The Formula 1 Italian Gran Prix yesterday was incredible. Easily one of the most exciting races in a LONG time. Lots of battles, overtaking, drama, and for the first time in forever (at least for about a dozen laps,) Red Bull and Max Verstappen were actually challenged. I applaud Ferrari; if you're going to bring it, bring it at your home race. What I don't understand is how Ferrari allowed Charles LeClerc to risk EVERYTHING at the end fighting Carlos Sainz for P3. That little battle there in the last couple of laps could have ruined Ferrari's day entirely. I get that every driver wants a podium if not the win, but LeClerc nearly ended the race for BOTH the team's cars acting greedily. Driver of the day? Sainz. He was poised and collected the whole race; he did what he needed to do, even when his best wasn't enough, and he landed a much-deserved podium finish. Second driver of the day? Checo. Man, that guy has heart. Being measured against the living Christ that is Verstappen, to fight the way he did into P2 was impressive.
And in the midfield, Bottas nabbed the last points finish. I questioned the strategy at first, starting Zhou on mediums and Bottas on hards, but as I saw it unfold, Bottas taking mediums for the final stint while everyone ahead of him were on aging hards, it made sense (though my fingers, toes, and balls were all crossed hoping that a two-stopper wasn't the plan.) I'm not too quick to give credit to Alfa Romeo for their "genius" (once bitten, twice shy; they probably just got lucky and/or Bottas maximized what he had to work with,) but it worked nonetheless. I almost broke open my bottle of Oath gin to celebrate the ONE point he got, but reason prevailed in the end; my coveted Oath gin is still sealed. It won't happen in this year's Alfa Romeo, but if Bottas gets a podium, I'll not only open the Oath, I will chug the entire thing, drive to the hospital, have my stomach immediately pumped back into the original bottle, and re-seal it.
And in the midfield, Bottas nabbed the last points finish. I questioned the strategy at first, starting Zhou on mediums and Bottas on hards, but as I saw it unfold, Bottas taking mediums for the final stint while everyone ahead of him were on aging hards, it made sense (though my fingers, toes, and balls were all crossed hoping that a two-stopper wasn't the plan.) I'm not too quick to give credit to Alfa Romeo for their "genius" (once bitten, twice shy; they probably just got lucky and/or Bottas maximized what he had to work with,) but it worked nonetheless. I almost broke open my bottle of Oath gin to celebrate the ONE point he got, but reason prevailed in the end; my coveted Oath gin is still sealed. It won't happen in this year's Alfa Romeo, but if Bottas gets a podium, I'll not only open the Oath, I will chug the entire thing, drive to the hospital, have my stomach immediately pumped back into the original bottle, and re-seal it.