Charles and Carlos: “How great to have the fans back with us!”

The special atmosphere at Monza and the return of the fans in the stands were the main talking points for the Scuderia Ferrari drivers when they met the media in the usual Thursday FIA press conference. “This weekend is very special for me,” said Charles. “Already yesterday, when we were in Milan for some promotional appearances, we were given a warm reception by the people and this morning, outside my hotel there were about a hundred supporters waiting for me. It’s nice, especially after so many races here in Italy without spectators. We hope to put on a good show for them, even if, on paper the track does not particularly suit the characteristics of our car.”

Busy weekend. Leclerc is confident he can do well, even by exploiting the Sprint Qualifying format which is back this weekend, after it was tried for the first time at Silverstone. “I’m a fan of this system, because it means there is something important on every day. We only get one free practice session before going into qualifying and that will reward the ability of those teams that prepare well and then on Saturday there’s a hundred kilometre race to make the day interesting. So on Sunday, we have the traditional Grand Prix, but coming at the end of what is a more fun weekend for the public and the drivers.”

First time in red. For Carlos Sainz, this will be his first race at Monza as a Scuderia driver. “Last year when we came to race in Italy it had already been announced that I would be a Ferrari driver this season and I could already sense a change in the fans’ attitude towards me. But these past few day I have really felt it under my skin, being part of this team. There’s a crazy affection for us, I can’t find a better word to describe it,” affirmed Carlos. “As Charles said, this race doesn’t look like being easy for us, but the support from the fans, plus the added unpredictability of the Sprint Qualifying format could help us find an extra twist and make the difference. I have faith, as does the whole team and that’s why I can't wait to get out on track.”