Sainz said. “Especially considering how competitive the car is this weekend.
“I have a good feeling in the car, especially after this qualifying session. So to be starting at the back, I will do my best and try to put on a good show and make an impact. But I wish I could be there at the front with Charles.”
Starting grid for Italian Grand Prix 2022*
- 1st: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- 2nd: George Russell (Mercedes)
- 3rd: Lando Norris (McLaren)
- 4th: Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren)
- 5th: Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri)
- 6th: Fernando Alonso (Alpine)
- 7th: Max Verstappen (Red Bull)*
- 8th: Nyck de Vries (Williams)
- 9th: Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo)
- 10th: Nicholas Latifi (Williams)
- 11th: Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin)
- 12th: Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
- 13th: Sergio Perez (Red Bull)*
- 14th: Esteban Ocon (Alpine)*
- 15th: Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo)*
- 16th: Kevin Magnussen (Haas)*
- 17th: Mick Schumacher (Haas)*
- 18th: Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)*
- 19th: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)*
- 20th: Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri)*
*Provisional grid. Awaiting confirmation from FIA
Nine cars hit with penalties
We’re now at the stage of the season where teams begin using up their allowances for switching out power units, but even so to have nine cars docked grid positions is something of a rarity.
Sainz and Hamilton were both sent to the back of the grid for switching out their engines.
Verstappen, Esteban Ocon, Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen, Mick Schumacher and Valtteri Bottas also took grid hits for replacing components.
The main reason for these varying sacrifices to the starting grid position is the Monza track. This is the last circuit for a while where overtaking is relatively easy. Wide tracks, few corners, plenty of road to run. Have your power unit working at its maximum here and you should saver past rival cars.
Verstappen qualified second but a grid penalty sees him fall down the order (Photo: AFP)
After this comes the Singapore street circuit, a twisty, niggly track where passing is difficult. The Japanese Grand Prix a week later is also less conductive to overtaking.
Therefore, to get the benefit of a new power unit, it’s worth making the changes at a circuit that welcomes passing at speed.
Italian Grand Prix grid penalties
- Max Verstappen – 5 places. Docked for using a fifth internal combustion engine (ICE) of the season
- Esteban Ocon- 5 places. Drops down for a new ICE
- Sergio Perez – 10 places. Drops down for a new ICE and gear box
- Kevin Magnussen – 15 places. Loose places for new power unit elements, ICE, turbo and MGU-H
- Mick Schumacher – 15 places. Gets a 10-place penalty for a gearbox change and another five places for a new ICE
- Valtteri Bottas – 15 places. Drops for a new power unit. This is his third grid penalty in six races
- Lewis Hamilton – Back of grid. Sent to the back for a new power unit
- Carlos Sainz – Back of grid. Sent to the back for engine parts and fresh gearbox components
- Yuki Tsunoda – Back of grid. Sent to the back for failing to slow during yellow flag in practice
‘Bizarre’ day for De Vries
Nick De Vries starts from eighth on his debut F1 race for Williams after coming in as a late replacement for Alex Albon on Saturday.
Albon has gone to hospital with appendicitis and is expected to be fit for the Singapore Grand Prix.
Discussing his remarkable first qualifying session, in which he finished 13th before being bumped up to eighth – potentially alongside Verstappen – for Sunday’s race, De Vries said: “I was in the paddock and had to report to Mercedes. I was actually immediately moved on to Williams, and had to prepare for FP3.
“Before the start of FP3 I received the final message that I also had to drive in qualifying and the race. I couldn’t really put things into perspective. I had to go into preparation mode immediately to be as well prepared as possible.
“Actually, I was quite nervous. I couldn’t eat and had to go straight to my engineer. I’m not completely satisfied with qualifying. We did miss something. There was more in it, but I shouldn’t be too hard on myself. It’s a good result.”
