Courage is rewarded

Formula 1 in Monza: The race LIVE from 3pm

Charles Leclerc wins in Monza!

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Charles Leclerc has clinched a home victory for Ferrari at the Italian Grand Prix. He finished ahead of the two McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Ferrari's courage in opting for a one-stop strategy was rewarded in the end. Red Bull, meanwhile, had another afternoon to forget. 

With a courageous tire strategy, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc gave the Scuderia an unexpected Formula 1 home win at the Italian Grand Prix. On Sunday in Monza, the Monegasque outmaneuvered the long-time leader Oscar Piastri and pole-setter Lando Norris with a one-stop strategy and won just ahead of the McLaren duo. Norris reduced his deficit in the championship standings on Max Verstappen in the Red Bull, who finished sixth, to 62 points with eight races to go.

Here is the final standings:

In the constructors' championship, McLaren is now only eight points behind the Austrian-British team Red Bull Racing. The Papaya team gave away what they thought was a certain one-two victory on the high-speed circuit just outside Milan with a two-stop strategy, while Ferrari successfully played poker and caused ecstasy among the Tifosi in the stands. It was the Scuderia's second win of the season after Leclerc had triumphed in his home race in Monaco.

Sainz misses out on a podium on his birthday
"Mamma mia," Leclerc radioed to the pits after his seventh GP victory in total and thanked the team for the "great strategy" with a long speech in Italian. Carlos Sainz in the second Ferrari, who also only changed his tires once, drove past the podium in fourth place on his 30th birthday. Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton finished fifth, while Argentinian Williams debutant Franco Colapinto put in a talented performance in twelfth.

Verstappen had messed up qualifying on Saturday and had to start a race to catch up from seventh on the grid directly in front of team-mate Sergio Perez, who finished eighth. Unlike their immediate rivals, the two Red Bull drivers started the race on the hardest tire compound. New asphalt had been laid on the high-speed circuit in Monza in the run-up to the race, leaving the racing teams in the dark about strategy due to the increased tire wear.

Norris was at the front of the grid for the second time in a row and shared the front row with Piastri. Although Norris made it through the first chicane in the lead, seconds later Piastri squeezed past his teammate with a courageous maneuver on the outside of the second chicane. Leclerc also overtook Norris, a serious setback for the Briton with world championship ambitions. McLaren had emphasized in advance that there would be no stable order.

However, Mercedes driver George Russell, who started the race from third place, had misjudged his position in the first corner, which allowed Verstappen and others to move up a position. On the 15th of 53 laps, Norris was the first driver in the leading field to pit, and the Zandvoort winner easily overtook Leclerc thanks to the so-called undercut with an additional lap on fast tires.

Disaster for Red Bull
Verstappen was allowed to complete several lead laps due to the mirrored strategy. On lap 22, the Red Bull star switched to the hardest tire compound again, and the Dutchman's anger after the botched 6.2-second pit stop manifested itself in a bang on the steering wheel.

At the front, Norris drove behind Piastri, and the runner-up in the world championship was also given permission to attack his colleague. "You can fight with Oscar, Papaya rules," Norris was told on the radio. However, the 24-year-old lost contact due to degrading tires and again had to pit earlier than the competition. Piastri also made another change, while the two Ferrari drivers squeezed their tires to the limit.

This poker paid off in the end. Piastri got closer to the leader Leclerc, but it was not enough. Italian soccer legend Alessandro Del Piero waved off the Ferrari drivers with the chequered flag, setting the tone for a Ferrari celebration day at home.