Ferrari's Vasseur Regrets Missing 'Magic' Monza Podium Moment

Fred Vasseur has expressed significant disappointment after Ferrari failed to secure a podium finish at their home Italian Grand Prix in Monza, denying the Tifosi what he called a "magic" moment. Charles Leclerc finished fourth, just shy of a top-three spot.

Why it matters:

• A podium at Monza is a sacred moment for Ferrari and its passionate fanbase, the Tifosi, who traditionally flood the track for the celebration.
• Despite strong efforts, Ferrari has struggled to consistently challenge Red Bull, and a home podium would have provided a much-needed morale boost.

The details:

• Charles Leclerc finished fourth, 4.273 seconds behind Oscar Piastri's McLaren in third. Teammate Lewis Hamilton secured sixth after starting 10th.
• Leclerc, a two-time Monza winner, cited early tire overheating issues as a key factor preventing a podium finish, stating it "was not possible."
• Vasseur acknowledged the early struggles: "We massively overheated the tyres," which compromised the following laps and allowed rivals to pull away.
• Despite an improved second stint on medium tires, closing the gap to McLaren, it wasn't enough to secure a top-three spot.

By the numbers:

• Leclerc's fourth place was his closest finish to a McLaren all season.
• This marks Leclerc's third time missing a top-three finish at Monza, alongside two victories and two runner-up spots.

What Vasseur said:

"Overall, I'm disappointed to not be able to bring a podium to the Tifosi because when you see the pit lane, and the start-finish line at the podium, it would have been magic, and they would have deserved it."

He added, "We were close to the McLaren, probably the smallest gap of the season," but admitted Max Verstappen was "outstanding" and "much faster than us."

What's next:

Ferrari will continue to analyze their performance, particularly early race tire management, as they aim to improve their package and challenge rivals in upcoming races. The team will seek to carry any positive momentum from their relative competitiveness against McLaren into the next Grand Prix.