“It can happen,” the Spaniard said. “Nothing is impossible. If I get a good start, I will do everything I can to stay ahead of Max.

“This year, 100% of races they have been clearly quicker. That makes me think it is not going to be easy at all. They will try to to get past one way or another.

“But something could happen. We could have a particularly good day. I am just going to try, go in open-minded, drive as if I can win the race, and then adapt to the circumstances and race pace of each car.

“I am just going to enjoy starting from pole for Ferrari at Monza. It is going to be fun.”

Twenty-four hours earlier, after he had set the fastest time in Friday practice on his 29th birthday, Sainz had been asked whether he might be able to take pole the following day.

“Dreaming is for free, no?” he said. “This is one of my favourite sayings. I think we can all dream and no-one can it take away from us.”

That dream came true. Whether this one can is a different matter.

On Friday, he went on to speak of “being realistic”, accepting that the Red Bull had better race pace, as it had shown all year, as it showed again in the long runs in practice.

And, despite the adrenaline that comes from being cheered by tens of thousands of Italian fans, he accepted the same on Saturday.

“The car has been very good this weekend, especially over one lap,” Sainz said. “But on the long runs, I am not going to lie, it is tricker. It is not the same picture.

“As soon as you put five or six laps on the tyre and everything starts to degrade a bit, it is where we see their strengths and the race pace we have seen all year.

“It is a good opportunity. Being realistic, the Red Bull should be quicker. But we will try to make their lives as complicated as possible and try to take the win.”