Charles Leclerc’s bold strategy call seals glorious win for Ferrari at Italian Grand Prix
The Monegasque driver pulled off a superb one-stop strategy to claim his second victory in Monza
Charles Leclerc saw off McLaren’s challenge to claim a famous win at Ferrari’s home race in Italy.
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris looked set to squabble for the lead in the closing stages but Leclerc pulled off a superb one-stop strategy to claim his second victory in Monza.
Piastri finished second, with Norris, left to rue a poor opening lap, third. Carlos Sainz took fourth, one place ahead of Lewis Hamilton.
Max Verstappen started seventh and improved by just one position with Norris, who took a bonus point for the fastest lap, reducing the Dutch driver’s championship lead from 70 points to 60 with eight races remaining.
Norris has never led a lap after starting from pole, and his miserable run continued at the Temple of Speed. Norris’ initial getaway was good, moving over to his right to defend the inside line from Piastri on the 200mph drag to the Variante del Rettifilo.
However, his work unravelled when a scrappy exit from the opening chicane afforded Piastri a tow on the exit of the Curva Grande.
Norris was exposed and Piastri did not need a second invitation to plant his McLaren around the outside of his teammate at the ensuing Variante della Roggia.
The Australian made the move stick and a rattled Norris slid through the chicane with Leclerc ready to pounce.
The Monegasque driver swooped underneath Norris on the run to first Lesmo and suddenly the McLaren man was third.
Russell started third but dropped to seventh after he had to take evasive action to avoid slamming into the back of Piastri at the first chicane.
Piastri was controlling the race and Norris, making no progress behind Leclerc, was hauled in for his first stop.
The Englishman slammed on the anchors to follow the 50mph pit-lane speed limit and bumped into a polystyrene advertising board in the process.
Norris, four seconds adrift of his teammate when he stopped, avoided damage but it underlined his haste to make up for another lap one to forget.
Leclerc stopped the next time round but a fast out lap from Norris propelled him ahead of the Ferrari man. Piastri stopped on lap 16 and was 2.3 sec clear of his teammate.
TOP-10 - ITALIAN GRAND PRIX
1. Charles Leclerc
2. Oscar Piastri
3. Lando Norris
4. Carlos Sainz
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. Max Verstappen
7. George Russell
8. Sergio Perez
9. Kevin Magnussen
10. Alex Albon
Norris set about reducing the gap to Piastri and, on lap 20, he was 1.8 sec behind. “You are allowed to race, Oscar,” Norris was informed by his race engineer Will Joseph. “Papaya rules,” he added. In other words, don’t crash.
However, Norris could not get close to his teammate and by the start of lap 31, he was three seconds adrift with Ferrari sensing blood.
Leclerc was urged to push and on the following lap, Norris made a mistake, running off at the Variante della Roggia, losing further ground to Piastri and with Leclerc now right on his tail.
In came Norris, now trailing Piastri by five seconds, for his second stop at the end of lap 32.
Norris was clawing back the deficit and closing in on Verstappen, out of sync with his rivals, after starting on the hardest tyre compound.
Piastri stopped for a second time on lap 38 and came out ahead of Verstappen and Norris.
Norris attempted to pass Verstappen at the start of lap 40 with Verstappen closing the door. The 24-year-old tried the next time around and made the move stick. Norris was now four seconds behind Piastri.
But McLaren suddenly had a new problem on their hands. Unlike the rest of the field, Ferrari were attempting to pull off a one-stop strategy and their brazen idea had suddenly dawned on those at McLaren.
“Just drive f****** fast,” Norris was told. Sainz was swatted aside, first by Piastri on lap 45 and then Norris on lap 48.
When Piastri began his pursuit of Leclerc, the Monegasque was 11.7 seconds up the road.
“Leave me to do this,” Leclerc told the Ferrari pit wall after they relayed a message to him on the radio.
The tifosi cheered wildly as the lap counter ticked down, and despite being on 38-lap-old rubber, he nursed his Ferrari to the end to claim a famous win, 2.6 sec clear of Piastri.
Norris was asked if Piastri’s opening lap move caught him by surprise? “Of course,” he replied. “He got past. I don’t know what I should have done differently. If I brake one metre later I would have crashed.
“It is a tough one. Are we disappointed? Of course. But Ferrari did a better job.”
It was then put to Norris that Piastri is taking points off him in the race for the championship. “Well done to him,” said Norris. “He got past me and deserved it.”
Leclerc, who won here for Ferrari in 2019, said: “It is an incredible feeling. I didn’t think the second time would be so special. But my God, the emotions were the same as 2019.
“Monaco and Monza are the two races I wanted to win and I have managed to win them this year. It is so special. The tifosi were incredible. Mamma mia.”
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