Ricciardo misery creates controversial GP finish

2 years ago 148

Fanatical Ferrari fans person booed the Italian expansive prix podium aft a late-race information car to retrieve Daniel Ricciardo's stricken McLaren robbed them of a head-to-head combat betwixt Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc.

As Verstappen stepped onto the podium, boos rang retired from the passionate tifosi - red-clad fanatical Ferrarisupporters - that battalion the Monza circuit each year, who no-doubt would person felt Leclerc was robbed of the accidental to walk Verstappen and win.

The Dutchman is present wrong touching region of a 2nd consecutive F1 title. With six races inactive remaining, helium could clinch the rubric astatine the adjacent contention successful Singapore.

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“I had a large view,” said a tactful Verstappen, whose erstwhile highest decorativeness astatine Monza was 5th successful 2018.

“The ambiance for maine was not amazing. But it is what it is.”

Verstappen present has a 116-point pb implicit Leclerc, who finished 2nd aft different questionable strategy determination from Ferrari astatine its location race.

Verstappen started seventh aft helium was among a fig of drivers deed by grid penalties but made his mode up to 3rd by the archetypal country of the 2nd lap. The Red Bull operator past picked disconnected the Mercedes of George Russell astatine the commencement of the 5th thigh and acceptable disconnected connected the hunt for polesitter Leclerc successful his Ferrari.

“The commencement was precise good,” Verstappen said. “It was enjoyable to thrust contiguous adjacent though it was rather blistery retired there. Great time for us.”

A Virtual Safety Car (VSC) came connected thigh 12 erstwhile Sebastian Vettel's last contention astatine Monza came to a halt.

Ferrari decided to bring Leclerc successful to alteration to mean tyres, allowing Verstappen to instrumentality the lead. Leclerc rejoined the contention successful 3rd arsenic the VSC play ended portion Leclerc was inactive successful the lane.

“I deliberation we each had a doubt, I deliberation if I wouldn’t person done it Max would person done it," Leclerc said.

“It was a spot unfortunate due to the fact that successful the mediate of the pit lane we had the virtual information car ending truthful we didn’t get each the payment of stopping astatine that moment. And from that infinitesimal onward we were a small spot connected the backmost foot.”

It has been a unusual play for Ferrari, afloat of botched strategy decisions and bizarre incidents, but Leclerc believes it was conscionable unfortunate timing astatine Monza.

“I deliberation if you look astatine our play arsenic a whole, for definite there’s been mistakes and we request to get better," Leclerc said.

"If contiguous was a wide mistake, I don’t deliberation so. It was conscionable our prime and looking backmost astatine it you conscionable cannot foretell whenever the VSC is going to end.

"So, yeah, thing to blasted connected anybody there. Just a spot unlucky and astir apt missing a small spot of gait too.”

Leclerc moved past Russell and past concisely regained the pb erstwhile Verstappen pitted connected thigh 26 but the brace swapped places again 7 laps aboriginal erstwhile Leclerc pitted for a 2nd time.

The information car came retired again erstwhile Ricciardo pulled up connected thigh 47 with a suspected motor failure, prompting astir drivers to pit for brushed tyres.

However, that last conflict ne'er materialised erstwhile the contention finished down the information car. Verstappen secured his 5th consecutive triumph and his 11th of the play - 1 much than past year.

Russell was third, up of Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton, who had some fought done the tract aft starting astatine the backmost of the grid pursuing penalties.

Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez had besides been deed by grid penalties and had started 13th but, contempt an eventful contention that besides featured a brake fire, helium managed to decorativeness sixth and besides prime up the other constituent for fastest lap.

Lando Norris was seventh, aft a mediocre commencement from third, with Pierre Gasly conscionable down him.

Williams reserve operator Nyck de Vries finished his first-ever F1 contention successful ninth. The 27-year-old was a precocious replacement for Alex Albon aft the Thai operator was diagnosed with appendicitis.

“Wow, wow. Thank you, convey you precise much. This has been incredible, points connected debut, convey you,” De Vries said connected squad vigor aft crossing the line, earlier past uttering an expletive and adding “my shoulders are dead, dead.”

He had to beryllium helped from the car by mechanics. His scoring points means teammate Nicholas Latifi present sits 21st successful a 20-car championship.

- with Damien McCartney

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