Sainz: Tried to keep red bull behind, it almost cost me a podium

It was always going to be an arduous task for Carlos Sainz to transform his brilliant pole position at Monza into a win, not with Max Verstappen chasing a tenth consecutive Formula 1 victory this season armed with the formidable RB19.

But the Spaniard did not go down without a fight, as he gave Verstappen a tough time at the start of the race, as the Dutchman tried to pass the #55 Ferrari whose driver put up some decent defensive driver, remaining composed under the relentless pressure of the Red Bull ace.

And one the inevitable happened - Verstappen went through - Sainz had to defend from his teammate Charles Leclerc who was fancying a podium for himself in front of the Tifosi, while Sergio Perez starting from fifth was feeling racy also targeting a top three finish.

In the end the top two positions were sealed as the SF-23s could not keep up with the RB19s, and the two Red cars fought each others for the final podium spot, Sainz emerging on top.

"I gave it everything. It was good fun," Sainz said after the race. "But then we had tyre degradations. I had to try to stay ahead of the Red bull and managed to be on the podium. It was a very hard race.

"It can't get any tougher than it was today," he added. "To keep up with the Red Bulls, I paid the price with the rear tyres but I did everything I could to defend. I tried everything to keep the Red Bull behind. It almost cost me a podium.

"I had a hard time managing the tyres. I managed to nurse the tyres. I had to push in the corners. I did not want to go home without trying to get the podium. I used all the life of the tires. The stints were just too long for us," he explained.

Verstappen complained over the team radio as he chased Sainz that the Ferrari was fast in the straight line, and that was not strange given how slim a rear wing the Scuderia were running.

"We had a lot of top speed without DRS, " Sainz pointed out. This generated a good battle, but in the end, we need DRS. It is difficult to follow. Monza is a special place. But in other tracks we are going to need DRS."

Towards the end of the race, with Verstappen and Perez safe in first and second, the Ferrari pit wall had quite a tense time as their drivers fought tooth and nail for the final podium position, Leclerc giving it all to be the driver waving to the Tifosi from the podium, but it was not his day.

Sainz joked: " I feel sorry for Fred. He must have it hard on the pit wall. But in the end, we finished P3 and P4 without a contact. We got some good constructors points and we need to be continuing to score points."

As for the fight with Leclerc, he said: "Hard racing, it's always a pleasure to race Charles when we had a chance. We had fun out there! You cannot get tougher than today. I brought the car home.

"I never felt too much of a risk," the Spaniard insisted. "With a teammate you always feel there is more chances because we managed to keep it clean I had fun with Charles and with Max and Sergio. I would have like to be the one attacking instead of the one defending"

Sainz was heard over the team radio asking the team to give instructions for Leclerc to back off masking by saying: "Lets' bring this home."

However he claimed he would've understood of the team asked him to make way for his teammate, he said: "I would have understood both ways. Either Charles trying to get a podium.

"It depends on a subjective position or feeling. It was nice team mate battle. In the end I tis what the spectators want to see and I had fun doing it," Sainz maintained.

Later in Ferrari's race report, Sainz credited his team for the job they have done over their F1 weekend at home, and said: "It was a great weekend all along and to be able to celebrate a podium with the tifosi is the perfect icing on the cake!

"I really want to thank every single one of them for their endless support. They are very special," he concluded.

(Additional reporting by Agnes Carlier)