2024 F1 Grand Prix of the United States — Qualifying results

Norris takes pole ahead of Verstappen at COTA; Sainz P3 & Leclerc P4 for competitive Ferrari; Mercedes disaster as Russell crashes out in Q3, Hamilton knocked out in Q1

Top 10 qualifiers for the United States GP:

POS

NO

DRIVER

CAR

Q1

Q2

Q3

LAPS

1

4

Lando Norris

McLaren Mercedes

1:33.616

1:32.851

1:32.330

16

2

1

Max Verstappen

Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT

1:33.046

1:32.584

1:32.361

17

3

55

Carlos Sainz

Ferrari

1:33.556

1:32.836

1:32.652

19

4

16

Charles Leclerc

Ferrari

1:33.241

1:32.962

1:32.740

20

5

81

Oscar Piastri

McLaren Mercedes

1:33.864

1:33.057

1:32.950

19

6

63

George Russell

Mercedes

1:33.536

1:33.142

1:32.974

15

7

10

Pierre Gasly

Alpine Renault

1:33.550

1:33.162

1:33.018

20

8

14

Fernando Alonso

Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes

1:33.973

1:33.429

1:33.309

18

9

20

Kevin Magnussen

Haas Ferrari

1:33.564

1:33.474

1:33.481

17

10

11

Sergio Perez

Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT

1:33.611

1:33.020

DNF

17

Complete qualifying results available via Formula1.com.

Sunday’s race airs live beginning at 3 pm Eastern on ABC here in the States. Hope to see you then to find out how the crucial Norris-Verstappen battle develops and who else might capitalize if they take each other out!

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale – Cartier JUMBO Tank MC ref. W5330003 w/B&P

Contact me here to make this cool Cartier yours today SOLD

On offer is this modern, handsome Cartier Tank MC ref. W5330003 in stainless steel with stunning silver guilloché Roman numeral dial and high-grade in-house automatic caliber 1904-PS MC. This model is part of the now discontinued line of watches that featured Cartier’s first true manufacture-developed & produced caliber after years of relying on other suppliers. For whatever reason, Cartier abandoned this concept after about a decade and took an abrupt U-turn back to almost exclusively outsourcing Piguet and ETA movements again. But it makes for a very interesting chapter in Cartier’s history and who knows what the future will bring for these models in terms of collectibility down the road? This Tank MC also comes with red Cartier box and original papers, including International Warranty Card with correctly matching case serial number, mini instruction booklet, as well as paperwork & purchase receipt from Birks Montreal from 2019, confirming original purchase for $9,700 Canadian. 

The Tank MC is by far the most classical and, to my eyes, most handsome of these “Manufacture Cartier” models, with its oversized but still recognizable Tank proportions and design, albeit a bit of a hybrid between the classic Tank Louis and the Tank Americaine. Make no mistake, this is a large rectangular watch at 34mm wide x 44mm long lug tip to lug tip that wears big for sure. But with its ergonomic curved case and the thinness of the movement, it is still only around 9mm tall at its highest point. And with its gorgeous “wave” pattern silver guilloché dial, bold Roman numerals and sunken, engine turned sub-seconds register, not to mention the oversized blue sapphire cabochon-set octagonal crown, it is absolutely stunning on the wrist, as well as being unmistakably Cartier stylistically.

The 27-jewel caliber 1904-PS MC is nicely decorated — if also a bit noisy — and easy to admire through the display back. It comes on its original black Cartier alligator strap with the patented adjustable steel Cartier deployant buckle, which makes proper fitting a breeze for any wrist size just by sliding the strap and then locking it down it via the U-shaped tines.

This classic oversize men’s dress watch has been worn and not stuck in a safe — if you want NOS, look elsewhere — and so, is in overall Very Good+ to Excellent pre-owned condition. It has never been polished and there are some small scratches to both factory-satined sides, especially the non-crown side, and one significant ding to the bottom right lug, which is quite hard to see when on the wrist (please refer to the pictures). The high polish tubular tops of the sides of the watch have numerous superficial swirlies but no major marks. Both sapphire crystals on the face and rear are undamaged and without chips or scratches. The dial and hands are obviously Mint. 

All in all, a fine Swiss watch from the great maison of Cartier with a lot of wrist presence and style that certainly represents in a casually elegant style. Very easy to dress this Cartier up or down if you’ve got the wrist for it!

