RB will waste the field. The vibe I get is Max is pushing at about 85%. I think they are monitoring their pace so as to not look too fast to avoid sudden regulation changes. Merc did it for years. It’s no surprise RB now drink from that cup. If Perez can’t secure p2, maybe that’s the last straw and they go for Albon or Danny next year. Which would be epic. #DareToDream
Ferrari have seemed lost at sea for some time, and they are bringing no updates. I unfortunately don’t have confidence in the Ferrari team or car. Shal seems to crack under pressure and looks disheartened. Which Sainz is going to show up? Cool and calculated or irrational and crash prone?
Impressive resurgence from AMR. They seemed to have resolved some big woes. I’m willing to venture as far as P3 or 4 for Fred in quali and race. He seemed able to easily pass both Merc and Ferrari in Zandvoort. I know Monza is different but nothing’s like Zandvoort. I expect similar pace advantage with AMR’s continuing updates. Monza will render if AMR have resolved their top speed and DRS troubles for real.
I don’t know what to expect from Merc. Did they transfer the turd pod group to race strategy? Their strategy has been consistently struggling and doesn’t seem to be improving. The car also seems a bit dodgy in quali, but consistently better in race pace. It will be exciting to watch the continuing battle between Lewis and Fred — that’s an old unsettled score we have been deprived of for over a decade. Nice to see it back as they have very comparable rides.