Leclerc's Monza Masterclass: Ferrari's One-Stop Strategy Outfoxes McLaren in Thrilling Italian GP
Charles Leclerc executed an audacious one-stop race to beat the McLaren drivers, delivering Ferrari a memorable win on home soil at the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver benefitted from a brave one-stop strategy to hold off the McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
The top six drivers were all equipped with the Medium compound to begin the race, but Red Bull elected to gamble with the choice to go with the more durable Hards. This time around, Norris executed a brilliant launch to remain unopposed as team-mate Piastri behind cut across to cover Russell, who ended up taking to the run-off. However, Norris would once again squander the lead on the opening lap as Piastri managed to squeeze his McLaren around the outside into the Della Roggia chicane.
Norris was compromised on the exit, though, and Leclerc accepted the invitation to slice up the inside into Lesmo 1, relegating the pole-sitting McLaren down to third. Behind Norris came Carlos Sainz in the other Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, Russell and then Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull. Nico Hulkenberg, who had qualified within the top 10, was bidding to end Haas’ barren points run, but a poor first lap saw him end up on the grass on the run to Ascari.
The battle at the top was stagnant as the drivers strived to preserve their rubber, but there was a change as Perez seized Russell’s seventh place using DRS on Lap 11. Russell had lost a front wing end plate earlier in proceedings and sliding to the back of the leading pack prompted Mercedes to pit him on that lap to make the repairs.
At the sharp end, Piastri was beginning to utilise McLaren’s pace in race trim to stretch his legs over Leclerc, who was now coming under pressure from Norris behind. Norris was told to box to undercut Leclerc and the Briton obliged with that request on Lap 14, gaining the position once the Ferrari emerged out the pits on new Hards. McLaren responded to that with Piastri coming in on the next lap, while his compatriot Ricciardo was given 10 seconds extra due to RB serving his penalty incorrectly.
Sainz inherited the race lead as he was still to make a pit stop, but that changed on Lap 19 as the Spaniard discarded his starting Mediums to switch over to the Hard. Red Bull opted to reduce Verstappen’s initial stint as he came into the pits on Lap 22 to hand the lead to Perez, but his advance was halted with a prolonged 6.2s stop. Perez would receive a much smoother stop as he pitted on the next lap, with the Mexican returning to the track in eighth place behind Esteban Ocon in the first Alpine.
Norris reported that he was beginning to struggle with graining, which provided Ferrari with the impetus to tell Leclerc that there was an opening to pass the McLaren. Meanwhile, Perez was back on Russell’s rear and attacked his rival into Turn 1. The Mercedes driver cut across the chicane and was made to relinquish seventh place. Ferrari prepped to receive Leclerc a second time, but retracted into the garage as McLaren made the call to bring Norris in a second time to go to Mediums on Lap 33.
Russell and Perez both pitted in the coming laps, with the latter keeping the upper hand. Hamilton was the next to make his second pit stop onto Mediums on Lap 37. Perez had retained the place over Russell, but the Briton managed to make a move stick into Turn 1 and then held the position through Curva Grande and the chicane.
Verstappen was told to fight against a charging Norris despite his reservations over the radio, and the Dutchman parked his Red Bull to the inside at Turn 1 on Lap 40. However, Verstappen would be powerless to stop Norris from surging past with DRS open down the start-finish straight to regain fourth, behind his team-mate Piastri. Red Bull took that as an optimal moment to make Verstappen’s pit stop, while Norris was told he needed to go on maximum attack to catch the one-stopping Ferraris.
Piastri was within DRS range on Sainz once Lap 45 came about and at the second attempt he made a simple pass down the back straight towards the Ascari chicane. Norris was the next McLaren to reel in Sainz and he completed a straightforward overtake on the Ferrari into Turn 1 on Lap 48 to move back up into the podium spots.
Piastri was gaining on Leclerc but not at the rate needed to catch the Ferrari to mount an overtake as the Monegasque continued to manage his rubber out in the lead. Leclerc coasted home with a 2.5s advantage over Piastri to clinch his second win this season and his second win at Monza as a Ferrari man, with Norris back in third.
The Strategy That Won the Day
Ferrari’s one-stop strategy proved to be the key to Leclerc’s victory. The team gambled on the durability of the Hard tyres, and it paid off. Leclerc was able to maintain a strong pace throughout the race, and he was never truly threatened by the McLarens. It was a masterclass in race strategy from Ferrari, and it was a well-deserved win for Leclerc.
McLaren's Missed Opportunity
McLaren had a strong car at Monza, and they had the pace to challenge for the win. However, their strategy was not as good as Ferrari’s. They opted for a two-stop strategy, and that ultimately cost them the victory. Piastri and Norris both drove well, but their strategy was not good enough to get them the win.
Red Bull's Challenging Day
Red Bull, the championship leaders, had a challenging day at Monza. They opted for a two-stop strategy with both Verstappen and Perez. This did not lead to a strong result for the team. The team was unable to challenge for the win, and they finished outside of the top five, despite the dominance in this season. The championship lead may be shrinking.
The Constructors' Championship Gets Tight
The Constructors' Championship is getting tight, with McLaren closing the gap on Red Bull. McLaren’s strong performance at Monza has given them a boost in the championship standings. The battle for the title will be close all the way to the end of the season.
The Tifosi Celebrate
The tifosi at Monza were in raptures after Leclerc’s victory. The Ferrari driver is a popular figure in Italy, and he delivered a performance that they will never forget. It was a great day for Ferrari and their fans.
The Future
The Italian Grand Prix was a thrilling race, and it showed that the Formula 1 season is going to be a close one. With five races left, the championship is wide open, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.
