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Leclerc delivers Ferrari 1st home victory since 2010
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Charles Leclerc secured Ferrari’s first victory at their home Italian Grand Prix since 2010 on yesterday when he resisted race-long pressure from both Mercedes rivals to claim his second successive Formula One triumph.
The 21-year-old Monegasque, who dedicated his maiden win last Sunday to the memory of his late friend Anthoine Hubert, who was killed in an F2 race a day earlier, was exultant as a vast army of ‘tifosiâ’ in an estimated crowd of more than 150,000 celebrated deliriously.
What a race,” said an exhausted Leclerc. “I have never felt so tired in a race. It was so difficult. For me, it is a dream to win here like this in front of the ‘tifosiâ,’ thanks to everyone!”
Leclerc came home narrowly ahead of second-placed Valtteri Bottas and his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who pursued the victor for most of the race until his tires let him down.
After a late pit stop, Hamilton then claimed the fastest lap of the race.
Leclerc’s Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel endured a torrid and disappointing day, finishing 13th after spinning off and taking a penalty for rejoining in a dangerous fashion.
Hamilton apologized to Mercedes and said his tires “had gone off the cliff. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to pull it off,” he said. The defending five-time champion now leads his Mercedes team-mate Bottas by 63 points in the drivers’ championship.
Daniel Ricciardo came fourth ahead of his Renault team-mate Nico Hulkenberg, Red Bull new boy Alex Albon, Sergio Perez of Force India and Max Verstappen, who finished eighth after starting from 19th in the second Red Bull.
Local hero Antonio Giovinazzi came home ninth for Alfa Romeo ahead of Lando Norris of McLaren, who continued his impressive rookie season.
Leclerc making a clean start and fending off Hamilton at the first chicane.
Verstappen was an opening lap casualty and required a pit stop for a new front wing and a set of hard tires, after a collision at the first chicane.
After a wheel-banging battle between Albon and Sainz, Leclerc clocked a fastest lap and then Vettel spun at Ascari, clipping Lance Stroll’s Racing Point as he re-joined. Both cars were damaged, Vettel pitting for a new front wing.
Vettel was given a 10-seconds stop-and-go penalty and dropped to last. By lap 19, Hamilton and Vettel had warned their tires were gone, the Briton pitting immediately for ‘mediums’ as Mercedes went for the ‘under-cut.’
He fell to fifth, but Leclerc hung on to pit a lap later for ‘hards’ and return fourth as the champion roared down the straight. The two fought ferociously, Hamilton attempting to pass twice, the second attack ending with him escaping across the grass.
“He didn’t leave me a car’s width,” said Hamilton.
The stewards agreed and Leclerc was shown a black-and-white flag, warning him to behave.
His tires worn, with 10 laps to go, Hamilton out-braked himself and ran into the first chicane escape road. Bottas passed for second and the hunt was on. Bottas cut the lead to a second, but the ice-cool Monegasque tyro hung on, his harder rubber keeping him ahead, while Hamilton pitted with three laps to go to seek an additional point for fastest lap.
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