Charles Leclerc claims stunning win at Italian GP as McLaren falter

MONZA, Italy -- Charles Leclerc claimed a stunning home race victory for Ferrari at the Italian Grand Prix, beating the McLarens thanks to a perfectly-executed strategy.

Leclerc stopped once less than the quicker McLarens and was able to nurse his set of tyres home to the adulation of Monza's tifosi.

As Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris chased him down in the closing stages, Leclerc's car was greeted by louder and louder roars from the crowd each time.

But the loudest was reserved for when he took the chequered flag -- Ferrari's first win on home soil since Leclerc claimed victory here in 2019.

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"Mamma mia! Mamma mia!" Leclerc said on the radio as he crossed the line.

"I want to win Monza and Monaco every year and I have managed to do so. It is so, so special."

Leclerc was 11 seconds clear with seven laps to go and 8.3 seconds ahead with five remaining. He eventually crossed the line 2.664 ahead.

McLaren's two drivers -- who had locked out the front row of the grid -- had to settle for second and third.

Piastri said afterwards: "Yeah it hurts, I'm not going to lie, it hurts a lot."

Curiously, McLaren did not enforce team orders to ask Piastri to move aside for Norris, squandering a valuable seven points in the title race over Max Verstappen, who could only finish sixth for Red Bull.

Norris did manage to claim the extra point on offer for the fastest lap of the race, but given McLaren's pace this weekend this will feel like a missed opportunity.

"We considered a one-stop strategy the whole race but it was not possible with the amount of [tyre] graining I had," said Norris, who had started the day 70 points behind Verstappen and hoping to gain far more.

"We are disappointed but Ferrari drove a better race."

McLaren could also have taken the lead in the constructors' championship but ended the day still eight points behind Red Bull, down from a previous 30.

Max Verstappen finished sixth, which brings the gap in the drivers' championship down to 62.

Carlos Sainz was fourth for Ferrari with the Italian team's future driver Lewis Hamilton fifth for Mercedes.

George Russell was seventh for Mercedes with Red Bull's Sergio Perez eighth and Alex Albon taking precious points for Williams in ninth.

Kevin Magnussen was 10th for Haas despite a 10 second penalty for causing a collision. He is expected to receive a one-race ban for accumulating too many penalty points.