Verstappen managed to snatch the position of privilege in Hamilton at the start, for the Italian GP
the Dutch Max Verstappen (Red Bull), leader of the Formula 1 World Championship, snatched the pole this Saturday from the British Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) in the sprint classification ofthe Monza Grand Prix.
In the second sprint classification in the history of F1, after Silverstone, Hamilton paid for his terrible start and lost three positions on the grid to place fifth, with Max Verstappen taking advantage to take the ‘pole’, as the Finn Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes), despite winning this Saturday’s mini-race, he will come out in last place after being penalized to change its power unit.
Australian Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) will start second, while his teammate, the British Lando Norris, will start in third place.
After a Saturday started with Hamilton in command in the second freestyle, the sprint classification revolutionized the balance and Verstappen took a major advantage.
It was due to a good start from the Dutchman, but especially from a terrible start from Hamilton, who was overtaken by the current World Cup leader and also by Daniel Ricciardo.
Hamilton also rubbed Lando Norris and got stuck in traffic. Of course, he managed to avoid contacts that could worsen his situation, while the Frenchman Pierre Gasly (Alpha Tauri), winner of the 2020 edition of this Grand Prix, crashed into the protective barriers.
Bottas took command of the race and defended his margin without much difficulty, chased by a Verstappen who, aware that the Finn would also come out in last place for his penalty, had no need to take any chances.
Neither did Ricciardo and Norris suffer particularly to defend their positions from pressure from Hamilton, who, after a first attempt to cut the margin in the first laps, opted for a more conservative career.
As for the Spanish drivers, Carlos Sainz, who this Saturday was the protagonist of a strong accident in the second pounds, with no consequences for health, was seventh, with his teammate, the Monegasque Charles Leclerc, who will leave sixth.
Fernando Alonso, one of the big stars in the Silverstone sprint standings, will be eleventh on the grid this Sunday.
At the end of the test, the Italian athlete Marcell Jacobs, winner of the gold medal in the 100 meters at the Tokyo Games, awarded Bottas, Verstappen and Ricciardo.