“Not only does it beat me, but it leads to another level” – Corriere.it

Brutal sincerity, a rare commodity in Formula 1 where the teammate is always the first opponent. It is an unconditional surrender, and it honors the German, fifteenth yesterday while the other climbed in the second row behind the Mercedes and Max Verstappen. It was Maranello’s declared goal for Portimao – “hard court”, as Lewis Hamilton describes it, 97th pole and ready to overtake Schumi with the 92nd hit – Leclerc hit the mark. Taking advantage of technical updates, brushing off the ups and downs, and making no mistakes. Sebastian takes note and sighs: «Not only does he beat me, but he plays in another category. There’s not much I can do, even on laps that look good to me I’m slower. And more than that, I can’t. “Even before starting the engines in the Algarve, the German had praised him:” It is regular, and it manages to get the most out of this machine. “The numbers are ruthless: 10-2 the balance in the standings, two podiums to zero, 46 ​​more points in the standings, eighth place against 13. A bad booty in a bad year for Ferrari, but at least there is confirmation of having a captain, talented and also solid in difficulties Hoping to know how much the new partner will add, Carlos Sainz.

It will take little to do better than Sebastian, who would have liked and should have sought a more joyous ending than his membership in the red. If he speaks without filters it is because he is a genuine child, but also because now he is elsewhere with his head. Everybody ‘Aston martin (now Racing Point) of the billionaire Lawrence WalkI wanted him for the name, for the experience, for the desire for redemption. If he knows how to rekindle, it depends only on him. Yesterday, except for some gusts of crosswind, I had agreed to everything perfectly, including the medium tires so as not to suffer at the start. Finish behind George Russell (At the risk of cutting himself, it would be a sensational injustice for a young talent), with the disastrous Williams, it is terrible.

But the question is another, where can Ferrari go from the fourth box? Leclerc was burned by the Nurburgring, same position at the start for seventh at the finish line. In Portugal, thanks to the latest aerodynamic advances, it seems to have more, but rightly flies low: “Fourth or fifth is a realistic result.” More than the predictions, the sensations count: “The car is not easy to drive, but the performance has increased and is positive”. But we need confirmation of the distance, also to understand the scope of advances in code 2021. Hoping that the uncertain weather does not provoke a tantrum in a land where Italian retirees go to winter.