Leclerc beats Piastri and Norris for home Ferrari win

Charles Leclerc pulled disconnected an bonzer location triumph for Ferrari astatine nan Italian Grand Prix, up of nan McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

Ferrari chose a daring one-stop strategy for Leclerc, improvising mid-race, to vault him successful beforehand of nan McLarens - who chose nan accepted two-stop approach.

That near Leclerc hanging connected successful nan closing laps from nan quickly closing McLarens and he conscionable managed to clasp on, winning by 2.6 seconds to nonstop nan tifosi successful nan grandstands wild.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen could decorativeness only sixth, and Norris trim his title lead by 8 points to 62 pinch 8 races to go, acknowledgment to Norris grabbing nan fastest thigh earlier nan chequered flag.

McLaren are now conscionable 8 points down Red Bull successful nan constructors' championship.

After locking retired nan beforehand statement of nan grid, McLaren looked connected people for a one-two for half nan race, pinch Piastri starring Norris aft nan Australian passed nan Briton astir nan extracurricular of nan 2nd chicane connected nan first lap.

Piastri's adjacent but fierce move ended pinch Norris slipping down to 3rd successful nan first stint of nan title arsenic Leclerc was besides capable to gaffe by into 2nd connected nan exit of nan corner.

After trailing Piastri and Leclerc done nan first stint, Norris made his pit extremity first, successful an effort to undercut his measurement by Leclerc, who responded connected nan pursuing lap.

Ferrari pitted connected nan adjacent thigh but McLaren's strategy worked, vaulting Norris up of Leclerc, who initially complained connected nan radio.

McLaren pitted Piastri to guarantee he kept nan lead, pursuing their squad rules of being adjacent to some drivers, and nan title now seemed to beryllium a conflict for triumph betwixt nan 2 McLarens.

But Norris began to struggle pinch tyre wear, slow dropping backmost to 5 seconds down Piastri and had to make a 2nd pit extremity connected thigh 32, pinch 21 to go, Piastri pursuing him six laps later to guarantee he stayed up again.

That near Leclerc starring his team-mate Carlos Sainz by conscionable complete 10 seconds pinch Piastri chasing some down, and Ferrari decided to chance their arm.

They knew a one-stop would 1 difficult, particularly pinch specified an early first stop, but some drivers pulled it off.

But, while Sainz dropped backmost to 4th down nan 2 McLarens, Leclerc's lead was capable to support him successful front, to return 1 of nan astir stunning and improbable victories of nan year.

The crowd shouted him crossed nan statement arsenic he took his 2nd Monza triumph for Ferrari successful 5 years, aft his first successful 2019.

"An unthinkable feeling," Leclerc said. "I thought nan first clip would consciousness for illustration this and nan 2nd time, if location was one, wouldn't consciousness arsenic special.

"But my god, nan emotions successful nan last laps - conscionable for illustration 2019. Incredible.

"Monaco and Monza are nan 2 races I want to triumph each year.

"Obviously I want to triumph arsenic galore arsenic possible, and nan World title arsenic soon arsenic possible, but these are nan 2 astir typical and I person managed to triumph them this year. It is so, truthful special."

Piastri said losing nan triumph "hurts", adding: "With nan position we were in, pinch nan tyres looking for illustration they did, nan one-stop seems for illustration a very risky telephone but it was right. Very happy pinch my title but erstwhile you decorativeness 2nd it hurts.

"In hindsight, yes, [we should person gone for a one-stop]. Everyone's a fable aft nan flag. Today we sewage it wrong, maine being a large portion of that, we had everything to suffer from nan lead.

"Charles could effort thing different. He was going to decorativeness 3rd and he picked nan correct gamble.

"The difficult was looking beautiful grained but we didn't expect it to cleanable backmost up again, but it did."

Norris was disappointed pinch 3rd but tin still look backmost connected a title successful which he gained much points backmost connected Verstappen, and he still has nan aforesaid task arsenic earlier - to people connected mean conscionable nether 8 points much per title than nan Dutchman to triumph nan title.

Behind Sainz, Hamilton was fifth, good up of Verstappen, who had a dire title for Red Bull.

Unlike nan remainder of nan apical 10, some Red Bulls started connected nan difficult tyres alternatively than nan mediums, a questionable prime from nan constituent of position of immoderate rival strategists.

They fitted them again astatine his first pit extremity connected thigh 22, only six aft Piastri's first extremity to travel disconnected nan mediums.

That meant Verstappen would person to extremity again, to fresh nan mean tyres, and worse than that he had a slow stop, taking him six seconds. His title was ever looking tricky from there, particularly arsenic Red Bull person mislaid their gait advantage complete their rivals successful caller races.

The 2nd Mercedes of George Russell won a conflict pinch Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez for seventh.

The Briton started third, but dropped to seventh astatine nan first area aft misjudging his braking down Piastri, clipping nan McLaren and damaging his beforehand helping and taking to nan run-off area.

Williams Alex Albon and Haas driver Kevin Magnussen took nan last points successful ninth and 10th places.