Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc takes thrilling surprise win at Italian Grand Prix

(CNN) —& Ferrari’s& Charles Leclerc& held on to take a thrilling& Grand Prix& win at his team’s home race in Monza, Italy, somehow shepherding his increasingly battered and tired tires to the checkered flag ahead of a marauding Oscar Piastri.Piastri had led for much of the race after overtaking his McLaren teammate and polesitter Lando Norris on the first chicane but opted for a two-stop strategy, wary of his tires degrading too much. Norris pitted too, and that left the two Ferrari cars of Leclerc and Carlos Sainz out in front with a healthy lead as the remaining laps ticked down.Though Piastri launched a late challenge as he hurtled towards Leclerc on newer, faster tires, the gap was ultimately too big to close and he could only finish in second place with Norris also overtaking Sainz to complete the podium in third.Such a win prompted delirious celebrations from the thousands of Italian tifosi packed into the grandstands to cheer on their de facto national team and they sprinted down the track to the podium, unfurling a huge Ferrari banner on their way to watch Leclerc spray champagne from the podium while red smoke drifted into the air above him.“It’s an...