Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur has defended his team’s decision to allow Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc to fight one another during the Italian Grand Prix.

Sainz started from pole and led the opening laps, closely followed by eventual winner Max Verstappen and Leclerc in third.

Verstappen eventually found a way through, triggering a battle between the two Ferrari drivers that lasted much of the rest of the race.

That built to a climax in the final laps when left to battle for third, Leclerc locked up heavily into the first chicane and only narrowly avoided contact with Sainz.

“If I froze the positions you will have exactly the same question; Why did you free the situation,” Vasseur said of the call to allow his drivers to race.

“For sure it’s easier to comment when you have an empty hand but I think it was also the best way to thank everybody; the support of the tifosi and so on.

“I was not very comfortable to freeze something five laps before the end,” he added.

“I trust them, I told them no risk at all – it’s always relative and I think the notion of no risk is all relative, but it’s an opinion and I’m quite proud of the decision and the job done by the drivers today.”

Vasseur added that he had the last call on allowing the pair to duke it out on track.

That resulted in Sainz finishing third and Leclerc fourth, the best-combined result for the Scuderia in 2023.

It’s a point Vasseur acknowledged, though one he suggested was somewhat predictable given performances earlier in the season.

“It’s the best because we had a strong pace all over the weekend,” the Ferrari boss reasoned.

“It was also our best quali – if you consider Baku, we are one and fifth, I think that we are one and third [in Monza qualifying].

“It’s the first time that we are able to fight with Red Bull. The Red Bull pace was better than us for sure, but we were able to stay in touch for a good part of the race.

“I’m more than pleased also for Carlos because I think he did a step forward – not necessarily in the quali and the race, but I would say in the preparation of the weekend and from lap one, Free Practice 1 he was there.

“It’s a good lesson for the rest of the season.”