Ricciardo wins Italian GP as Hamilton and Verstappen crash out
Daniel Ricciardo won the 2021 Italian GP, handing McLaren its first victory since the 2012 Brazilian GP. Lando Norris finished 2nd, giving McLaren a 1-2 result, while Bottas finished 3rd after starting at the back of the grid.
The drama-packed race saw tensions between the two title challengers – Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen – peak as both of them collided while battling for position. Read on to catch up on all the action from the Italian GP.
- Verstappen, Hamilton out after crash
- Ricciardo wins 1.74 secs ahead of Norris
- McLaren scores first 1-2 since Canada 2010
Verstappen, Hamilton crash out at Monza
Ricciardo aced the start to pass Verstappen for the lead heading into the first chicane. Hamilton tried attacking Verstappen, but had to take to the run-off and dropped down to 4th.
Verstappen tried hard, but couldn’t find a way past Ricciardo. A slow pit stop delivered a blow to his victory chances, with his Red Bull car stationary for over 11 secs. As Hamilton took his own pit stop, he re-joined the track neck-and-neck with Verstappen.
The pair collided while battling through the Variante del Rettifilo, with Verstappen’s RB16B launched in the air and landing on the halo device of Hamilton’s Mercedes racer. Both drivers are unhurt after the incident, but it’s a moment that will undoubtedly aggravate tensions between the two title fighters.
