Ferrari had a brilliant start to the Italian GP on Sunday. Carlos Sainz held on to his lead against Max Verstappen for 14 laps, more than any other non-Red Bull driver this season, and Charles Leclerc followed suit by putting pressure on them. However, once the Red Bull driver overtook Sainz, the focus of the battle shifted to Leclerc and Sainz. Now, according to Sky Sports, team principal Fred Vasseur revealed that he seeks accountability from both of them regarding this.
After a brilliant qualification on Saturday, hopes were high on the Ferrari drivers for Sunday’s race. Nevertheless, things didn’t quite work out as the Tifosi would have hoped. Verstappen and Perez brought home their sixth 1-2 finish of the season.
How good is a home podium?! 🇮🇹 ❤️ #ItalianGP 🇮🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/cQXQrRnPao
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) September 3, 2023
After Verstappen overtook Sainz, he built up a huge gap up front. Towards the end of the race, his teammate Perez too, passed both Ferrari drivers. As a result, Sainz and Leclerc were left scrambling for that last podium place, and they put all their cards on the table.
Watching Ferrari tussle was strange for Vasseur, and he wants accountability now
After the 2023 Italian Grand Prix was over, Vasseur opened up about his drivers who were fighting with each other. He said it was strange for him to see the two Scarlet Ferraris going against one another and risking their race using the DRS.
Talking about this, he said, “It was a great feeling. I told them no risk. The notion of no risk is always relative, but I really appreciated the last couple of laps and I hope that the fans did.”
How racing should be, tough but fair 🫡 #ItalianGP 🇮🇹 #F1
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) September 3, 2023
Sainz fought hard to keep the P3 intact for Ferrari. However, had Leclerc been able to defend his position from Perez, Sainz could have finished P2 followed by Leclerc in third. Unfortunately, that did not materialize.
Following this, the Ferrari boss mentioned taking accountability from both Leclerc and Sainz. He said, “As you can imagine, we’ll have the discussion after the race, but perhaps not tonight. Tomorrow they are in the factory. I don’t want to see it tonight, I will watch it tomorrow.”
Leclerc and Sainz’s reaction post Monza race
After Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc secured P3, and P4 at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, they revealed their reactions. Talking about his P4 finish and the wheel-to-wheel battle against his teammate, Leclerc said the fight between them was spot on.
According to him, this is what racing should be all the time. Sunday’s race also reminded him of his Karting days when they were all on their limits. On the other hand, Sainz shared his happiness upon returning to the podium as he knew he did not have the pace to beat Max Verstappen.
All in all, Ferrari was incredibly fast throughout the Italian race weekend. They had the Tifosi’s attention right from Friday’s practice. In the end, it was yet another occasion when they could not have the top spot.
