Charles Leclerc secured an extraordinary victory for Ferrari at the Italian Grand Prix, finishing ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
Leclerc, who utilized a one-stop strategy, managed to outperform the McLarens, which employed a two-stop strategy. This unconventional choice allowed Leclerc to maintain the lead despite intense pressure from the McLarens in the final laps. He ultimately won by 2.6 seconds, thrilling the Ferrari fans in the grandstands.
Max Verstappen of Red Bull could only manage a sixth-place finish. Norris reduced his championship deficit to 62 points with a fastest lap performance, cutting Verstappen’s lead by eight points with eight races remaining. McLaren is now just eight points behind Red Bull in the constructors’ championship.
McLaren had locked out the front row of the grid, with Piastri initially leading Norris after an overtaking move around the second chicane on the opening lap. Piastri’s move pushed Norris to third place as Leclerc advanced to second.
Norris, attempting to gain an advantage, made an early pit stop to undercut Leclerc. Although McLaren’s strategy briefly elevated Norris ahead of Leclerc, the latter’s subsequent pit stop allowed him to reclaim his position.
McLaren pitted Piastri to maintain his lead, but Norris struggled with tire wear, dropping back and making a second pit stop on lap 32. Piastri followed suit six laps later.
Ferrari’s one-stop strategy, which initially seemed risky, paid off as Leclerc maintained his lead over Carlos Sainz, who finished fourth. Sainz, however, fell behind both McLarens after his own pit stop.
Leclerc’s win at Monza is his second career victory at the Italian Grand Prix, having first won in 2019. “An incredible feeling,” Leclerc remarked, reflecting on the emotional significance of the win.
McLaren’s Piastri expressed disappointment over the missed win, acknowledging that their strategy might have been flawed. “In hindsight, yes [we should have gone for a one-stop],” Piastri said. “Today we got it wrong.”
Norris, finishing in third, still managed to gain ground in the championship race, needing to score an average of just under eight points more per race than Verstappen to clinch the title.
Further down the grid, Hamilton finished fifth, while Verstappen’s race was hampered by a slow pit stop and a strategic error. The Red Bulls started on hard tires, which contributed to Verstappen’s difficulties. He eventually had to stop again for medium tires.
The second Mercedes driver, George Russell, finished seventh after initially dropping to the back of the field due to a first-corner collision. Alex Albon and Kevin Magnussen rounded out the top ten, with Magnussen facing a potential ban for an incident with Pierre Gasly.
