Charles Leclerc wins Italian F1 GP for Ferrari after one-stop gamble | Formula One

Charles Leclerc won the Italian Grand Prix with a remarkable drive for Ferrari at Monza, taking a gamble that paid off to make a one-stop strategy work and beat the McLaren cars of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris into second and third.

Norris was unable to take maximum advantage of a poor weekend for his title rival Max Verstappen, who finished sixth. Carlos Sainz was fourth for Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton fifth for Mercedes.

In a gripping and unexpected victory for Ferrari at their home race, Leclerc provided a bravura drive to the delight of the tifosi who roared their hero home. He and Ferrari deserved their praise having pulled off a one-stop that required Leclerc to make his tyres last for 38 laps, as his competitors, particularly McLaren, were caught up in their own battle and failed to take into account Ferrari’s bold efforts.

McLaren still allow their drivers to race, but when Norris was passed on the opening lap by Piastri and then Leclerc, controlling the race as a one-two was no longer an option. It meant Norris, who took the fastest lap, could take only eight points from Verstappen, who now has a 62-point lead in the title race. It is a result the Red Bull driver will grasp with open arms after a meeting where his team have really struggled and a 20-point swing was potentially on the cards.

It is Leclerc’s seventh career victory and his second here after his win in 2019, providing just what he and Ferrari required with an exemplary performance given their attempt to catch the leaders has struggled of late.

To do so from fourth on the grid was a remarkable achievement and, although Ferrari are long out of the title fight, they will be optimistic they can finish the year strongly and go into next season, when Hamilton will join them, on the front foot.

Norris held his lead from pole into turn one but was challenged hard on the opening lap by Piastri who then made a superb move on the outside at the second chicane to take the lead. Norris then dropped a further place to Leclerc to the delight of the tifosi. It was a crucial moment, McLaren had insisted their drivers were free to race and while they were barely inches from a clash, race they did and the Australian came out on top.

Piastri consolidated with just under a second on Leclerc and Norris two seconds in arrears by lap eight as they managed the tyres for the opening stint. Piastri’s bold attack had left the two McLarens split by Leclerc and thus unable to employ team orders.

By lap 13, Piastri’s lead was almost three seconds with Norris, staying with the pair and closing on Leclerc as he pushed hard. Norris was called in to pit on lap 15 but the tension told as he locked up and hit the marker on his entry to the pits, clipping it with the right front corner as he came in hot.

The plan was to try to undercut Leclerc, who pitted a lap later and it was successful as Norris emerged in front of the Ferrari. Piastri pitted on lap 17, a good stop, coming out in front of Norris and Leclerc.

As McLaren focused on the team orders between their drivers, Ferrari quietly opted to roll the dice and go to the end, when McLaren chose to make second stops, their left front tyres in particular suffering with graining.

When the stops had worked through, Piastri led from Norris by just under two seconds, with Leclerc three seconds back, while Verstappen was making no headway in sixth.

McLaren stopped Norris again on lap 33 and Piastri on lap 39, allowing Leclerc to inherit the lead with Sainz in second, while Norris caught Verstappen on lap 40, the Dutchman aware that slowing down his rival might minimise his points damage – something he did manage for one full lap until he was bested into turn one.

If Leclerc could go the distance on a one-stop he was in position to take the win, with Piastri 18 seconds down and Norris 21 back with 13 laps remaining. Norris was told Ferrari were one-stopping and to make a difference he had to pound in qualifying laps to have any chance, but it was a huge ask.

Piastri caught Sainz on lap 45 and swept past through Ascari. The gap was 11 seconds with seven laps remaining but the Australian did not appear to have quite the pace advantage required on Leclerc.

Norris took third from Sainz on lap 48 to set up a tense finale. Piastri closed to seven seconds with three laps to go but Leclerc was easing his tyres to the finish with the deftest of touches as the crowd roared him home. He took the flag to a triumphant tifosi celebration by two and half seconds, while McLaren controversially opted not to switch their drivers at the death, failing to maximise Norris’s points.

George Russell was seventh for Mercedes, Sergio Pérez eighth for Red Bull, Alex Albon ninth for Williams and Kevin Magnussen 10th for Haas.