🏁 Mamma Mia!

🥇Max Verstappen [303]: While also battling an engine issue last weekend, he admits that the team needs to “change the whole car” to get back to their winning ways. “The pace was not there, we had a bad pit stop, I think our strategy was not on point today even though it wouldn’t have changed our position. I think we could have done a better race in general.”

🥈Lando Norris [241]: Says “I’m not here to beg for someone to let me past.” With 8 races remaining: “Obviously I wouldn't say we’re running out of time, but time is going away slowly. I still believe that we can do it; you know the pace is obviously great.”

🥉Charles Leclerc [217]: On how his brilliant drive and team strategy came together: “McLaren was faster on paper, but we pushed them into a mistake. We did everything perfect, even though we didn’t have the fastest car…One stop was our preferred choice before the race, but everybody doubted after seeing graining on the Red Bull... However when I put the hard, I had a good feeling. I tried to put Lando under pressure to pit, and then when Oscar pitted, the car got much better. I could rotate how I wanted, and I knew the win was possible.”

4️⃣ Oscar Piastri [197]: Was left clearly disappointed after a “painful” race saw the potential second win of his career slip away. “From the position we were in with the tires looking like they did, doing a one-stop seemed like a very risky call, but in the end it was right. Very, very happy with the pace, with the race that I managed to achieve, just when you finish second it hurts.”

5️⃣ Carlos Sainz [184]: How he helped Leclerc: While running in P4, he was too far behind Lando for the undercut so his stint was extended. He reported that graining was improving which was critical info for Ferrari as they contemplated the one stop strategy. Yay teamwork! ✨ 

6️⃣ Lewis Hamilton [164]: Believed he could have secured pole in what was a very tight quali: “I could have had pole right until the last corner, but either way we didn’t have the race pace even if I had miracle-y pulled out the pole lap.”

7️⃣ Sergio Perez [143]: Says Max is now feeling the pain with the car he’s been dealing with for awhile: “I really feel like I’m in the same boat as I’ve been in for the last eight, 10 races but now all of a sudden Max has come into similar issues so yeah, a little bit of a confusion there but it is clear in the data where the problem is.”

8️⃣ George Russell [128]: On what happened after falling down the order on the first lap: “He [Piastri] had the slipstream from Lando and when he pulled out in front of me…I misjudged it, hit the brakes my side and I was locking up the rear tires and was about to crash into him, so had to take avoiding action and that’s where it all went wrong.”

9️⃣ Fernando Alonso [50]: After missing out on points by 0.2s, admits the team is “doing something really wrong.” After a good start and undercut on Albon on the first stop, the second stop saw the two time champ fall behind the Williams and he was unable to finish less than 10s behind Magnussen.

🔟Lance Stroll [24]: Tough day at the office: Finished last after a late pit stop to attempt fastest lap came up 0.8s short. While lapping him, Piastri said he cost him a few seconds and said: “Lance was driving like it was his first go-kart race.” Oof. Some spice from the Aussie! 

11. Nico Hulkenberg [22]: Claimed Yuki should have seen him struggling in the braking zone during their contact. “I think he could have saved himself, but he chose not to…He was probably on the radio, knowing him.” Well, not wrong about that second point.

12. Yuki Tsunoda [22]: Tweets “One day Monza will love me back” after his poor record in four races there since his debut in 2021: DNS/P14/DNS/DNF.

13. Daniel Ricciardo[12]: Was “sorry” for Hulkenberg contact, and admitted “we weren’t quick enough” even considering penalties. He got 5s for the Hulk bump, and another 10s penalty for not serving the first one correctly when a pit crew member touched the car while the penalty was being served.

14. Pierre Gasly [8]: Defends Magnussen after he was tapped to trigger the “unfair” race ban saying it was “nothing.” He added: “It was a bit of wheel to wheel and in the end I really didn't lose any time. I'm a bit surprised.”

15. Ollie Bearman [6]: Set to fill in for the suspended Magnussen in Baku. We saw his skills in a Ferrari... how will he fair in the slower Haas, on a much different track? Will be a good test for the 2025 rookie.

16. Kevin Magnussen [6]: Happy with the race and a P10 finish, but doesn’t agree with the penalty that resulted in his Baku ban: “I don’t know what’s going on with these penalties. I mean, what’s the point? We had a slight contact into Turn 4, no damage on either car. It had no consequence, nobody lost anything.”

17. Alex Albon 📈 [6]: On his drive to score 2 points in a P9 finish: “It was one of those ones where the tortoise wins the race and just slowly, slowly and I just knew I had to keep being consistent, make sure that front left didn’t open up. And then as Fernando was coming there was a bit of ‘Jaws’ music and then we just hung on.”

18. Esteban Ocon 📉 [5]: Taking the positives from a P14 finish: “There were some solid performance improvements from Friday to Saturday, which we will now need to understand better to be able to stay on top of the issues we were experiencing in Zandvoort.”

