There have been times in recent years when Ferrari has been (rightly) criticised for not making the most of the machinery at its disposal. But the home team’s performance last weekend was the opposite – and made the Monza event one of the best F1 races of 2023 so far.
Ferrari saw an opportunity, committed to a bespoke package at the high-speed track, and made Red Bull fight for victory, as Alex Kalinauckas and Jake Boxall-Legge explain in our report package. It was brilliant to see Carlos Sainz put up a proper defence against Verstappen, even if it did harm his overall race.
Of course, ultimately, Ferrari’s bid failed. That was always likely to be the case given the underlying race performance of the Red Bull RB19, which by now we are all familiar with. But Ferrari at least made a race of it, and Verstappen had to work for victory, something he appeared to enjoy. They all did.
Verstappen’s new record of 10 consecutive world championship GP successes is remarkable and should also be applauded.
Another fine season, albeit not one as dominant as Verstappen’s, resulted in an IndyCar title for Alex Palou in Portland. Our new IndyCar Editor Joey Barnes reports on how the Spaniard took the crown in fine style with victory.
Nicky Catsburg has also achieved something incredible in 2023, with wins in the 24-hour classics at Le Mans, Spa and Nurburgring. James Newbold catches up with him and some of those who have worked with the Dutchman in this issue.
From one bit of history to another, we celebrate 75 years of Goodwood in this week’s free 28-page supplement, which includes a guest piece by the Duke of Richmond. Doug Nye also charts the rise, fall and return of Goodwood, while we preview this weekend’s Revival. Plus, Marcus Pye gets the opportunity of a lifetime in a Spitfire.
Look out for our full report of the 2023 Revival in next week’s issue (14 September).
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