Ferrari took a surprise pole position for its home race at Monza and made all the correct strategy calls but still lost the race.
As Matt Kew shows in our analysis, the main reasons for that were Red Bull’s novel set-up approach and Verstappen’s sheer speed. Whatever Ferrari tried, it seemed set to lose.
The late safety car appeared to give the team an extra chance, only for that to be dashed because there wasn’t time for a restart. This has created some controversy, even within the Autosport office and between experienced and seasoned F1 observers.
Alex Kalinauckas argues for an alternative approach, one which would surely please many fans but could also be argued would take F1 further away from a meritocratic sport and more towards pure entertainment, not to mention increase the risk of costly damage
in the time of a cost cap…
While Verstappen took another step towards a seemingly inevitable second world crown, there were several other championship storylines playing out.
Hyundai found controversy on the Acropolis Rally, despite scoring a historic 1-2-3. Tom Howard reports on Thierry Neuville’s win over Ott Tanak.
Gary Watkins was at Fuji to see Toyota dominate and set up a World Endurance title showdown with Alpine, while David Malsher-Lopez explains the change in approach that helped Will Power to a second IndyCar crown at Laguna Seca.
UK motorsport’s response to the death of Queen Elizabeth II leads our 17-page National section, which includes reports from Brands Hatch, Anglesey, Donington Park, Silverstone, Mondello Park and Santa Pod.
It’s also time for our latest free Engineering supplement, which focuses on historic racing and opportunities to forge a career in motorsport. The story of the sensational new BRM V16, Goodwood Revival preview and a look at education opportunities all feature.
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