Leclerc, a “fuoriclasse” driving in front of the tifosi: “The same emotions as in 2019!”

Exceptional Charles Leclerc ! The Monegasque won the Italian Grand Prix after a fantastic race management, his second victory of the season and his second career success at Monza.

Starting from 4th place, the driver of the Team quickly regained a place on George Russell at the first corner, before remaining stuck to the McLaren during the first half of the race. After the 2nd stops of Lando Norris et Oscar piastri, Ferrari and Charles Leclerc attempted what seemed impossible at the time: sticking to a one-stop strategy and finishing the race on old hard tyres. A risky bet since there were 20 laps left after the McLarens' stops, but the Monegasque driver was then around twenty seconds ahead.

Finally, after perfectly managing his tyres and the gap to Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc went all the way and crossed the line as the winner in front of a delirious crowd. Five years after his victory at Monza – five years to the day after his first victory in Formula 1 at Spa-Francorchamps – the Ferrari driver returns to the top step of the podium, having achieved the Monaco-Monza double in 2024, which is so dear to his heart.

The Fratelli d'Italia for Charles Leclerc 🤩🇮🇹#ItalianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/MI591arMsf

— CANAL+ F1® (@CanalplusF1) September 1, 2024

Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), winner of the Italian Grand Prix : “It’s an incredible feeling! I actually thought that the second [win at Monza] – if he had one – wouldn’t be as special as the first but… my God, the emotions in the last laps were exactly the same as in 2019! I was looking at the grandstands while driving on the track, it was not easy! It’s incredible, Monaco and Monza, these are the races I want to win every year. Of course, I want to win as many races as possible and be champion as soon as possible, but these are the two most important races of the season and I managed to win them this year. It’s very special.”

“I think our package worked well at a track like Monza, but I doubt it will be the case for the rest of the season. I still think McLaren will be the favourites, but we have taken a step forward, that’s for sure. I like the Baku circuit, I’ve been quite competitive there in the past. Maybe we can achieve something special there again.”

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