Charles Leclerc makes magic at Monza with F1 win
- Damian Hall
- Sep 1, 2024
- 3 min read
1st September 2024
Ferrari's home victory seals another Iconic moment for Leclerc in front of the Tifosi
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc won the Italian Grand Prix in front of the team’s home crowd, delivering a masterclass in tyre management that saw him execute a one-stop strategy no other top team attempted, reports Damian Hall.
Starting the race from 4th, the Monaco man took his hard tyres an incredible 38 laps, crossing the finish line to a cacophonous roar from the passionate tifosi (super fans).
Leclerc’s victory message over the radio to his team was simple yet powerful: “Grandesi, grandesi” [great, great].
The win marked the 20th time any team has ever won at the same circuit and created another memorable Monza moment for Leclerc, who described the emotions in the final laps as reminiscent of his 2019 victory at the same track.
“It’s an incredible feeling, my God,” he said. “In the last few laps, the emotions were exactly the same as in 2019, just watching the grandstands on the side of the track, which is tricky.
Monaco and Monza are the two races I want to win every year.”
He added: “Obviously, I want to win as many races as possible and the world championship as soon as possible, but these are the two most important races of the season, and I managed to win them this year, so it’s so, so special.
Ferrari brought nine upgrades to Monza, including circuit-specific front and rear wings, as well as minor adjustments for performance, such as floor fences, floor body, floor edge, diffuser, a shorter mirror, engine cover, and even the repositioning of the nose camera—all in an effort to optimize performance and balance.
The McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris finished second and third, respectively.
Norris, who started the race on pole, lost the lead on the opening lap to his teammate and then to Leclerc soon after.
Reflecting on the race, Piastri said, “We did a lot right today, but there were a lot of question marks on strategy going into the race.”
Meanwhile, Norris conceded: “Ferrari just drove the better race today. I was disappointed, of course, but Ferrari did the better job.”
Early in the race, McLaren looked like the team to beat. Norris attempted to undercut Leclerc on lap 14 by pitting first, and it initially paid off when both Leclerc and Mercedes’ Sir Lewis
Hamilton pitted on lap 15, allowing Norris to jump ahead.
Piastri, who had been leading, was called into the pits on lap 17, setting up a crucial phase of the race. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen committed to a two-stop strategy by pitting for another set of hard tires on lap 23, with Sergio Perez following suit a lap later.
As the race progressed, Norris and Mercedes’ George Russell both pitted for a second time on laps 33 and 34, respectively. Hamilton and Piastri followed suit on laps 38 and 39.
Verstappen made his second stop on lap 42, but it was clear that he was losing ground to the McLarens, ultimately missing out on a podium finish.
The race’s climax saw Piastri make a bold move into Ascari on lap 45, overtaking Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz for second place before setting his sights on Leclerc. However, with 11 seconds to close, it was too much to overcome.
Mercedes’ Hamilton and Russell finished 5th and 7th respectively.
Red Bull and Verstappen lost more ground to McLaren, with McLaren now at 438 points, just 8 behind, and Norris only 62 points adrift with 241.
As the season heads into its final stages, Baku awaits for Round 12 from September 13-15.
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