2022 Italian Grand Prix

A race that started to huge cheers from the tifosi ended with loud jeers from those same fans, but for once it wasn’t aimed at Ferrari’s strategy as the Italian Grand Prix had an unsavoury ending.

The cheers were for the polesitter, as Charles Leclerc was wheeled onto the grid to start alongside George Russell, with Max Verstappen a distant seventh after another power unit penalty. The pace Ferrari had shown during practice and qualifying had increased hopes that Leclerc could convert, so the crowd roared their approval as he held Russell off on the opening lap and started to edge away.

Verstappen’s race hinged on how quickly he could make progress in a car that didn’t appear to have the straight-line speed advantage that it has in recent rounds, and whether the tight Rettifilo chicane that opens the lap could create trouble.