Leclerc delights home F1 fans with Italian GP win as Ferrari's bold strategy pays off
MONZA, Italy (AP) — Charles Leclerc secured Ferrari a rare win at the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix, much to the home fans’ delight, as the team's bold one-stop strategy paid off on Sunday.
Ferrari, which had brought nine upgrades to its home race, was one of the teams to choose to only pit once.
And that proved the right decision for Leclerc, who despite heavily degrading tires, managed to hold off Oscar Piastri and his McLaren teammate Lando Norris.
As it became obvious what was on the cards, the passionate, red-clad tifosi got on their feet, stamping and roaring Leclerc’s every lap, and they went wild when he crossed the line 2.664 seconds ahead of Piastri.
Polesitter Norris finished 6.153 behind Leclerc, while championship leader Max Verstappen was sixth in his Red Bull.
Leclerc had also won in 2019, making this Ferrari’s second win on its home track in the past 14 races.
Before Sunday's triumph, the Italian Scuderia had managed only a second for Leclerc in 2022 and a third by Sainz last year since that 2019 victory.
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