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Posted: 2021-09-12 13:47:17

Australia's Daniel Ricciardo has survived a chaotic race to win the Formula One Italian Grand Prix at Monza, for his first victory since 2018.

He beat his teammate Lando Norris for a McLaren one-two, the first time that has happened since 2010, with Mercedes Valtteri Bottas finishing third.

The 32-year-old was helped on lap 26 when championship rivals Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton took each other out at the first corner. 

It is Ricciardo's eighth grand prix victory and his first since joining McLaren this season. 

Starting second on the grid, Ricciardo got the dream start off the line, taking the lead from Verstappen into the first corner.

What followed was some of the Australian's best driving of his Formula One career.

He led Verstappen for 22 laps before coming in for his pit stop.

He retook the lead during the safety car after reigning world champion Hamilton and Verstappen collided and never looked back. 

Race driver celebrates with his team after a victory.
Daniel Ricciardo celebrates with the McLaren team after winning the Italian Grand Prix.(

Pool via Reuters: Lars Baron

)

"To be honest, even if we got the start, it was never a guarantee we would lead the whole race," Ricciardo said. 

It had been a difficult year for the Australian who moved from Renault at the end of last season. 

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He said the mid-year break came at the right time and he had felt like a better driver since the season resumed. 

"The August break was good just to reset," he said.

"I've felt better the last three weekends, and to not only win, but to get a one-two, it's insane."

A second-place finish for Norris has helped McLaren leapfrog Ferrari in the constructor's championship into third. 

Title rivals score no points after crash

One race car on top of another in gravel.
Max Verstappen in the Red Bull on top of the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton at Monza.(

Kayo

)

Verstappen retains his five-point lead in the driver's championship over Hamilton after the pair's disastrous day.

Their collision seemed unthinkable four laps earlier when Verstappen, in second, held a five-second gap to Hamilton who was in fourth. 

But Verstappen's horror pit stop at the end of lap 23 began a chain of events which led to the crash.

The Red Bull team had issues getting the right-front tyre on Verstappen's car, leaving him stationary for 11 seconds.

This erased the lead he had over title-rival Hamilton, who pitted at the end of lap 25, after finally getting past Norris.

When Hamilton came out of the pits, Verstappen was flying down the straight, trying to beat the Mercedes driver into the first chicane. 

Into the chicane, Hamilton had the inside line into the right-hand turn, which sent Verstappen onto the curbs.

Then, for the left-hand turn, the two came together, with Verstappen's car wedged on top of Hamilton's.

Hamilton said post-race he gave Verstappen enough space into the corner. 

"I went into turn one and I was ahead and I was ahead going into turn two," Hamilton told Sky Sports UK.

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