Verstappen โDominates Monza,โฃ Ferrari Reflects on Lauda โฃLegacy
MONZA, Italy โค- Max โVerstappen secured a commanding victoryโฃ at โคthe Italian Grand Prix on September 3, โ2023, further solidifying his championship lead.The win, tho, unfolded against โa backdropโฃ of remembrance for Ferrari’s storied โคpast, particularly the legacy of Niki Lauda.
While โฃFerrari hoped for a home win, the team finished fourth (Charles Leclerc) andโฃ sixth (Lewis Hamilton).The race โคmarked the 50th anniversary of Lauda’s first World Championship title with Ferrari, won on September 7, 1975, which secured the championship earlyโ for the Austrian driver. He later triumphed with Ferrari in 1977 and with McLaren in โ1984.Ferrari honored Lauda byโ running a carโฃ reminiscent of his 1975 championship-winning vehicle, andโฃ both Leclerc and Hamiltonโค sported helmets payingโฃ tribute to the motorsport legend,โ who died in 2019. hamilton, โwho had โขa close relationship with Lauda, โขrecreated aโฃ photo of Lauda taken after his 1975โ title win, posting it with the caption โข”Dedicato a niki” (“Dedicated to Niki”). He stated, “I am glad that we can honor niki this โweekend with aโ special designโ and helmet, even if it โalways โคfeels like he โคisโฃ still with me.”
Despite the tributes, Ferrari faces challenges with โHamilton’s performance. Team boss Frรฉdรฉric Vasseur acknowledged underestimatingโ the veteran’sโค adjustment, โขnoting, “sometimes he goes too hard by โขcar, sometimes with himself. He demands a lot. From others, but โalso of himself. I can live with that.”
Historically, โformer Ferrariโฃ drivers achieved success more quickly: Michael โSchumacher won inโ his seventh race with the team (1996), โฃFernandoโ Alonso atโ his premiereโข (2010), andโ Sebastianโ Vettel on his second attempt (2015). Hamilton’s โ16thโฃ attempt in Monza puts him onโ track to possibly set a negative record,surpassed โonly by Didier Pironi,who never โฃreached a podiumโข finish inโ 1981/82. Ferrari’sโค patience with Hamilton, โwhose salary is in the double-digit millions, may be limited.Wurz F3 season Recap
Charlie Wurz concluded the Formula 3โ championshipโค with two third-place finishes in sprint races and a โฃfourth-place result in the โคHungarian main race,โค finishing 13thโฃ overall while driving โfor โTrident.