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Ferrari leaders have the right to be happy after the last race, considering that their driver Charles Leclerc showed his qualities in the best way, and managed to achieve a positive result.
Charles Leclerc clinched his second victory of the season and his second career win at the Italian Grand Prix, thanks to a skillful race and a one-stop pit strategy. Oscar Piastri took second place, but he couldn’t close the gap to Leclerc in the closing laps. Lando Norris rounded out the podium in third after dropping from pole position at the race's start.
Carlos Sainz put in a solid effort to secure fourth place, employing a one-stop strategy as well. Lewis Hamilton crossed the line in fifth after utilizing a two-stop approach in his Mercedes, finishing well ahead of Max Verstappen, who was sixth. George Russell and Sergio Perez had an exciting race, finishing in seventh and eighth, respectively. Alexander Albon delivered his usual strong performance at Monza, putting his Williams in the top 10, while Kevin Magnussen rounded out the top 10 despite receiving a 10-second penalty.
Norris held on to the lead from his pole position through the first corner but lost it to Piastri by the third corner after a brief skid. This misstep put him in a vulnerable position for the fourth corner, where Leclerc managed to pass him. George Russell encountered problems at the first corner when he collided with Piastri, which damaged his front wing and caused him to cut the corner, dropping him four positions.
At the race's outset, Daniel Ricciardo pushed Nico Hulkenberg off the track, earning a 5-second penalty for the maneuver. Hulkenberg then appeared to exact revenge by crashing into Tsunoda in the first corner, which led to Tsunoda's retirement. On lap 11, Perez managed to pass Russell for seventh place, and Russell followed by pitting for fresh tires a lap later.
On lap 15, Norris tried to gain an advantage over Leclerc with an undercut, but Leclerc countered the move on the following lap. Norris managed to create enough of a gap with his fresh tires to rejoin ahead of Leclerc. Piastri pitted a lap later and kept his lead. Sainz made his tire change on lap 20. The Red Bull drivers, who had started on hard tires, briefly occupied the top two spots, but Verstappen’s slow pit stop for another set of hard tires indicated increased tire wear and a likely two-stop strategy.
Norris made a mistake in the fourth corner on lap 32, which allowed Leclerc to close in. Norris then pitted for the second time immediately afterward, positioning him to challenge Verstappen for fifth place, who had yet to complete his second stop.
Piastri continued to build his lead at the front. After his pit stop, he emerged ahead of both Verstappen and Norris. Norris passed Verstappen in his second attempt and pursued Piastri and the Ferraris, who were aiming for a one-stop finish. By lap 45, Piastri had overtaken Sainz in the Ascari chicane, giving him six laps to close an 11-second gap to Leclerc.
Norris succeeded in catching Sainz for a podium spot. The battle for the win came down to Leclerc, who was defending his lead on worn tires, and Piastri, who was on fresher rubber. Ultimately, Leclerc crossed the finish line first, 2.5 seconds ahead of Piastri, securing Ferrari’s first home win since 2019 to the jubilant cheers of the Tifosi.
Charles Leclerc: It’s an incredible feeling
In an interview with the media, Charles Leclerc pointed out that it is a special feeling to have a victory like this. The Monegasque could not hide his emotions after his impressive performance, which will surely open the door for even greater success in the coming period. He admitted that Monaco and Monza are races that carry a special emotion and desire. It's a racing profile where he wants to give his best, do great things, and achieve victory.
“It’s an incredible feeling. Actually I thought that the first time would just feel like this, and then the second time – if there was a second time – wouldn’t feel as special, but my god, the emotions in the last few laps, exactly the same like in 2019.
Just watching the grandstands inside of the track – which is tricky! – but incredible.
I mean Monaco and Monza are the two races I want to win every year. Obviously I want to win as many races as possible, and the World Championship as soon as possible, but these are the two most important races of the season and I managed to win them this year. It’s so, so special.”-Charles Leclerc said, as quoted by F1.
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