After Charles Leclerc’s risky pit-stop maneuver failed, Max Verstappen won the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday to make another significant step toward defending his world championship.
When Sebastian Vettel experienced mechanical issues after twelve laps and the virtual safety car was brought out, Ferrari driver Leclerc was two seconds ahead of Verstappen at Monza. Leclerc dove into the pits in the hopes of extending the life of his tires, but 125,000 Ferrari hearts in Monza sank when the Monegasque was forced to give up the lead when he stopped a second time.
After Daniel Ricciardo’s McLaren stalled on lap 46 of 53, their hopes were restored when a safety car was deployed.
However, the marshals were unable to free Ricciardo’s McLaren in time for the finish, and the Ferrari supporters booed as the race essentially ended behind the safety car.
With only six races left in the season, Verstappen increased his lead in the championship to 116 points by taking his fifth consecutive victory and his 11th from 16 this year. The Dutch driver stated, “We had a terrific race, on every compound we were quickest and the degradation was really good.
