Three talking points from an epic Italian GP

Leclerc was mighty on Sunday and underlined emphatically his star quality. Arrived? He’s picked up his bags, is out of the airport and already in the hire car…

But the Monegasque’s unforgettable day in the Royal Park was far from unblemished. To put it lightly. Yes, he drove beautifully, but just as in Spa he wasn’t perfect – and there was plenty of controversy in his performance that will stoke major debate before F1 reconvenes in Singapore the weekend after next.

Leclerc’s open aggression

Following the Austrian Grand Prix back in July, Leclerc re-evaluated his approach to racing in F1. He’d just been muscled out of victory by Max Verstappen, unfairly in his opinion, and yet the Red Bull ace had escaped punishment. It dawned on Ferrari’s young star that he had to draw a line: such a defeat would not be allowed to happen again.

At Silverstone, the next round, again Verstappen engaged Leclerc, but this time he found a tougher adversary. Their battle was one for the ages – and to their merit, hard but a fair.

That more aggressive approach Leclerc displayed that day paid off again on Sunday, as he faced just about the most difficult task in motor racing for the second time in a week: holding off a charge from one of the hardest charging racers in history.

Yes, the Ferrari had a clear straight-line advantage – “I need more power, man” – said frustrated hunter Lewis Hamilton, but still, when that silver car looms in your mirrors it takes serious iron to stand firm.

Inevitably, Lewis did eventually get a run on Leclerc, not down the main straight which always left the Merc gasping in the Ferrari’s wake, but through Curva Grande and into the braking zone for the second chicane. And then Leclerc edged Hamilton off the track.

Should he have been penalised? Let’s just say it was a convenient time for the black and white warning flag – the motorsport equivalent of a yellow card – to be re-introduced to F1, seemingly for the first time in years. The stewards had let him off. So much for consistency.

Later, Leclerc made the kind of error we’ve seen from him before. At his age and at such an early stage of his career, mistakes are inevitable – and to his credit, no driver on the grid is more self-critical. But as Leclerc cut the first chicane and quickly recovered his composure, he then made a clear choice as he went on the defensive at Curva Grande: he put a clear block on Hamilton that many, including Lewis himself, judged as dangerous.

Again, the stewards – watching a young man chasing Ferrari’s first win at Monza since 2010 – turned a blind eye. The chicane cut was “noted”. The block? No comment.

Does Leclerc deserve praise for his victory? Of course. But did he also deserve a penalty? Given the precedent set from other such moves earlier in the season, the hard line stewards have previously taken to the letter of the law and their usual lack of flexibility in this era, you’d have to say he was fortunate to get away with it.

Did it have anything to do with the colour of his car and the specific location of this circuit? We couldn’t possibly say.

Bottas falls short again

Hamilton’s threat eventually expired with his medium-compound Pirelli tyres, the champ out-braking himself at the first chicane and resorting to the escape road. Still, that sixth title edges ever nearer. Third was good enough today.

Hamilton’s rare mistake allowed team-mate Valtteri Bottas, on fresher mediums, to take over the Leclerc bombardment. But the Finn was noticeably less convincing when it came to the (attempted) kill.

Bottas experienced the same power shortfall as Hamilton, of course, but he never got anywhere near as close to the Ferrari as Lewis had during his chase. The question has to be asked: why? There was still a great opportunity here to spoil Italy’s day, but it seemed Bottas couldn’t dig deep enough to make a move. No wonder he admitted to being “gutted”.

That lack of edge when it really counts has been a common trait in a driver who has plenty of pace, and class to match out of the cockpit. But what happened to the anger and aggression from the start of the season? It was surely lacking when he needed the most on Sunday.

It hints again how lucky he can count himself that Toto Wolff has kept the faith and re-signed him for 2020. Surely there’s others on the F1 grid who could use that Mercedes to greater effect?

The trouble is, the most obvious candidate is wrapped up and untouchable in purple and blue. Max Verstappen remains the prize (Red) Bull – at least for now.

Another dark day for Vettel

But if Bottas was gutted, consider Sebastian Vettel’s gaunt countenance after a race he’d love to forget – but instead is likely to be haunted by for weeks (and maybe longer).

Vettel made yet another unforced error, spinning out of fourth place at the Ascari chicane. But what he did next was worse – and simply unforgivable, especially for a four-time world champion.

His choice to rejoin in front of Lance Stroll not only ruined a promising day for the Canadian, but much more seriously put both their lives in peril. Stroll clipped Vettel’s Ferrari, but it was only his quick reactions that had averted a terrifying broadside accident. That Stroll then committed the same crime to Pierre Gasly was simply puzzling.

As for Vettel, he thoroughly deserved his 10-second stop-go penalty and the three points on his licence. That makes nine now. Three more and he misses a race.

On this evidence, perhaps that would be for the best. And despite Mattia Binotto’s straight face earlier in the week that Ferrari’s driver line-up is set for 2020, Seb’s future must surely now be in deeper doubt. Is a once-brilliant career unravelling terminally?

There’s only so often we can say Vettel has the ability and experience to turn this sad decline around. We’ve said it before many other races this year… but the Singapore GP could be a vital race for the German. No one needs a big weekend more than Seb right now – and after Monza, a full recovery to his old familiar form would be little short of a miracle.

Photography courtesy of Motorsport Images.