Leclerc’s Masterclass: 5 Things We Learned From The Italian GP

Ferrari scored a historic home victory at Monza after Charles Leclerc managed his tyres with a one-stop strategy. The Monegasque driver’s win drew similar scenes from his 2019 triumph at the same circuit as Ferrari fans roared when he crossed the finish line ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

We look at five things we learned from the Italian Grand Prix:

5 – New Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli crashes in practice. The young Italian was announced by Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement for 2025 on Saturday, however, the 18-year-old crashed George Russell’s car in first practice the day prior. It wasn’t the ideal debut he wanted to make for the eight-time champions. The Italian will step up from F2 into the top tier of open-wheel racing and said: “Reaching F1 is a dream I’ve had since I was a small boy; I want to thank the team for the support they’ve given me in my career so far and the faith they’ve shown in me.”

4 – Kevin Magnussen lands a one-race ban. The Dane will miss the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after causing a crash at Monza. The Haas driver has been in the wars this season and was responsible for colliding with Pierre Gasly at the Italian GP. He was handed a 10-second penalty and two penalty points which triggered a one-race ban.

3 – Lando Norris’ poor race start was evident again on Sunday. The McLaren driver led a front-row lockout but lost the lead to his teammate Oscar Piastri. It was the fifth time Norris failed to lead after the first lap when starting on pole. The 24-year-old finished third and said after the race: “A frustrating day on track. Ferrari drove a better race today, so hats off to them, they had a better car. Well done to Oscar, he did a good job getting past me and deserved to finish ahead.”

2 – What’s missing at Red Bull? Championship leader Max Verstappen struggled with the RB20 as he complained about the car’s balance at Monza. The Temple of Speed turned into the Temple of Doom as he could only qualify seventh. The Dutch driver finished the race in sixth place and serious questions are being asked about why Red Bull was the fourth-quickest car in Italy.

1 – Leclerc’s tyre management masterclass. The Monegasque driver has punched above the car’s weight this season with some dazzling drives. But Sunday’s performance is one of his best. Leclerc went from fourth to second on the first lap and then executed a one-stop strategy to beat the McLarens in front of an Italian crowd. Leclerc’s management of his tyres, particularly the front left, saw him maintain a strong pace throughout the race. He said: “We had a perfectly executed strategy today and beat our competitors to it, and we will give everything to keep this momentum for the rest of the season, taking any opportunity we have.” He is at the top of his game and adds to his victory at Monaco this season.

Sean Parker

Sean Parker is a motorsport journalist and sports content creator at The South African. He has worked for the country's premier motoring publications, and is a Formula 1 contributor to Bet.co.za, the Bet Central podcast, and Vision View Sports radio.