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.
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 football 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.”
McLaren could also have taken the lead in the constructors’ championship but ended the day still eight points behind Red Bull, down from a previous 30.
Carlos Sainz was fourth for Ferrari with the Italian team’s future driver Lewis Hamilton fifth for Mercedes.
George Russell was seventh for Mercedes with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez eighth and Alex Albon taking precious points for Williams in ninth.
Formula One stewards handed Haas’s Kevin Magnussen a one race ban on Sunday after the Dane received 12 penalty points in a 12 month period.
Magnussen, who is leaving the team at the end of the season, was given a 10-second penalty and two points for causing a collision with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly at Monza, triggering the automatic ban.
The Dane still finished 10th in the race.
Stewards said in a statement that Magnussen’s super licence had been suspended for the next race, after which the points will be removed.
Ferrari reserve Oliver Bearman, who will be racing for U.S.-owned Haas next season, could fill in after making his debut in Saudi Arabia in March as a stand-in for Carlos Sainz at Ferrari, finishing seventh.