Contact me here to make this cool Cartier yours today SOLD

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale – Vintage Angelus Military Type Chronograph w/Tropical Gilt Dial

Click here to contact me and make this special Angelus Chrono yours today!  SOLD

Up for sale is this large and beautiful circa 1940s-50s Angelus chronograph in 38mm all-stainless steel case with stunning dark brown tropical gilt dial, powered by the in-house Angelus cal. 215 movement. A famed maker of movements for others, Angelus came into their own in the middle of the twentieth century, when the demand for chronographs for military and civilian use reached a fever pitch. In addition to their famed Chronodato models, Angelus also produced aviator & military-style chronographs to meet the demand of the WWII and post-War era, like this one, which is exactly the same model as the “L.E.” marked Hungarian Air Force-issued version (for Légi Erő).

This example has no issue marks but is notable not only for the large and sought after 38mm case but the stunning original gilt dial with “big eye” sub-dials and original radium luminous Arabic numerals, the surface of which has also aged to a very beautiful and even deep brown tropical tone. This oversized Angelus military-style chrono represents beautifully on the wrist and the organic, even, warm dark chocolate tone is especially appealing.

Overall, this classic Angelus aviator’s chrono is in Excellent vintage condition with a stunning Excellent+ original gilt dial with complex, finely printed minute and tachymeter outer scales and luminous Arabic numeral layout. The case has some marks from age, as one would expect from a 70/80-year-old tool watch, but it still appears to retain its original brushed & polished finish and facets. The venerable Angelus cal. 215 movement was serviced last year and is operating well, ready for years’ more faithful service for its lucky new owner.

All in all, a very special mid-century aviator’s chronograph with loads of vintage charm and impressive wrist presence. Not the most uncommon vintage chrono out there but this is definitely one of the nicest examples you will see!

Click here to contact me and make this special Angelus Chrono yours today!  SOLD

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale – Vintage 1960s Omega C-Shape Constellation w/Stunning BLUE VIGNETTE Dial

Contact me here to make this very special C-Shape Connie yours today! SOLD

On offer is this beautiful and uncommon circa 1968 all-stainless steel Omega C-Shape Constellation ref. 168.017 with original & ultra rare blue vignette/dégradé dial. For Omega, these vignette dials are primarily found in the later, small square Constellations of the early ’70s, and it is highly uncommon to find one in a C-Shape Connie.

This type of dial features a high gloss lacquer finish with a color tone beneath that grows darker the further it gets from the center, in this case a stunning blue colorway that transitions from bright cobalt to a deep navy at the edges. This example also features a very subtle, attractive but hard-to-see-without-a-loupe “spidering” or “ice crackle” effect when viewed from certain oblique angles, which is a common occurrence on these dials as the lacquer ages and contracts.

Accompanied by its long brick-link ref. 1040 bracelet, this is a very special steel Constellation for the sophisticated collector. And at a very ergonomic 34.5mm in diameter, it’s really suitable for any wrist size or gender, especially as the fashion trend in watches heads back to more modest dimensions. Overall, the watch is in Excellent vintage condition with a case that appears unpolished and the very special original Near Mint blue vignette dial being the most remarkable aspect. This Connie also features the highly regarded caliber 564 Chronometer movement with quickset date under the hood.

The star of the show on this Constellation is, of course, the quite rare vignette aka dégradé dial, with its hypnotic gradations of blue. It also features hand-riveted white gold bar markers, applied OMEGA and Omega logo, Connie star and faceted date window frame. This is a luminous dial with all the original tritium lume plots still intact and perfectly matching luminous hands, so it is correctly signed “T SWISS MADE T”. Featuring its original white printing, the only “flaw” one can ascribe to this beautiful dial is the aforementioned “crackling” of the glossy lacquer finish, which is only barely visible at certain angles with the naked eye and which a lot of collectors, including me, find quite handsome. Simply put, this is a gorgeous and endlessly appealing Constellation dial and if you are a fan of blue dial watches, as I am, this is about as good as it gets from an aesthetic perspective.

