Gasly, Sainz and Stroll… like in fairy tales!

Seeing the Monza racetrack without an audience, without the red tide under the podium, hurt all fans of this world, not necessarily just Ferrari fans. A peculiarity that has distinguished the Italian GP for seasons and seasons, which unfortunately in this strange 2020, went missing. In any case, even without the huge crowds, Monza arguably put on one of the craziest races of recent times with a “human” Mercedes what with Hamilton's error in pit lane, and a wounded Ferrari with Vettel and the great fright of Leclerc's accident. Key episodes that, almost unexpectedly, consigned to history one of the strangest and youngest podiums of recent times.



Thanks to a great strategy by AlphaTauri and the great fortune of being at the right place at the right time under the red flag, Pierre Gasly engraves his name among the list of winners of at least one Grand Prix in the premier class. A result that perhaps not even he expected, judging by how the race seemed to be heading without the follies that only Formula 1 offers. His cry of joy at the end of the GP and his shining eyes on the podium say a lot about the state of mind of the former French kart driver, linked to Italy, and one of the most affected by the loss of his friend Hubert, whom he probably thought about while on the podium. In Monza, thus, Italy wins with the ex-Toro Rosso and ex-Minardi, again victorious after the 2008 race win with Sebastian Vettel. Italy wins but karting also wins. Carlos Sainz and Lance Stroll completed a podium behind Gasly that tastes like the good old days when the “three musketeers” competed in the international series and beyond. Carlos Sainz, the next Ferrari driver, almost reached his colleague and rival Gasly in what would have been an equally sensational victory, but he has on his side the maturity of the second career podium, only and exclusively obtained by merit, already from the very first laps of the race. Words too that also relate to Lance Stroll with the much-discussed but perfect Racing Point, also on his second podium and also for merits during a GP where making mistakes was not difficult.



Among the best results of Pierre Gasly, let us remember the second place at the KF3 European Championship in 2010 and the third place at the KF3 World Cup in 2009. For Carlos Sainz, the triumph of the Asia Pacific Championship KF3 in 2008 stands out, the second place in the Championship European KF3 in 2009 and the victory of the Monaco Kart Cup KF3 in 2009. Lance Stroll boasts several Coupe de Montreal between 2008 and 2009, in addition to the "American" victories of the Florida Winter Tour and SuperNats between 2010 and 2012 and then a P2 at the Margutti KF3 Trophy in 2012.

The impression is that the recent generation of karting that has now landed in Formula 1 has only begun to write its own history, penned on track, chapters we're all looking forward to!

S. Corradengo
Photo: Vroom Kart Archive