In the states, IndyCar will be concluding their season with a tight championship competition as Will Power leads the field with little guarantee that he will walk away with the big trophy to conclude the season. In the world of Formula 1, the story is a bit different. The sport enters its third consecutive race weekend after returning from the summer break and Max Verstappen has done nothing to dissuade anyone from believing that he will be a double world champion at the end of the F1 calendar. In fact, his two race wins in two weekends leave him with the chance to claim the title with four races left. A title fight this year is not.
That does not mean that this weekend is a wash as far as entertainment. The opposite is precisely the reason to tune into what may be a wild and eventful race because the drama all starts at the rear. And to ensure that we are addressing the big element in play, this GP is in Italy, a homecoming for Ferrari, a team whose unrivaled incompetence is only matched by its Tifosiʻs allegiance. Ferrari fans are nothing but if not loyal, but they appear to be the equivalent of fans of the NFLʻs Buffalo Bills–rabid fans who are well aware that their team is frequently capable of delivering greatness while cognizant of its ability to lose its collective mind in pressure situations. It is the story of love and madness.
This time around, the Tifosi may have something to cheer about. To start, Ferrari are nipping at Red Bullʻs heels in terms of pace. With a need to impress in front of the home crowd, Ferrari has thus far delivered through the first two practices. A caveat is in place, however, as both Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz will be dropping to the rear of the field with wait, letʻs give a full rundown:
Verstappen: 5-place penalty (internal combustion engine)
Sergio Perez: 10-place penalty (ICE)
Carlos Sainz: From the back (you name it, Ferrari changed it)
Lewis Hamilton: From the back (everything but the electronics)
Yuki Tsunoda: May actually be starting from a lap down due to infractions and parts changes
Valtteri Bottas: Drop of 15 places after replacing engine and gearbox parts following his DNF at the Dutch GP.
The sum total of these penalties is that all Charles Leclerc needs to do is qualify decently without crashing, and he should be set to start at the front and be the favorite to earn the win. The agenda appears simple but with Ferrari at the controls, the outcome is anything but…
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