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Charles Leclerc is adamant he and Carlos Sainz were “on the limit” in their captivating Italian Grand Prix duel after ignoring the “no risk” order from the Ferrari pit wall.
Despite stout defensive work from Sainz, in particular, after starting from pole position, it was inevitable that Max Verstappen and Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez manoeuvred their way into a one-two finish.
That left Sainz and Leclerc to duke it out over the closing laps for the final podium place, with team principal Fred Vasseur issuing an instruction they were free to race but with “no risk”.
Those words are open to interpretation as Leclerc tried on a number of occasions to attack Sainz into the first chicane, with his last attempt on the final lap, especially, almost leading to a collision, with the Monégasque negotiating a significant lock-up that forced him into taking to the escape road.
In the end, the Tifosi were granted their wish of seeing one of their heroes on the podium, although it was so close to both ending up out of the race.
Despite the “no risk” instruction, Leclerc said: “It was on the limits. Carlos was on the limit of the regulations on braking, and I was on the limit of the regulations on attacking. This is normal.
“It means a lot to both of us to be on the podium in front of the Tifosi, so we gave it our all, and we also know how important it is for the Tifosi to have one red car – whoever it is – on the podium.
“We had that in mind but we also both really enjoyed it. It was cool. In the end, it all ended well, so it’s all fine.”
The scenes after the race were clearly worth the risk, with Sainz celebrated by the massed ranks of the fans in red beneath the podium dias. In contrast, and perhaps unsurprisingly, Verstappen and Sainz were almost anonymous.
Once the podium celebrations had abated, the fans remained, and when Leclerc made an appearance, he, too, was shown appreciation from the Tifosi who, over the years, have made clear they love nothing more than seeing their drivers give their all.
Whilst there would have been the hope of more from a one-three start on the grid, in the end, a three-four finish was the most that was possible, even if nerves will have been fraught over those closing laps.
“I honestly really enjoyed it,” enthused Leclerc. “It’s probably the most enjoyable race of the season, inside the helmet at least.
“I am sure that on the pit wall, they wouldn’t give the same answer, and the Tifosi maybe didn’t enjoy it as much as we did, but this is exactly what racing should be.
“In the past, with Max, I’ve had similar fights, and Checo was on the limit, too. Again, with Carlos, it was on the limit, whether it was defending or attacking, and that made it really enjoyable inside the car.
“In the end, we’ve maximised the points for the team. It was the maximum we could have done.”
