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Max Verstappen
Photo:
Antonio Calanni / dpa
Max Verstappen won the Italian Grand Prix.
In Monza, the Dutchman triumphed in the Red Bull ahead of Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari and Mercedes driver George Russell.
In the sixteenth race it was the eleventh victory for the world champion.
Verstappen thus further extended his lead in the drivers' championship.
With 335 points, he is comfortably in the lead, with six more races to go.
The traditional track celebrated its 100th birthday at the race in Monza, but there was no Italian celebration with a Ferrari victory.
The start of the race was rather gentle, there were only minor contacts.
Because of the many engine or transmission changes, almost half of all drivers had been transferred as a penalty, but the ranking was quickly rearranged.
Verstappen plows through the field
Lando Norris (McLaren), who started the race from third place, made a bad start and was passed.
Verstappen was one who also passed the Briton.
The Dutchman dominated the field: at the beginning of the second lap he was third, three laps later he was second.
He had started from seventh on the grid.
Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari also made good progress from behind.
He had to start from 18th place, after 14 laps he was already up front in fourth place.
However, he wasn't quick enough to land between the Red Bull and fellow Ferrari Leclerc after Verstappen's pit stop.
So he could not slow down Verstappen.
He drove up to Leclerc at high speed, whereupon Ferrari responded with a second pit stop for the Monegasque.
Leclerc got the soft tires, but Verstappen was already out of reach.
Because Daniel Ricciardo's McLaren failed, there was a yellow flag six laps before the end.
The safety car came out and the field was compressed.
A restart seemed possible, but then we crossed the finish line behind the safety car.
Bad luck for Vettel, a new takes his chance
It was particularly bitter for Sebastian Vettel.
The German driver from Aston Martin had to park his car on the twelfth lap due to a defect.
14 years ago, the 35-year-old clinched his first victory in the premier class of motor racing in Monza.
Mick Schumacher, the other German Formula 1 driver, ended up in 12th place. Record world champion Lewis Hamilton started the race in 19th place, it was enough for fifth place.
Nyck de Vries showed an impressive performance.
The young Dutch driver only stepped in as a short-term substitute for the Williams racing team because Alexander Albon was out with appendicitis.
In his first race in Formula 1, de Vries made it into the points, finishing ninth for a shared best Williams result of the season.
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