The glass half full for Ferrari at Monza
It is difficult to determine whether the glass for Ferrari, at the end of the qualifying for the 2026 Italian GP at Monza, is half full or half empty. Certainly, one might have expected something more in terms of results compared to the fourth and fifth places of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, but it is also true that on the most “engine-focused” track of the calendar, in the end the SF-26 limit the damage: they will probably start in the second row due to the penalty of Oscar Piastri, and in any case the gap in lap time from the favorite George Russell is not that large. And this is precisely the aspect that makes team principal Fred Vasseur happiest, aware that the race challenge will be completely different, especially for a Ferrari that this year has already shown to perform better on Sundays.
Read more Wolff: “Verstappen very clever, he ruined Russell’s lap, we underestimated him”
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Fred Vasseur speaks
“Anything can happen – explains the Ferrari pit wall boss, interviewed by Sky shortly after qualifying ended – but we also knew it would be extremely difficult to beat Russell, who had Kimi’s slipstream, and we expected the same for Max, who we had to try to keep behind. We also knew that at Monza, despite all the fans pushing us on the straight, it would still be complicated due to the track layout. But anyway, we will start from third and fourth place, and it is a good option for tomorrow’s race”.
There was also a moment of great uncertainty when, at the end of Q2, the two Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton risked exclusion, saving themselves by only 8 and 1 thousandths respectively from a sensational elimination. A phase of great tension also caused by a battery problem: “We had decided to start the first stint with used tires, but then we had a battery problem in the second run and we came very close to being knocked out. It was a good warning for the next session, but we saved ourselves. It was very tight, because we had ten cars within two tenths, so it was very close”.
Read more Hamilton: “Poor execution in Q3”
“Here with the slipstream – adds Frederic Vasseur – you have two options. Either you go in the group and have the positive effect on the straight and the negative one in the corner. Or, if you have a car with a penalty, you can do like Kimi did for Russell, or Lawson for Verstappen. And in that case the slipstream on the straight is more powerful and more efficient. But in the end I prefer to have two cars in the second row. Let’s take the positive aspect of today, we probably did not expect pole today, even if it would have been fantastic for the fans. And anyway we are not far… Third and fourth place, under these circumstances, is not a good result but gives Ferrari a good chance also for tomorrow”.
