Ferrari called Charles Leclerc to dig early and bet everything to win at home at Monza.
It didn’t work at all.
Instead, Max Verstappen took another win – while Ferrari fans booed the world champion.
337,000 spectators had made their way to Monza and the Italian Grand Prix to celebrate Ferrari’s 75th anniversary and help the team win. Did not help at all.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, took the start of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, but although he started well, he was not against world championship leader Max Verstappen’s seventh-place start. It took Verstappen five laps to go from seventh to second.
When Ferrari chose to stop early under the virtual safety car, on lap 13, the advantage went to Max Verstappen.
The Red Bull driver stayed out noticeably longer and stopped working, and Leclerc, on the other hand, had to make another one. Ferrari had hoped that Leclerc, on its soft tyres, would catch Verstappen, on medium tyres – but it wasn’t close.
Not even the fact that Daniel Ricciardo was forced to stop his McLaren could help Leclerc but the race ended behind the safety car and the crowd booed when they could see the finish behind the safety car.
And so Verstappen took his fifth win in a row – and extended his lead in WC. Behind him, Charles Leclerc finished second and George Russell took another podium when he finished third in his Mercedes.