For the fourth time this year, Max was on the top rung with the biggest trophy. Fernando, for the first time in almost nine years (he had not finished second since the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix), smiled from the second step. One foot on his step and the other on Verstappen's. A gesture, a metaphor, a reflection of his intentions, a foot on the 33 that had just escaped.
and narrowly escaped. Monaco, was the place, the scenario chosen by Alonso and Aston Martin to skip the script. A
a date marked in red on the calendar to try to beat the untouchables of
Red Bull
. The only place where the car ceases to be essential and in the distribution of responsibilities the talent of the human being who sits inside it has a greater weight. Territory
alonso
but also territory
Verstappen
.
Saturday's battle was one of the most memorable in recent times in the
Formula 1
. The two drivers in the best shape of the season met for the first time on equal terms.
Ferdinand
stroked the pole. I had it with two curves to go, but
Max
risked, brushed against the wall three times and managed to beat him by only eight hundredths. The Dutchman was very close to disaster, but he took the glory and the first position on the grid that in
Monaco
it's almost half a win
The battle in the race was another madness. With almost no changes in the standings on a circuit where overtaking is a chimera, the rain gave away a few minutes halfway between drama and chaos. It started raining only in one part of the circuit so making decisions was very difficult. torrential rain in
Mirabeau
and
Loewes
and completely dry on the rest of the route.
Aston Martin
He took a risk and stopped Fernando very soon, but without knowing which wheels to put on. They opted for dry and failed. The deluge spread to the rest of the circuit and they had to stop again to correct the mistake.
Verstappen
he did it a lap later and by then it was clear what decision to make. Lucky that the mattress
alonso
with the third classified, Esteban Ocon, allowed him to stop again without losing position otherwise the decision would have cost them second place. There the options of pressing Max disappeared, who, even without anyone close in pressure, slipped throughout the circuit. He touched the wall again on two occasions, but there were no consequences. He took the victory, his fourth of the year and increased his lead in the championship because
Checo Perez
did not score. And deep down, despite the difficult moments, I think he had a great time. He is a born competitor and enjoys when the opponent's level is very similar to his own.. He respects Fernando because deep down they are of the same species and he knows that a victory like this, in a setting like this, with a rival like this has much more value.
Fortune did not smile on
Carlos Sainz
who was brave, aggressive, ambitious, but to whom a more than debatable strategy of
Ferrari
condemned him.
Mercedes
He returned to minimize damage, one of his specialties lately, and despite the fact that they have admitted that they were wrong with the W14 bet, they are third in the world championship, just one point behind
Aston Martin
.
Of course, the difference is that they have two drivers who have a similar performance and score points.
alonso
he is alone.
Lance Stroll
has now gone two Grands Prix without scoring points and his performance on both Saturday and Sunday is a far cry from that of Fernando. Perhaps this is the weakest point of
Aston Martin
which despite the five podiums in six races wants more, like us, like Alonso, but without forgetting that what they are living is simply magical.