Charles Leclerc thrilled Ferrari fans with a strategic victory at Monza, fending off Oscar Piastri to win the Italian Grand Prix by 2.664 seconds.
Leclerc Seizes Victory at Monza with Brilliant One-Stop Strategy
Charles Leclerc delivered a stunning performance at the Italian Grand Prix, winning Ferrari’s home race by holding off a fast-closing Oscar Piastri. Leclerc’s strategic mastery in managing a one-stop race plan proved decisive, allowing him to cross the finish line 2.664 seconds ahead of Piastri, who opted for fresher tires and a two-stop strategy.
Starting from pole, Lando Norris initially held the lead, but an ambitious move by Piastri unsettled Norris, giving Leclerc the opportunity to slip past. While Leclerc couldn’t match Piastri’s pace, Ferrari’s decision to stick with a one-stop strategy paid off, as Piastri eventually needed an extra pit stop.
Despite the McLaren team’s hopes that Piastri could make his tires last, the Australian driver confirmed he needed a second stop, which handed Leclerc the lead. Leclerc’s teammate, Carlos Sainz, played a crucial role by holding up Piastri long enough for Leclerc to build a comfortable gap.
In the final laps, Piastri rapidly closed in on Leclerc, reducing an 11.9-second gap to just 2.7 seconds, but it wasn’t enough to catch the Ferrari driver. The Monza crowd erupted in celebration as Leclerc took the checkered flag.
Piastri finished a commendable second but admitted the result “hurt” after his late charge fell short. Norris completed the podium in third, having recovered from Piastri’s unexpected first-corner move and battling Max Verstappen throughout the race.
Sainz, despite struggling with tire degradation, finished fourth, ahead of Lewis Hamilton in fifth. Hamilton had a strong start, defending against Verstappen, who suffered from a slow pit stop and a disappointing final stint, finishing sixth.
George Russell recovered from early race contact and damage to finish seventh, overtaking Sergio Perez, who ended up eighth. Alex Albon finished ninth, with Kevin Magnussen rounding out the top ten despite a 10-second penalty for a clash with Pierre Gasly. Fernando Alonso narrowly missed out on points, finishing 11th after the penalty was applied.
Williams driver Franco Colapinto impressed in his first F1 race, finishing 12th. Further down the order, Daniel Ricciardo, Esteban Ocon, and Pierre Gasly finished outside the points, with Yuki Tsunoda the only DNF after just seven laps.
