Fanatical Ferrari fans have booed the Italian grand prix podium after a late-race safety car to retrieve Daniel Ricciardo's stricken McLaren robbed them of a head-to-head fight between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc.
As Verstappen stepped onto the podium, boos rang out from the passionate tifosi - red-clad fanatical Ferrarisupporters - that pack the Monza circuit every year, who no-doubt would have felt Leclerc was robbed of the chance to pass Verstappen and win.
The Dutchman is now within touching distance of a second straight F1 title. With six races still remaining, he could clinch the title at the next race in Singapore.
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“I had a great view,” said a tactful Verstappen, whose previous highest finish at Monza was fifth in 2018.
“The atmosphere for me was not amazing. But it is what it is.”
Verstappen now has a 116-point lead over Leclerc, who finished second after another questionable strategy decision from Ferrari at its home race.
Verstappen started seventh after he was among a number of drivers hit by grid penalties but made his way up to third by the first corner of the second lap. The Red Bull driver then picked off the Mercedes of George Russell at the start of the fifth lap and set off on the hunt for polesitter Leclerc in his Ferrari.
https://twitter.com/ChrisMedlandF1/status/1568968681970860034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw“The start was very good,” Verstappen said. “It was enjoyable to drive today even though it was quite hot out there. Great day for us.”
A Virtual Safety Car (VSC) came on lap 12 when Sebastian Vettel's final race at Monza came to a halt.
Ferrari decided to bring Leclerc in to change to medium tyres, allowing Verstappen to take the lead. Leclerc rejoined the race in third as the VSC period ended while Leclerc was still in the lane.
“I think we all had a doubt, I think if I wouldn’t have done it Max would have done it," Leclerc said.
“It was a bit unfortunate because in the middle of the pit lane we had the virtual safety car ending so we didn’t get all the benefit of stopping at that moment. And from that moment onward we were a little bit on the back foot.”
https://twitter.com/_markgallagher/status/1568969886851891202?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwIt has been a strange season for Ferrari, full of botched strategy decisions and bizarre incidents, but Leclerc believes it was just unfortunate timing at Monza.
“I think if you look at our season as a whole, for sure there’s been mistakes and we need to get better," Leclerc said.
"If today was a clear mistake, I don’t think so. It was just our choice and looking back at it you just cannot predict whenever the VSC is going to end.
"So, yeah, nothing to blame on anybody there. Just a bit unlucky and probably missing a little bit of pace too.”
Leclerc moved past Russell and then briefly regained the lead when Verstappen pitted on lap 26 but the pair swapped places again seven laps later when Leclerc pitted for a second time.
The safety car came out again when Ricciardo pulled up on lap 47 with a suspected engine failure, prompting most drivers to pit for soft tyres.
However, that final battle never materialised when the race finished behind the safety car. Verstappen secured his fifth straight victory and his 11th of the season - one more than last year.
Russell was third, ahead of Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton, who had both fought through the field after starting at the back of the grid following penalties.
Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez had also been hit by grid penalties and had started 13th but, despite an eventful race that also featured a brake fire, he managed to finish sixth and also pick up the extra point for fastest lap.
Lando Norris was seventh, after a poor start from third, with Pierre Gasly just behind him.
Williams reserve driver Nyck de Vries finished his first-ever F1 race in ninth. The 27-year-old was a late replacement for Alex Albon after the Thai driver was diagnosed with appendicitis.
“Wow, wow. Thank you, thank you very much. This has been incredible, points on debut, thank you,” De Vries said on team radio after crossing the line, before then uttering an expletive and adding “my shoulders are dead, dead.”
He had to be helped from the car by mechanics. His scoring points means teammate Nicholas Latifi now sits 21st in a 20-car championship.
- with Damien McCartney
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!
Fanatical Ferrari fans have booed the Italian grand prix podium after a late-race safety car to retrieve Daniel Ricciardo's stricken McLaren robbed them of a head-to-head fight between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc.
As Verstappen stepped onto the podium, boos rang out from the passionate tifosi - red-clad fanatical Ferrarisupporters - that pack the Monza circuit every year, who no-doubt would have felt Leclerc was robbed of the chance to pass Verstappen and win.
The Dutchman is now within touching distance of a second straight F1 title. With six races still remaining, he could clinch the title at the next race in Singapore.
LIVE UPDATES: US Open final between Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud
READ MORE: Roosters coach rages at inflaming 'suggestion'
READ MORE: Massive cost of brutal Souths finals win
“I had a great view,” said a tactful Verstappen, whose previous highest finish at Monza was fifth in 2018.
“The atmosphere for me was not amazing. But it is what it is.”
Verstappen now has a 116-point lead over Leclerc, who finished second after another questionable strategy decision from Ferrari at its home race.
Verstappen started seventh after he was among a number of drivers hit by grid penalties but made his way up to third by the first corner of the second lap. The Red Bull driver then picked off the Mercedes of George Russell at the start of the fifth lap and set off on the hunt for polesitter Leclerc in his Ferrari.
https://twitter.com/ChrisMedlandF1/status/1568968681970860034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw“The start was very good,” Verstappen said. “It was enjoyable to drive today even though it was quite hot out there. Great day for us.”
A Virtual Safety Car (VSC) came on lap 12 when Sebastian Vettel's final race at Monza came to a halt.
Ferrari decided to bring Leclerc in to change to medium tyres, allowing Verstappen to take the lead. Leclerc rejoined the race in third as the VSC period ended while Leclerc was still in the lane.
“I think we all had a doubt, I think if I wouldn’t have done it Max would have done it," Leclerc said.
“It was a bit unfortunate because in the middle of the pit lane we had the virtual safety car ending so we didn’t get all the benefit of stopping at that moment. And from that moment onward we were a little bit on the back foot.”
https://twitter.com/_markgallagher/status/1568969886851891202?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwIt has been a strange season for Ferrari, full of botched strategy decisions and bizarre incidents, but Leclerc believes it was just unfortunate timing at Monza.
“I think if you look at our season as a whole, for sure there’s been mistakes and we need to get better," Leclerc said.
"If today was a clear mistake, I don’t think so. It was just our choice and looking back at it you just cannot predict whenever the VSC is going to end.
"So, yeah, nothing to blame on anybody there. Just a bit unlucky and probably missing a little bit of pace too.”
Leclerc moved past Russell and then briefly regained the lead when Verstappen pitted on lap 26 but the pair swapped places again seven laps later when Leclerc pitted for a second time.
The safety car came out again when Ricciardo pulled up on lap 47 with a suspected engine failure, prompting most drivers to pit for soft tyres.
However, that final battle never materialised when the race finished behind the safety car. Verstappen secured his fifth straight victory and his 11th of the season - one more than last year.
Russell was third, ahead of Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton, who had both fought through the field after starting at the back of the grid following penalties.
Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez had also been hit by grid penalties and had started 13th but, despite an eventful race that also featured a brake fire, he managed to finish sixth and also pick up the extra point for fastest lap.
Lando Norris was seventh, after a poor start from third, with Pierre Gasly just behind him.
Williams reserve driver Nyck de Vries finished his first-ever F1 race in ninth. The 27-year-old was a late replacement for Alex Albon after the Thai driver was diagnosed with appendicitis.
“Wow, wow. Thank you, thank you very much. This has been incredible, points on debut, thank you,” De Vries said on team radio after crossing the line, before then uttering an expletive and adding “my shoulders are dead, dead.”
He had to be helped from the car by mechanics. His scoring points means teammate Nicholas Latifi now sits 21st in a 20-car championship.
- with Damien McCartney
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!
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