Contact me here to make this very special C-Shape Connie yours today! SOLD

2024 F1 Grand Prix of Singapore — Results & aftermath

Norris runs away from Verstappen from the start to take dominant win in Singapore; Verstappen still secures P2 but Piastri adds to McLaren points haul in P3

After taking pole by just two-tenths on Saturday, it wasn’t quite clear how much race pace McLaren’s Land Norris would have versus his closest rival, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. But in Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix, it quickly became apparent that the answer was more than enough to keep Verstappen, the season-long Drivers’ points leader, well and truly in the rearview mirrors. With the Flying Dutchman’s best chance a potential early overtake at the very start of the race at the ultra-tight Marina Bay Street Circuit, where passing is always at a premium, it was instead Norris who made the superior getaway when the lights went out. The young English contender quickly demonstrated just how much the McLaren MCL38 has overhauled the RB20 as the season has progressed, scampering away with relative ease and quickly gapping the pursuing Red Bull. With his main opponent on this day not Verstappen but the heat, humidity and his own fight for concentration in the face of fatigue, Norris had a few small moments and brushes with the wall. But he kept it clean enough to take a dominant win at the end of 62 grueling laps without a Safety Car or respite of any kind, to the tune of a nearly twenty-one-second advantage over Max. The only thing that stopped Norris from having an absolutely perfect weekend was the Red Bull sister team’s Daniel Ricciardo of RB Honda, who made a late stop for fresh Soft Pirellis and subsequently stole the fastest lap point away from Norris. It was nice bit of long game strategy from Red Bull in a tight championship and a suitably selfless gesture from Ricciardo, who ran his last race for RB on Sunday and possibly in Formula 1, the affable Aussie set to be replaced in the car when the teams unpack in Austin by promising rookie New Zealander, Liam Lawson.

Despite his recent surge in momentum, Norris has not been able to make much of a dent in Verstappen’s championship lead, as the Dutch master has proven superb at damage limitation in the face of the McLaren onslaught. As a team, however, McLaren have begun to pull away in the all important Constructors’ points, helped in no small part by having the superior dynamic duo of Norris and Oscar Piastri, who are both able to compete for victory on any given Sunday. Continue reading →

2024 F1 Grand Prix of Singapore — Qualifying results

Norris earns pole at Marina Bay in Red Flag-affected quali; Verstappen pips Hamilton for P2; Ferrari Q3 nightmare as Sainz crashes out, Leclerc time deleted

With Formula 1 entering the final third of its longest ever season and the Championship hunt as tight as it has been in several years, Saturday Qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix was as dramatic as it was potentially consequential. McLaren’s Lando Norris, desperate to close his gap to Red Bull’s points-leading Max Verstappen after a difficult weekend in Azerbaijan, was able to take the pole for Sunday’s race with a post-Red Flag one-lap flier late in Q3. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz had crashed out midway through Q3 in bizarre fashion during a pre-hot lap warm up, bringing out the Red Flag to retrieve the Spaniard’s stricken Prancing Horse form the final corner’s Tecpro barriers.  With a little over 8 minutes remaining when the session restarted, McLaren opted to send both their cars out first amongst the remaining nine to set times and not wait around for any potential track improvement by the time the clock ran out. It worked well for Norris, who hooked up a lap good enough for P1 but less well for teammate Oscar Piastri. Piastri, last week’s winner at Baku, had been in the top spot before the Sainz stoppage but the young Aussie could not improve and was eventually relegated to P5 by the session’s end.

After a multi-race qualifying drought, Verstappen returned to his excellent form under the pressure of the one-lap shootout, besting Mercedes Lewis Hamilton for P2 in a car that had looked nowhere for most of the session. Lining up alongside Norris on the front row, this race could come down to which driver gets away better at the very start, as passing at Marina Bay Street Circuit can be extremely difficult. Hamilton was nonetheless pleased with his P3 effort, the team unlocking pace in the car overnight after some mediocre performances in Friday’s two practice sessions. Silver Arrows stablemate George Russell was slightly less pleased with the unpredictable performance of his Pirelli tires but still  managed to set the fourth fastest time to earn a spot alongside Hamilton on Row 2. Nico Hulkenberg far out-performed his mediocre Haas and set a stunning time good enough for P6. Aston Martin’s savvy Fernando Alonso pulled the same trick to take a solid P7. RB Honda’s Yuki Tsunoda earned P8, while Ferrari suffered the indignity of not only Sainz having to start the race from P10 due to his crash but also seeing Charles Leclerc’s decent final lap deleted for a track limits violation, dropping the Monegasque to P9 and making for a very unhappy fifth-row duo for the Scuderia.

