Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc Seizes Thrilling Victory at Monza
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc achieved a stunning win at the Italian Grand Prix, thrilling the home crowd at Monza, Reuters reported. Despite increasingly battered tires, Leclerc held off a strong challenge from McLaren’s Oscar Piastri to secure Ferrari’s first home victory in five years. Leclerc, who changed to hard tires during the 16th lap, managed to maintain grip and speed, ultimately crossing the finish line comfortably ahead of Piastri.
Piastri had initially took the lead, overtaking teammate Lando Norris in the first chicane, but chose a two-stop strategy fearing tire degradation, which opened the window for Leclerc and his teammate Carlos Sainz to take the forefront. As Piastri tried to catch up on fresher tires in the closing stages, it wasn’t enough to overcome Leclerc, who maintained a sufficient gap to win. Norris, despite some early mistakes and a conservative strategy, finished third after overtaking Sainz in the final laps.
This triumphant win led to ecstatic celebrations from the Italian tifosi, who flooded the track with cheers and a massive Ferrari banner. Addressing the fans, Leclerc compared the moment to his 2019 victory, emphasizing its special significance. Meanwhile, Norris expressed frustration over dropped positions and tactical errors but took solace in narrowing the gap to championship leader Max Verstappen, who ended in sixth place. Verstappen’s continued underperformance heightened McLaren's pursuit in the constructors’ championship, as he failed to secure a podium finish in the last six races after a dominant initial season.
Piastri, reflecting on his second-place finish, acknowledged the hurt from narrowly missing out on victory, yet remained optimistic about the race’s overall pace and dynamics.
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