Five things we learned from the Italian Grand Prix
The Formula 1 world was treated with yet another quality race during the 2019 season. Charles Leclerc took the victory as his teammate failed to score a single point from Ferrari's home race. The two Mercedes drivers filled the other podium places.
1. Leclerc is maturing fast
For a young driver under such pressure, Leclerc performed well. Twice, the man from Monaco had to fight Lewis Hamilton on track as the two rivals went wheel to wheel. At the end of the race, he had Valtteri Bottas breathing down his neck. Leclerc kept his calm and demonstrated that there's a mature head on those young shoulders.
2. Vettel is in a spin...literally!
What's more common? A Mercedes victory or a Sebastian Vettel spin? The German has spun during races all too often now. During the Italian Grand Prix, he spun virtually unopposed and then rejoined the track dangerously. Yes, watching your teammate storm to two victories in just two weeks is painful after not winning yourself for 12 months. But Vettel needs to get his head straight when he's on track. He needs to get focused on the task at hand.
3. Renault's problems have been highlighted
That seems strange to say when they've had their best result from the 2019 season. But it just shows how good their engine is. The car perform on the Monza circuit, but on tracks that require more downforce, things are different. It just shows the areas which need most focus from the French team as they head towards the winter break.
4. Honda's new-spec engine has a few problems
During the race, Max Verstappen lost power when his new engine went into safety mode for around five seconds. He managed to recover and carry on, unlike Daniil Kvyat. The Toro Rosso driver was forced to retire after an oil leak made the car sound rather rough.
5. The Italian fans were desperate for that Ferrari victory
A nine-year wait came to an end on Sunday afternoon. Pandemonium. The Italian fans flooded the home straight to get a good view of Leclerc on the podium. They sang the anthem with more passion and power than ever before. They were hungry for that one.