Top 10 qualifiers for the Singapore GP:

POS

NO

DRIVER

CAR

Q1

Q2

Q3

LAPS

1

4

Lando Norris

McLaren Mercedes

1:30.002

1:30.007

1:29.525

16

2

1

Max Verstappen

Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT

1:30.157

1:29.680

1:29.728

18

3

44

Lewis Hamilton

Mercedes

1:30.393

1:29.929

1:29.841

16

4

63

George Russell

Mercedes

1:30.811

1:30.153

1:29.867

17

5

81

Oscar Piastri

McLaren Mercedes

1:30.258

1:29.640

1:29.953

18

6

27

Nico Hulkenberg

Haas Ferrari

1:30.724

1:30.150

1:30.115

18

7

14

Fernando Alonso

Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes

1:30.684

1:30.450

1:30.214

17

8

22

Yuki Tsunoda

RB Honda RBPT

1:30.716

1:30.289

1:30.354

17

9

16

Charles Leclerc

Ferrari

1:30.786

1:29.747

DNF

19

10

55

Carlos Sainz

Ferrari

1:30.670

1:30.108

DNS

16

Complete qualifying results available via Formula1.com.

Tomorrow’s race airs live on ESPN beginning at 8 am here in the States. With tensions mounting  and time running short in the hunt for glory in 2024, as well as a very tight circuit where overtaking is very difficult and Safety Cars are de rigueur, look for loads of close quarters action between the top contenders, several of whom are out of position, in a desperate scramble for maximum points. Hope to see you then to find out how it all shakes out!

2024 F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan — Results & aftermath

Piastri shines, holds off Leclerc to take victory in scintillating Baku duel; Russell gifted P3 after Perez & Sainz crash each other out; Norris recovers to P6 ahead of Verstappen in P7

McLaren’s up and coming young ace Oscar Piastri withstood lap after lap of relentless pressure from Fearrri’s Charles Leclerc, holding off the hard charging Prancing Horse over the course of a long final tire stint at the always tricky Baku City Circuit to take victory in Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix. With those two drivers clearly the class of the field on the day, the 51-lap race came down to a two car duel for the win. As the laps wound down, Piastri was just able to hold off Leclerc despite the Monegasque’s best efforts, with both men struggling with aging Hard compound Pirelli tires after choosing the preferred one-stop strategy. Eventually, it was Leclerc’s tires that fell off the performance cliff after all that time spent in Piastri’s wake, and the young Aussie earned his second victory of the season and his career by a deceptively large ten-second margin. Leclerc started the Grand Prix from pole, the fourth of his career at Baku, but he has frustratingly yet to convert that one-lap mastery into a win. Still, his second place finish continued Leclerc’s excellent run of form that has seen him podium four races in a row and earn a monumental victory in Italy a fortnight ago.

Ferrari were hoping for even bigger things on the day, as was Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, who looked poised for a rejuvenating P3 podium finish. But the second Prancing Horse of Carlos Sainz closed the gap on Perez late in the race, the Spaniard also looking keen on grabbing a spot on the podium. With Leclerc seeming to fall into Perez’s clutches and P2 possibly on for the much maligned Red Bull driver, Perez made a lunge on the leading Ferrari steaming into Turn 1 on the second to last lap. But Leclerc was able to hold off the Mexican and Sainz pounced on the Red Bull’s loss off momentum. As Leclerc scampered away from danger, Sainz and Perez were parallel speeding towards Turn 3, with Perez looking to regain his momentum and the position. But they both drifted into each other, touched rear wheels and were shunted into the wall. In shocking fashion, it was over for both drivers with only one lap left in a race that had looked so promising for both however their own personal battle might have turned out had they not made contact.

