Leclerc gives Ferrari victory at Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix | Motorsport News


Charles Leclerc takes Ferrari's first Formula 1 win in five years at Monza.

Charles Leclerc won the Italian Grand Prix to the delight of Ferrari's many fans as Lando Norris again reduced the lead of struggling champion Max Verstappen in the Formula One drivers' standings.

Monegasque Leclerc claimed victory at Monza for the second time on Sunday after winning in 2019, outpacing the McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri and Norris in a thrilling race that saw Verstappen finish almost 38 seconds off the pace in sixth place.

Huge roars filled the stands as Leclerc took the chequered flag after holding on to a set of hard tyres he had changed at his only pit stop on lap 16.

All of his main rivals, except for team-mate Carlos Sainz who finished fourth, stopped twice and McLaren expected the Ferrari pair to do the same.

But Leclerc managed to keep his tyres in good condition to stay ahead and finished the race comfortably ahead of Piastri, who had been the race leader in the early laps.

Norris, who took pole despite finishing third, managed to reduce Verstappen's championship lead to 62 points with eight races remaining, while his Dutch rival's poor run continued.

Verstappen has failed to win any of the last six GPs after taking victories in seven of the first 10, and his and Red Bull's dominance of F1 looks increasingly under question.

A fourth consecutive world title seemed almost a certainty when Verstappen won in Spain in June, but he has finished on the podium just twice since.

Charles Leclerc leads during the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday in Monza, Italy [Mark Thompson/Getty Images]
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