In the Driver’s Seat

No Italian delight for tifosi as Max Verstappen completes perfect 10, close racing thrills crowd

Ferrari fans were hoping for Carlos Sainz, who started in pole position, to claim victory over leader Max Verstappen of Red Bull at the Italian Grand Prix. PHOTO: REUTERS
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Well, so much for the so-called Curse of Monza. The one where recent winners – notably Charles Leclerc in 2019, Pierre Gasly in 2020 and Daniel Ricciardo in 2021, all returned having won the previous year’s race, only to meet trouble the next time they raced there.

Max Verstappen won the 2022 race, so the gloomy pundits predicted an end to his 2023 rampage.

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