That contretemps really hurt both Ferrari and Red Bull in the Constructors’ Standings, while McLaren vaulted into the lead of that all important contest thanks not only to Piastri’s sweet victory but also Lando Norris overcoming a poor P15 start and persevering all the way up to a post-carnage P4 finish. Norris even made a late race overtake on Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for that position on a day when Verstappen was clearly the slower of the two RB20s. It perfectly encapsulated two stark realities facing the Dutch three-time champion and team Red Bull: the car has undeniably lost pace to McLaren and to a lesser extent Ferrari; and Verstappen is now routinely struggling to extract performance from the car after being in perfect harmony with it to start the season. Things could also get worse before they get better for Red Bull and their Dutch master, as the next race is in Singapore and the Marina Bay Street Circuit is a longtime bogey track for the team. Continue reading →

2024 F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan — Qualifying results

Leclerc claims pole in chaotic Baku qualifying; Piastri edges Sainz for P2 but Norris knocked out in Q1 shocker; Perez out-qualifies Verstappen for once, P4 to P6

On a fascinating and chaotic day of Saturday qualifying for the Azerbaijan Gran Prix at the always challenging Baku City Circuit it was Ferrari’s Chalres Leclerc who carried the momentum from his dream win at Monza two weeks ago and converted it into pole position for Sunday’s Grand Prix. The Monegasque’s excellent run of qualifying form at Baku also continued, as he earned his fourth consecutive pole here. Leclerc, however, has never concerted those into wins in Azerbaijan, something he will be more than eager to do come race day tomorrow. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri slotted in alongside the lead Ferrari with a time good enough for P2, while Leclerc’s Scuderia stablemate Carlos Sainz laid down the third fastest lap in Q3. Unfortunately for McLaren and their highest placed driver, Lando Norris was unceremoniously bounced out of Q1 after some confusion over lifting for a yellow flag that appeared in actuality to be the “slow down” white flag. Starting from a lowly P16, Norris and his brain trust will have it all to do tomorrow to try and keep his points pursuit of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen on track. The young English contender will likely need help from a Safety Car and /or Red Flag, plus some canny strategy calls from the pit wall to get a decent result.

Speaking of Red Bull and Verstappen, it was another bewildering day for the Dutch master, as teammate Sergio Perez firmly bested him in quali, P4 to P6. It was the first time this season that the Mexican veteran, who is fighting to stay in his Red Bull seat after a massive midseason slump, has out-qualified his championship-leading teammate. Mercedes’ George Russell split the Red Bull’s with the fifth fatstest time, clinching the season’s qualifying battle with his highly decorated teammate Lewis Hamilton, 13 to 4. Hamilton could only muster P7 on the day, though the seven-time World Champion has a habit of coming good in the races. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso over-performed his rather tepid mount to the tune of a P8 starting spot, while raw rookie Franco Colapinto go the better of his senior Williams teammate Alex Albon in only his second F1 effort, P9 to P10. Colapinto, who was drafted into the team to replace the struggling American Logan Seargeant at Monza, has looked impressive throughout the weekend at this rather daunting circuit. He was also helped by Albon not being able to get a final lap due to inexplicably leaving the pits with the airbox fan still attached. It remains to be seen if Albon will face any penalties for tomorrow’s race due to that obvious unsafe release.

Top 10 qualifiers for the Azerbaijan GP:

POS

NO

DRIVER

CAR

Q1

Q2

Q3

LAPS

1

16

Charles Leclerc

Ferrari

1:42.775

1:42.056

1:41.365

20

2

81

Oscar Piastri

McLaren Mercedes

1:43.033

1:42.598

1:41.686

19

3

55

Carlos Sainz

Ferrari

1:43.357

1:42.503

1:41.805

23

4

11

Sergio Perez

Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT

1:43.213

1:42.263

1:41.813

15

5

63

George Russell

Mercedes

1:43.139

1:42.329

1:41.874

20

6

1

Max Verstappen

Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT

1:43.097

1:42.042

1:42.023

20

7

44

Lewis Hamilton

Mercedes

1:43.089

1:42.765

1:42.289

22

8

14

Fernando Alonso

Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes

1:43.472

1:42.426

1:42.369

19

9

43

Franco Colapinto

Williams Mercedes

1:43.138

1:42.473

1:42.530

20

10

23

Alexander Albon

Williams Mercedes

1:42.899

1:42.840

1:42.859

19

Complete qualifying results available via Formula1.com.

Tomorrow’s race aires live on ESPN beginning at 7 am Eastern here in the States. With the grid jumbled and a lot of drivers out of position, it should be an action packed start that Leclerc and Piastri will look to stay ahead of in pursuit of victory. Hope to see you then to find out how it all shakes out!

