Charles Leclerc of Ferrari has secured victory at the Italian Grand Prix, generating immense excitement among the numerous Ferrari fans at the Monza circuit. This marks Leclerc’s second win at Monza, having previously triumphed there in 2019. He managed to fend off McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in a thrilling race, while the defending world champion, Max Verstappen, finished in a disappointing sixth place, nearly 38 seconds behind the winner.

Leclerc crossed the finish line to thunderous applause after making his only pit stop on lap 16, during which he switched to hard tires. All of his closest competitors, except for teammate Carlos Sainz, who finished in fourth, opted for two pit stops. The McLaren team had hoped that the Ferrari drivers would also pit, but Leclerc was able to maintain his tires in such good condition that he could keep the lead.

Although Lando Norris finished third, he managed to cut Verstappen’s championship lead down to 62 points with eight races remaining in the season. Verstappen has not won in the last six Grand Prix races after securing victories in seven of the first ten, raising questions about his and Red Bull Racing’s dominance in Formula 1.

It initially seemed that Verstappen would secure his fourth championship title when he won in Spain in June, but since then, he has only reached the podium twice.