Italian Grand Prix 2022: Ferrari denied home win as Verstappen records debut win at Monza

Max Verstappen denied Ferrari and Charles Leclerc a home win at the Italian Grand Prix, taking all 25 points with another win. Leclerc had earned pole position for the race, while the reigning champion started seventh on the grid. 

Despite not having the advantage in qualification, he was able to break into the top three by lap four. And by lap five, he had surpassed George Russell into second place, giving Leclerc a difficult time to hold on to his spot. 

Italian Grand Prix 2022: Verstappen cruises to win with late safety car

Sebastian Vettel had to retire early in the race due to issues with his power unit, which caused a virtual safety car on lap 12. This provided Leclerc with the opportunity to pit and shift to medium tyres from softs. He came out in third, and did well to hold on to his place with incoming pressure. But, was only able to finish second in the race. 

Carlos Sainz had a phenomenal Italian Grand Prix, as he climbed up from P18 to P4, giving the home fans a treat. The race had late drama, with McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo going stationary on lap 48, causing a safety car. 

However, the car seemed immovable up until Lap 53, which led to Verstappen earning his first win at Monza while Leclerc and Russell completed the podium alongside him.