Watch Collector’s Notebook: Three Special Dial 1960s Omega Seamasters

Arguably more than any other of the great Swiss marques, Omega has always been daring, experimental and graphically innovative in their dial designs. And one could make a very strong case that they were at the peak of their powers in this regard in the 1960s. I first became aware of Omega’s penchant for creativity and purpose built “tool” dials on what would ordinarily have been standard dress models by way of having a Seamaster “Railmaster Official” passed down to me by my father. It, along with his Speedmaster Mark II racing dial, is what got me into vintage Omega, and ultimately vintage watches and watches more generally, in the first place.

Seamaster “Railmaster Official” ref. 165.002, cal. 550, 17 jewels, adjusted 3 positions, circa 1966:

I’m not sure if you’ve ever experienced this with an heirloom-type watch, but I’ve always felt not only grateful to have it but also, I have to admit if I’m being honest, slightly constrained by the aesthetic. While Omega designed this watch (with no small copying of Ball’s famous layout) to sell to the very specific railroad worker market, as well as those who value maximum legibility at a glance (something I do appreciate more as I get older), this dial is not quite my personal style. In other words, if it hadn’t been in the family, I don’t think I would have sought it out and bought it on my own despite its very attractive glossy white “porcelain” finish and bold black enamel numerals.

So, I recently decided to acquire what are essentially the same models of Seamaster but with very different dials that are a bit more in my design wheelhouse. The first is the semi-famous “Speedy Companion”, which might more properly be called the “Soleil Companion”, due to the fact that it not only mimics the legendary Speedmaster Professional’s characteristic luminous plots but also the very uncommon lustrous blue-gray soleil/metallic dial finish very rarely found in certain highly desirable ’60s Speedys.

Seamaster “Speedy Companion” ref. 166.002, cal. 565 (quickset), 24 jewels, circa 1966:

Being a compulsive sort of collector, I was not only thrilled with the Speedy Companion but also left wanting one more from this special era of Seamaster dial designs. The scarce “Albino Technical” really spoke to me, with its hyper-attractive matte white dial, non-luminous black “Speedy” markings and punchy red crosshair and Omega logo. It kind of screams “NASA UNIVAC technician”, at least in my imagination.

Seamaster “Albino Technical” ref. 166.002, cal. 562, 24 jewels, circa 1966:

All three watches have pretty much the exact same, rapidly coming back into fashion 34.5mm cases and yet represent completely differently on the wrist, a delightful tribute to a time when creativity in the Swiss watch industry generally, and Omega in particular, was really at an impressive and perhaps all-time high.

I’ll always be proud and honored to have my father’s “Railmaster Official” and look forward to always keeping it in the family, as it has been for some 58-years and counting. But I’m also really pleased to have now added two other very special and distinct 1960s Seamasters that are truly reflective of my own personal tastes and my pleasure in Mid-century modern design language.

You never know where your collector’s journey will take you in this hobby. But it’s certainly a lot of fun following the various tributaries that spring from the main river of your passion!

2024 F1 Grand Prix of Italy — Results & aftermath

Leclerc rides audacious one-stop strategy to take surprise victory at Monza for jubilant Ferrari; Piastri out-duels McLaren teammate Norris for P2

With McLaren looking the dominant team heading into the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, it was Ferrari that stunned Formula 1 by pushing their man Charles Leclerc to first place with an audacious, contrarian one-stop strategy and taking a sweet victory at the storied Scuderia’s home race. Lacking the outright pace of the McLaren’s, Ferrari nevertheless capitalized when the pole-sitting Lando Norris scrapped with his teammate Oscar Piastri on the opening lap and was then passed by the young Aussie for the race lead heading into the second chicane. In that tussle, the Prancing Horse of Leclerc was also able to get by the recovering Norris, setting the wheels in motion on Ferrari’s pit wall to come up with a strategy that would enable Leclerc to fight it out with Piastri for the top step of the podium. But few would have guessed that when Leclerc was undercut by Norris on Lap 15 of this 53-lap contest at the ultra-fast Autodromo Nazionale Monza that the fabled team from Maranello would figure out a way to actually win. Leclerc himself was irate at his race engineer & strategist for losing a place to Norris when he stopped a lap later, both drivers making the switch off their opening set of Medium Pirellis onto the more durable Hard compound tires. It seemed more likely that McLaren had set up a duel between their two drivers for the win, with Piastri destined to re-inherit the race lead and Norris P2 after the opening round of pit stops were completed.

