Max Verstappen won the 2022 Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix under the Safety Car, with pole-sitter Charles Leclerc finishing runner-up as Red Bull denied Ferrari a home victory at Monza. The Dutchman then led as, during a Virtual Safety Car (for Sebastian Vettel’s DNF on Lap 12), Leclerc pitted from softs to mediums. Verstappen extended his first stint and swapped for mediums on Lap 26, relinquishing the lead back to Leclerc, who then pitted a second time for soft tyres on Lap 33. The Monegasque driver had a tyre advantage over Verstappen but a 20-second deficit to claw back by Lap 53. The Dutchman seemed assured of a comfortable victory until a Safety Car on Lap 48 for the stationary McLaren of Daniel Ricciardo. It took Red Bull’s Max Verstappen just 12 laps to rise from P7 on the grid to the race lead after Ferrari’s poleman Charles Leclerc pitted under a virtual safety car. Verstappen pitted for his only scheduled stop on lap 25, underlining the low degradation of the soft, before re-emerging in second on the medium and taking the lead once more when Leclerc made his second stop.

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