The lazy chants of the tifosi echo around the Autodromo Nazionale Monza as the sea of red makes its way off the track. Their beaming smiles are a telltale sign of the events that have occurred in the past 2 hours. Indeed, under the scorching heat of the Italian sun, Charles Leclerc made what seemed impossible, possible. Starting P4 on the grid, the Scuderia Ferrari driver was pushing to make it onto the podium in front of his team’s home crowd, but the Monagasque went above and beyond.

The race got off to a gruelling start as the top 5 drivers, separated by less than 3 tenths of a second in qualifying, grappled for the top spot. With Russel, who started P3, going off in the chicane, Leclerc and Sainz jumped at the opportunity to make up a place each. An unexpected and rather aggressive move from Piastri on his teammate caused Norris’ pace to drop. Responding to the noise of the crowd, Leclerc moved to attack the now vulnerable Mclaren and moved up into second place.

The order remained much the same until the first pit stop window. Many teams and drivers were debating whether a one-stop strategy was possible, but ultimately, seeing the graining and degradation of the tires, the two-stop strategy was deemed optimal. And so, in came Norris to undercut Leclerc in the pit lane, much to the tifosi’s dismay. Piastri boxed close behind his teammate, followed by Leclerc in lap 16.

The Red Bulls led the race for a couple of laps, after a disappointing qualifying by both drivers left them starting in P6 and P7. However, the order reestablished saw Piastri lead from Norris, Leclerc holding onto P3 and Sainz in fourth. After several laps, the Mclarens started to struggle with their front left tires causing Lando to pit for a fresh set of tires. He rejoined behind Verstappen.

The radio message between Oscar and the Mclaren pit wall had everyone holding their breath as the team asked if he thought a one-stop was a viable option. Piastri’s response was sensible, admitting that he didn’t feel his tires would last until the end. The papaya team decided to box for new rubber, leaving Leclerc to lead the Italian Grand Prix ahead of his teammate. The Ferrari fans erupted as the two red cars sped down the main straight.

With a clear tyre advantage, Mclaren seemed to be the fastest team on track and it was only a matter of time before the Ferraris were forced to box, sacrificing their lead. However, as the laps continued to roll on, Leclerc’s pace remained consistent and strong. With each curve he took, the disbelief became more and more palpable. Finally, Mclaren said what everyone was thinking; that Ferrari were trying for a one-stop strategy, an idea which was quickly dismissed by the other teams. It was a big risk and an even bigger ask from the Ferrari drivers.

Yet, Leclerc and Sainz took the challenge in their stride. Sainz, who seemed to struggle slightly more than his teammate, dutifully held up Piastri for a couple of laps, allowing Leclerc to gain precious seconds. Meanwhile, Verstappen and Norris had their own battle, both drivers competing for points in the driver’s championship. With only five laps to go, the tifosi cheered with a newfound fervour, now on their feet in the stands as the gap between Piastri and Leclerc slowly shrank.

All eyes were on the clock, four laps to go and the gap was down to 7.7 seconds. Three laps, 6.3 seconds, the Italians screaming “vie Charles, vie!”. Two laps; his tyres were gone but Leclerc held on with sheer determination and driving excellence. Down to the last lap of the Italian Grand Prix and the tifosi are roaring Leclerc home. As he took the last corner, the famous Parabolica, the man they call the Prince of Monaco earned himself a new title; the King of Monza.

Charles Leclerc, “Il Predestinato”, took the chequered flag in Monza for the second time in his career, with 37 laps in his tyres. He once again proved that he does not falter under pressure, he keeps his quiet strength and steely determination against all odds. Piastri took second place with Norris finishing in third, behind him, Sainz collected vital points for the Scuderia.

Leclerc’s joy was infectious, fueled by the tifosi and the Ferrari team. Thousands of fans swarmed the track under the podium, a true sea of red. Leclerc stood on the top step of the podium with pride, a smile permanently etched on his face as the Monaco national anthem played. The voices of the tifosi rose as the Italian anthem began, the crowd united by one passion, one team and in that moment, one man.