FERRARI HAIL INCREDIBLE X FACTOR

 

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Ferrari have applauded the 'insane' support that the team received during the Italian Grand Prix weekend.

In front of their adoring home fans, Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc produced a brilliant performance, to take home third and fourth behind the two Red Bull's of Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen.

Sainz managed to hold off Verstappen for 14 laps at the start of Sunday's race, before the Dutchman went on the win his Formula 1 record tenth consecutive race.

Those 14 laps in which Sainz led at the start of the race were the most laps led by any driver other than Verstappen and Perez in a race in the whole of 2023.

Sainz also managed to beat Verstappen to pole position on Saturday, sending the Tifosi wild, while Leclerc also put his car on the second row to give Ferrari the best chance to perform during the race.

Ultimately, the Red Bulls once again proved too strong in 2023, but Ferrari were quick to hail how great their support at their home race was from the fans.

"This. Was. INSANE! Grazie mille a tutti (thanks a lot to everyone)," they said in a post on the app formerly known as Twitter.

Monza is a track where Ferrari simply have to perform.

Being an Italian racing team (and a legendary one at that), the scrutiny on them at Monza is huge and, no matter how they have performed in the season up to that point, they must put on a show in front of their home fans.

In 2023, Ferrari have underperformed, particularly from where they were last season. Having won four races last year, they would have hoped to have built on that this year, but this podium at Monza was just the fourth time one of their drivers have been on the podium in 2023.

They currently sit in third in the constructors' championship, whilst Sainz and Leclerc sit fifth and sixth respectively in the drivers' standings.

Nonetheless, this result at Monza will surely put smiles on the faces of the Ferrari fans, and they will hope that their impressive straight-line speed during the race is a sign of better things to come, particularly with some high-speed tracks coming up between now and the end of the season.

 - Sam Cook