Charles Leclerc celebrated an emotional victory at Ferrari’s home race in Monza, praising the Scuderia’s bold strategic decisions and the unwavering support of the passionate Tifosi. Ferrari’s aggressive one-stop strategy paid dividends, allowing Leclerc to secure a memorable win at the Italian Grand Prix.
Despite Ferrari’s strong performance throughout the weekend, Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz started from fourth and fifth on the grid, narrowly missing out on a front-row spot. Leclerc executed a brilliant start, overtaking McLaren’s Lando Norris on the first lap to move into second place, positioning himself as a key contender. Meanwhile, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri initially seemed to have control of the race, but McLaren’s decision to bring Piastri in for a second stop opened the door for Ferrari’s strategic masterstroke.
Opting for a one-stop strategy, Ferrari kept Leclerc on track, allowing him to take the lead. Leclerc managed his tyres expertly over 53 laps, clinching a deeply emotional victory at Monza.
“What an incredible feeling,” Leclerc reflected. “The first time I won in Monza in 2019 was so emotional for both me and our whole team. I didn’t think winning here could ever feel that way again, but today, it did. Seeing our Tifosi celebrating with us is amazing, and I’m so glad we could share this victory again. Monaco and Monza were the two races I’ve always wanted to win because they are so special to me.”
Leclerc continued by praising the Ferrari team: “A huge thank you to every single person in our team who made this happen today. You’ve done an incredible job to make this dream a-reality, and we can all be proud of achieving this together. Our strategy was perfectly executed today, and we beat our competitors to it. We will give everything to keep this momentum for the rest of the season, taking any opportunity we have.”
Carlos Sainz, who started fifth, also showed strong racecraft. He gained a position early on when Mercedes’ George Russell ran wide. Ferrari employed a different strategy with Sainz, pitting him several laps later than his rivals. This strategy initially put Sainz in P2, but the McLarens of Piastri and Norris, on fresher tyres, overtook him in the closing stages.
“First of all, congratulations to Charles and the entire team, including everyone in Maranello! I’m really happy for all of them and the Tifosi—it’s definitely a well-deserved win!” said Sainz. “It was a shame I couldn’t keep a podium position today. Staying out longer in the first stint made me lose some race time and the tow from the cars ahead. From there, it was difficult to regain the lost time, but the one-stop strategy was the right call. Overall, we should be happy that the car seems to be working better. Let’s see if we can maintain these good results in the upcoming races.”
Ferrari’s Monza victory marks a significant step forward for the team, reflecting improvements in tyre management and strategy execution, fueling optimism for the remainder of the season.
