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MONZA, Italy. — Charles Leclerc gave Ferrari a stunning home Italian Grand Prix victory and sent the crowd wild with delight after nursing his tyres on a bold one-stop strategy to deny favourites McLaren a one-two finish yesterday.
Australian Oscar Piastri, who had seized the lead from pole-sitting McLaren teammate Lando Norris on the opening lap, finished runner-up with the title-chasing Briton third.
Both McLarens made two stops but the strategy unravelled when Leclerc eked out his set of hard tyres for 38 laps around Monza’s super fast circuit as the crowd roared him on.
The result left Norris 62 points behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who finished only sixth, with eight races remaining.
“Mamma Mia, Mamma Mia,” screamed Leclerc over the car radio as he took the chequered flag waved by former Italy soccer player Alessandro Del Piero.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” Leclerc said before the podium celebrations.
“I want to win Monza and Monaco every year and I have managed to do so. It is so, so special.”
Leclerc was 11 seconds clear with seven laps to go and 8.3 ahead with five remaining as the massed ranks of “tifosi” willed him on.
He crossed the line 2.664 ahead.
“We considered a one-stop strategy the whole race but it was not possible with the amount of (tyre) graining I had,” said Norris, who had started the day 70 points behind Verstappen and hoping to gain far more.
“We are disappointed but Ferrari drove a better race.” — Reuters.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter