Italian Grand Prix race day

By: Geoff Creighton

Summary


	Leclerc wins the Italian GP for Ferrari at Monza
	Leclerc gets warning flag for brush with Hamilton
	Vettel spins and then clips Stroll as he rejoins
	Verstappen picks up wing damage in first lap clash
	Albon has to battle back from 11th after bump with Sainz

Status: Stopped

17:49 Here's the report from a brilliant race. We'll see you in Singapore!

Italian Grand Prix: Leclerc resists Mercedes for Monza victory

Charles Leclerc resisted an intense attack from Lewis Hamilton and a late charge from Valtteri Bottas to win the Italian Grand Prix and earn back-to-back Formula 1 wins

17:48

17:44 Most crucially, Leclerc has overtaken Vettel in the points standings. How about that?

17:43 One wonders how loud the crowd cheered as Leclerc appears onto the top step of the podium. Out rings the Monegasque and Italian national anthems.

17:40 The start-finish straight below the podium is flooded with Ferrari fans - with that huge scudetto flag. Only in Monza!

17:38 Leclerc addresses the home fans in Italian, but still finds time to be his usual self-deprecating self! "I need to be careful with the mistakes," he adds.

17:35 Renault made big inroads into McLaren's current fourth place - Norris rescued a point for the orange team.

17:33 A big result for Renault too, Ricciardo and Hulkenberg needed that one.

17:33 Hamilton apologises to his team, "sorry I wasn't able to pull it off." Still, he hounded Leclerc right up until he ran deep at the first chicane.

17:32 Flares, fans and Ferrari red - this is a popular win among the home crowd. What a drive from Leclerc.

17:30 Leading finishers: 1 Leclerc; 2 Bottas; 3 Hamilton; 4 Ricciardo; 5 Hulkenberg; 6 Albon; 7 Perez; 8 Verstappen; 9 Giovinazzi; 10 Norris

17:30 Ricciardo takes an excellent fourth, Hulkenberg successfully stays clear of Albon for fifth.

17:29 Hamilton comes home 35.2s off the lead in third place.

17:29 Bottas finishes 0.835s behind in second place.

17:28 Leclerc wins the Italian Grand Prix for Ferrari!

17:28 "Overtake is available," Mercedes reminds Bottas, who kicks up some gravel out of the second chicane. He's 1.4s behind, Leclerc is very, very close to a Monza victory...

17:28 Leclerc managed to stay clear of Bottas down the main straight, it's looking good...

17:27 Bottas is back within DRS range of Leclerc, time for one last go...

17:26 Norris lost 3s to Gasly on that last lap, the battle for 10th isn't over.

17:26 Hamilton pops in a 1m21.779s and takes the expected fastest lap.

17:26 Albon's charge has faded a bit and he's still 1.2s behind Hulkenberg for fifth.

17:26 Two laps to go, Leclerc leads by 1.3s.

17:25 Leclerc and Bottas lap Norris into the first corner, but Bottas locks up and makes a mess of the first chicane and that immediately gives Leclerc a 1.5s lead again.

17:25 The lap record is a 1m21.046s, set by Rubens Barrichello in 2004. Can Hamilton beat that?

17:24 It was a messy middle sector from Leclerc that cost him there.

17:24 But just after he declared Leclerc had this covered, his lead is cut to 0.7s and Bottas is going to be in DRS range for the main straight...

17:23 Hamilton comes into the pits, that'll be for fresh tyres and a punt at fastest lap.

17:23 Bottas is trimming the odd tenth of a second from Leclerc's lead but on lap 48 of 53 it's looking more and more like a Ferrari home win.

17:22 Verstappen is now just fractions behind Perez, he's after seventh now.

17:21 There's Magnussen out of his car, he's the third man in this race to retire.

17:21 Albon is within 2.3s of Hulkenberg for fifth.

17:21 A new fastest lap from Bottas - a 1m22.859s - but it doesn't gain much from Leclerc, who is still 1.6s ahead.

17:19

17:19 But a poor final sector on lap 46 hurts Bottas - Leclerc's lead grows to 1.8s.

17:18 "Come on Valtteri, this is your win," Mercedes tells Bottas. 1.058s (and a Ferrari) separates him from the lead.

17:17 Bottas takes 0.4s off Leclerc on lap 45 and the gap is down to a second.

17:17 "We are looking at options, the pit window behind is clear," Mercedes tells Hamilton. That would be more about getting fastest lap then a wild late lead chase.

17:16