Charles Leclerc hat Ferrari beim Heimrennen in Monza den umjubelten Sieg beschert. Im Reifenpoker kam der Monegasse bei seinem siebten Formel-1-Sieg mit einer Ein-Stopp-Strategie überraschend zum Erfolg. Weltmeister Max Verstappen konnte an einem weiteren schwachen Tag für Red Bull abermals nur Schadensbegrenzung betreiben.
„Mamma mia, mamma mia“, funkte Leclerc, während die begeisterten Tifosi die Strecke in roten Rauch tauchten. Wenig später wurde die Strecke geöffnet, für die Ferraristi gab es kein Halten mehr.
Weltmeister Verstappen wurde zwar nur Sechster, weil aber sein größter Verfolger Norris im McLaren hinter Leclerc und seinem Teamkollegen Oscar Piastri trotz Startplatz eins nur Rang drei belegte, schrumpfte Verstappens Polster nur um acht Punkte auf immer noch komfortable 62 Punkte.
However, Red Bull’s form is causing concern after two thirds of the season. In the constructors’ championship, the Verstappen team is only just ahead of McLaren. Nico Hülkenberg from Emmerich received an early penalty and could not finish higher than 17th.
At the start, his nerve-wracking discipline, Norris kept his nerve this time, but still didn’t even hold the lead for half a lap. On the track in the Royal Park, his team-mate Oscar Piastri gained momentum in the slipstream and overtook him in the second chicane, and Leclerc in the Ferrari also slipped through to the cheers of the Tifosi.
Verstappen was stuck in sixth place behind Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes). The team is wondering why the performance has dropped since the spring. “Something just doesn’t add up. We don’t know where we took a wrong turn,” admitted Marko. Verstappen summed up the situation frustratedly on the way to the starting grid: “Overall, we are too slow.”
Norris was unable to get close to Leclerc, so after 14 of 53 laps the command post brought him in early to change tires – and the undercut against the Monegasque worked, on lap 16 Norris was second ahead of Leclerc. “You are allowed to attack Oscar, according to the Papaya rules,” was radioed into Norris’ ear.
The two papaya-orange McLarens did not come any closer to each other, on the contrary: Norris’ tires deteriorated rapidly and he was the first of the leading group to enter the pits for the second time.
With 20 laps to go, he found himself in sixth place, but suddenly started setting the fastest times until he caught up with Verstappen of all people. The Dutchman slowed him down for a few laps. This also played into Leclerc’s hands, who, like his teammate Carlos Sainz, drove through without stopping. At least for Leclerc, the risk paid off, and Sainz fell back to fourth place on his 30th birthday.
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