But a funny thing happened on the way to that expected McLaren 1-2. With all the front running teams appearing to run the two-stopper as the best way to finish the race, Piastri made his second pit stop from the lead on Lap 39 and Norris in P2 ran a bit longer to Lap 41. But both Leclerc and Sainz stayed out and it suddenly dawned on the paddock that Ferrari were going to run the risky one-stop strategy despite the waning performance from their aging Hard tires. Leclerc’s lead was such that he was more than full pit stop ahead of the P5 Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton, meaning that the worst that could happen to Leclerc and Sainz if they absolutely had to bail in the race’s final few laps would be a likely third and fourth place finish respectively. On the other hand, now McLaren had to try to reclaim the top two spots by making overtakes on the Ferrari duo with time running out. Piastri did close down Sainz and passed the game Spaniard for P2 on Lap 45, with Norris managing the same feat three laps later. But Leclerc was able to maintain enough of a lead that the laps ran out before the desperate Piastri could even get into position to try for a pass. When the checkered flag flew, Leclerc came home some 2.66-seconds to the good of Piastri to the delight of the happily stunned tifosi in the stands, who happily stormed the field for the post-race ceremonies, as is tradition here. It was an emotional win for the Monegasque, who earlier in the season won his home race in Monaco and now has won for Ferrari at Monza, the dream of every Formula 1 driver who drives for the Prancing Horse. And it showed that the much maligned braintrust at the Scuderia could take a gamble that actually paid off for a change, leaving them still in the hunt for the Constructors’ Championship when many had already written them off this year.

With higher expectations after locking out the front row in qualifying, Piastri and Norris finished a somewhat disappointed P2 and P3 respectively, while Leclerc’s teammate Sainz claimed P4 after running a fine race of his own for himself and the team, especially in defense of Leclerc as the laps ran down. Hamilton ended up the highest placed Silver Arrow in P5 after teammate George Russell, who started from P3 on the grid, sustained opening lap damage to his front wing amidst the chaos that is the first chicane here, necessitating a premature and lengthy early pit stop for a wing change in addition to tires that set the young Briton on his back foot for the rest of the race. Russell rallied to finish P7 but it wasn’t the race he envisioned when he woke up on Sunday morning. Likewise, Hamilton was left hoping for more when the Mercedes W15 had looked so strong until the final quali session on Saturday. Team Red Bull were also more than happy to put Monza in the rearview, with points leader Max Verstappen only able to advance one spot from his starting position, finishing a relatively lowly P6, while Sergio Perez  was overtaken late by Russel and had to settle for P8. The team will be hoping that the very tricky and specific compromises needed to succeed at Monza were to blame rather than a lasting problem with the RB20’s development, as they uncharacteristically looked like merely the fourth quickest team here in Italy all weekend long.

Williams’ Alexander Albon and Haas’s Kevin Magnussen also rode the one-stopper to some level of success and points, with Albon finishing P9 and Magnussen taking the final point in P10 despite a 10-second penalty for colliding with the RB of Yuki Tsunoda early in the race, which wound up ending the Japanese driver’s day.

Top 10 finishers of the Italian GP:

POS

NO

DRIVER

CAR

LAPS

TIME/RETIRED

PTS

1

16

Charles Leclerc

Ferrari

53

1:14:40.727

25

2

81

Oscar Piastri

McLaren Mercedes

53

+2.664s

18

3

4

Lando Norris

McLaren Mercedes

53

+6.153s

16

4

55

Carlos Sainz

Ferrari

53

+15.621s

12

5

44

Lewis Hamilton

Mercedes

53

+22.820s

10

6

1

Max Verstappen

Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT

53

+37.932s

8

7

63

George Russell

Mercedes

53

+39.715s

6

8

11

Sergio Perez

Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT

53

+54.148s

4

9

23

Alexander Albon

Williams Mercedes

53

+67.456s

2

10

20

Kevin Magnussen

Haas Ferrari

53

+68.302s

1

Complete race results available via Formula1.com.

The next race is in a fortnight, the always exciting Azerbaijan Grand Prix from the challenging Baku City Circuit, so the teams will get a little breather after the back-to-back rounds coming out of the summer break. For Ferrari and Leclerc and all of Italy, it will mean an extra week to savor an improbable win. For the other contenders, it’ll be trying to figure out how to get back into victory lane in this highly unpredictable season. Hope to see you then to find out how it all shakes out!