19. Zhou Guanyu [0]: Understood to be out of contention for 2025 Sauber seat, as the gap to his teammate has widened this year.

20. Logan Sargeant [0]: F1 exit was writing on the wall amid his struggles.

21. Franco Colapinto 📈 [0]: The newest driver on the grid was satisfied with his debut performance, saying “The car was very strong, and I am very happy of course with the performance we had this weekend. I had a lot of question marks going into the race – I’d never done more than eight laps in a row in an F1 car and today there were 53 to do with very high track temps.”

22. Valtteri Bottas 📉 [0]: On Monza at least being better than Zandvoort: “we went for a one-stop strategy, starting with the hard compound, as we tried something different and hoped to get lucky with the timing of a potential Safety Car…[we got] to P16 on merit, but that was really the most we could do.”

Constructor’s Corner

🥇Red Bull [446]: TP Horner says the team is caught in a “vicious cycle” with the RB20’s problems, and desperately need to “turn the situation around.” He says the team is feeling the pressure and that both championships are currently up for grabs. “On other tracks, running more downforce perhaps hides some of the balance issues that we have.”

🥈McLaren [438]: CEO Zak Brown on the team’s 2 #1s: “They are both young drivers who want to win, we have always believed in having two number ones, that’s always been McLaren’s way, it can be difficult to manage – we’ve seen it with Senna and Prost.” I get the philosophy, but if they want to give Lando a shot at the WDC they’ll have to prioritize him. Without team strategy to ensure it - I don’t think he catches Max on his own.

🥉Ferrari [407]: After “emotional” win in Monza, TP Vasseur predicts a “huge fight” for the Constructors’ title. “We [were] doing the calculation on what we could give up to Piastri each lap, to fix some target to Charles, and just into the last lap we [could say] ‘okay, now we are safe’, because for the last lap we had something like four seconds, and then we started to think about reliability!”

4️⃣ Mercedes [292]: Toto Wolff shuts down the ongoing Verstappen courtship rumors saying, “I don’t flirt outside.” Go ahead.. read it in his voice. So good, right?

5️⃣ Aston Martin [74]: Signing of Adrian Newey expected to be announced before next weekend’s Azerbaijan GP. Is it finally happening?! Santa Claus Papa Stroll about to just give him his entire bag 💰️ 

6️⃣ VCARB [34]: Yuki’s race engineer since his rookie season, Mattia Spini, has been promoted within the team and will be replaced by Ernesto Desiderio.

7️⃣ Haas [28]: TP Komatsu: “It was great to get one point out of this race, particularly Monza – this low downforce circuit – in previous years we haven’t been competitive, so it’s proved we’re working really well as a team to bring a competitive low downforce package.”

8️⃣ Alpine [13]: Factory employees in France went on strike to protest Renault’s decision to abandon it’s engine program. The strikers have called the team’s plan move to change to Mercedes PU’s “a shock and a disaster for automotive innovation, French technological sovereignty, and industrial innovation.”

9️⃣ Williams [6]: TP Vowles says Franco Colapinto was put in Logan’s seat in part due his “thousands and thousands of kilometers in our simulator” and added “And within a simulation environment – and it is a simulation environment – he’s within a tenth of Alex.”

🔟Kick Sauber [0]: Reserve driver Theo Pourchaire is being considered for the remaining 2025 seat, with Mattia Binotto believing he has potential.

• FIA Makes Wing Statement: While the organization will continue to monitor the situation at different circuit types, the current verdict is “All front wings are currently in compliance with the 2024 regulations.” Ferrari and Red Bull had raised questions about McLaren & Merc wings, but it looks like they’re safe for now.

• I See the Light: Visor tear-offs explained. Drivers will have about five chances to remove rain/debris/anything clouding their vision, with finger holes available to remove the protection from either side. They’re installed with the flaps folded in - so only the next loop is exposed once one is torn off. You may have seen these getting stuck in trailing drivers cars from time to time. Although they are supposed to only be used when necessary, you can picture a more malevolent driver using them like Mario Kart banana peels..

• Vegas Prep Underway: While there’s less to do this time around, crews have begun prepping the Sin City Streets for the race 2.5 months. City officials are trying to be less disruptive to residents than last year, mostly working overnight and ensuring roads are open in the morning.

• F3 Champ: Lenoardo Fornaroli makes an overtake on the final turn of a dramatic race to secure enough points to be crowned F3’s first Italian champion at home in Monza. There’s been a lack of Italian drivers on the grid compared to F1 history… will we see Leo in F1 in a few years?

• Grounding of the Valkyrie: Fernando Alonso took ownership of this new Aston Martin Valkyrie, only for it to later be spotted on the back of a tow truck after breaking down in Monaco. Easy come, easy go 🔽 

Quick Question (My Answer)

I think it’s option 1 if the team is smart. But I’m rooting for option 2… let’s see some more papaya power struggles.