Charles Leclerc: « Monaco and Monza are the two races I want to win every year »
Charles Leclerc won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, his second victory of the season after Monaco. Starting in fourth position, he managed a one-stop strategy to edge out Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. This unexpected victory for Ferrari rekindled the emotions of his first win of 2019.
At the Italian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc managed to secure first place in front of the Italian crowd. The Ferrari driver is achieving his second victory this year, after his success in Monaco. Despite winning a few Grand Prix races since joining Formula 1, it is only the second time he has won at Monza.
A weekend filled with emotions
The feelings that Charles Leclerc experienced this weekend reminded him of his first victory in 2019. Accompanied by the euphoria of the tifosi, it is a moment of pure happiness that the driver of the Italian team experienced. He, who had started fourth on the starting grid, managed to implement a one-stop strategy. This was not easy given the conditions on the track. But thanks to the team’s choices, Charles Leclerc stayed ahead of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris to claim the first place.
If the victory was unexpected for a struggling Ferrari team, it is nonetheless filled with emotions. “It’s an incredible feeling,” declared the Monegasque driver after the race. “In fact, I thought the first time would be special, and that the second time – if there was one – wouldn’t be as much, but my God, the emotions in the final laps were exactly the same as in 2019.”
Focused on the future with Ferrari
The driver won the two most important races of his season. After a first victory at home for the Monegasque in Monaco, he dedicates this one to Ferrari, the Italian team that has just celebrated its victory in Italy. This success marks the team’s third of the season. With the two triumphs of Charles Leclerc and the one of Carlos Sainz in Australia, the team is only 39 points behind Red Bull in the constructor’s standings.
For the winner of this weekend, Monza is one of the races he wants to continue to win. Monaco and Monza are the two races I want to win every year. Of course, I want to win as many races as possible and the World Championship as soon as possible, but these are the two most important races of the season, and I managed to win them this year. It’s so, so special, Charles Leclerc could be heard saying.
At the beginning of the season, Ferrari had managed to achieve good performances, but the team’s progress, especially the change in the floor, had pushed them out of the Top 10. Although the race ended with a first place and a fourth place for the Spaniard, Ferrari still has progress to make. Monza is one of the most suitable races for the SF-24, which should also be the case for the next two Grand Prix races. But if the results drop after these two races, it could prevent Ferrari from considering overtaking McLaren in the championship. “I still think McLaren is the favorite,” said Charles Leclerc. “But we have taken a step forward, that’s for sure. Baku is a circuit that I like, and I have been competitive there in the past, so who knows? Maybe we can still achieve something special.”
The Formula 1 season is entering its final stretch. With Leclerc’s triumph at Monza, the points are tightening up in both the drivers’ and constructors’ standings. Red Bull, which is still leading, could well lose its place to McLaren or Ferrari and thus relinquish its title of winner after several years of consecutive victories.
