A dominance.
For the first time in his career, Max Verstappen won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on Sunday.
Starting seventh, the Dutchman had a perfect race to sign a fifth success in a row, the 31st in his career and the 11th this season.
The reigning world champion is getting a little closer to a new world crown with now a 116-point lead with six races to go.
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and George Russell (Mercedes) complete the podium in a race that ended under a safety car regime.
To discover
Formula 1: the calendar for the 2022 season
Formula 1: manufacturers' classification
Formula 1: drivers classification
Verstappen-Leclerc, different strategies
On pole, Charles Leclerc took advantage of his position to widen the gap from the start of the race on a George Russell unable to keep up with his pace.
The Monegasque, in search of a second success at Monza, therefore started on a good basis but the threat was elsewhere.
Her name was Max Verstappen.
This devil from Batavian, penalized for an engine change, started from seventh place.
A handicap far from being insurmountable for the world champion since at the end of the third round, the Dutchman was already on the last step of the podium.
George Russell was then swallowed up in the fifth lap and the duel between the two strong men could then begin.
Quickly, Verstappen was back on Leclerc just over a second away and when the fight was about to start,
the virtual safety car made its appearance following the retirement of Vettel.
Ferrari then attempted a free pit stop for the Monegasque on lap 12.
Starting on soft, like the Dutchman, Leclerc then made his first stop at the end of lap 12 to put the mediums, switching to a two-stop strategy.
One too many.
Because Verstappen, he pushed his first stint until lap 25. Coming out second, the reigning world champion very quickly approached Leclerc, forced to return to the pits on the 33rd lap thus offering victory on a plateau to the Red driver Bull.
We thought for a time the race was restarted when Ricciardo retired five laps from the end and the appearance of the safety car, but the latter remained on the track until the end, depriving everyone of an exciting restart. and revealing a very sad image for the end of a Formula 1 race.
The comebacks of Sainz and Hamilton, De Vries brilliant first
Behind the battle for victory, other drivers shone at Monza including Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton.
These two men started 18th and 19th respectively and finished 4th and 5th.
The Spaniard delivered an excellent first stint with 31 laps on his mediums before putting on the softs.
His comeback could have ended in third place without the appearance of the safety car.
On the Hamilton side, the race was a little more delicate.
The Englishman was still out of the points after fifteen laps but there too, the seven-time world champion pushed his mediums far enough to put the tenders at the end of the race and secure fifth place.
Special mention also to Nyck De Vries who for his first race in F1 (note: replacement of Albon victim of a crisis of
Finally, a word about the French.
Blocked for more than 45 laps behind Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly took a fine eighth place.
Difficult weekend for Alpine since Fernando Alonso retired mid-race while Estaban Ocon took a modest eleventh place.