Max Verstappen expressed empathy for Carlos Sainz post-race before the Italian Grand Prix podium ceremony.
The Dutch racer clinched his tenth consecutive victory. This remarkable feat necessitated his surmounting of Sainz, who had the pole position.
However, Verstappen found himself momentarily delayed as Sainz exhibited a staunch defence in the initial laps, leaving no stone unturned in his endeavour to provide Ferrari with an opportunity to triumph on their home turf.
Despite these valiant efforts, it was on the fifteenth lap, following a slip-up by Sainz, that Verstappen seized his chance.
The Red Bull driver overtook Sainz and never relinquished his lead, ultimately securing another triumph for Red Bull, uncontested from that pivotal moment onwards.
The outcome of the race was heavily influenced by tire performance, the Maranello based team showcased impressive top speed at Monza, but their tyre degradation was their own enemy.
In the post-race cool-down room, Verstappen said: “I felt sorry for you, you were sliding like crazy,” as he sympathized with the Ferrari driver.
The Spaniard having conceded 2 places, had to battle his teammate for the last podium spot. Speaking after the race he said: “It cannot get any tougher than what it was today,” he said, after taking the appreciation of a crowd which knew he had done everything he could out on track.
“Honestly, the whole race I was pushing very hard to keep the Red Bulls behind. That made me use the rear tyres a lot, trying to keep up with them and trying to keep them behind. In the end, I ended up paying the price.
“Today it was obvious that we were wearing the tyres a bit more and we were lacking a bit of pace. But it was definitely a step forward compared to Zandvoort. This weekend we were best of the rest, which is a good result for the team given the circumstances.”
