Championship Trophy

Clearly, when Ferrari wins at Monza the party really gets going and that’s just what happened on Sunday as Charles Leclerc took the chequered flag at. Indeed, it reminded me of that 2003 race, when Michael Schumacher, in the F2003-GA, and Juan Pablo Montoya, in an on-song Williams FW25, fought it out almost all race long. The battle between Michael and Juan Pablo on the opening lap at the Roggia chicane was very similar to that between Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton at Ascari on lap 23 of Sunday’s race. The Ferrari man did not back down and was on the limit of what the rules allow, as great champions always are and have to be. In fact, Leclerc was also very shrewd in the way he handled the situation in that truly bizarre Q3 qualifying session on Saturday. Following on from his win in Spa the previous Sunday, Charles had an incredible weekend. The thing that impresses me most about him is how quickly he learns from everything he does, getting better all the time, as a driver...

Topping the list of those who were disappointed on Sunday has to be Max Verstappen. The Dutchman’s race was all over after a few hundred metres, following a collision with Kimi Räikkönen at La Source, much to the despair of the sea of orange that indicates the presence of his home fans who flocked to the Ardennes, just as they do at so many of the European races. However, Verstappen looked to be facing a tough task right from the start of the weekend, because on a track like Spa, Red Bull clearly had to give best to not just Mercedes but Ferrari too. Honda has undoubtedly made great progress this season but it’s still not quite a match for its rivals on certain tracks. Max might have hoped to finish fifth and maybe a bit more, given that Vettel was struggling with his tyres but on Sunday, a podium was not on. However, there’s a big gap between that and having to walk back to the pits, helmet in hand just a few moments after the start. “It was of course not a great end to...