"It's a shame" -Ferrari and Charles Leclerc left frustrated after Max Verstappen wins 2022 F1 Italian GP

Charles Leclerc and Ferrari endured a frustrating end to the 2022 F1 Italian GP after Max Verstappen won his fifth consecutive race of the season on their home soil.

The Scuderia had the advantage going into the race with Leclerc starting from pole position. Verstappen started in P7 after taking a new Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) for his Power Unit (PU) and the five-place grid penalty that came with it.

This did little to deter the Dutchman, who caught up to Leclerc within the first ten laps. After Sebastian Vettel's retirement from the race triggered a Virtual Safety Car (VSC), Ferrari chose to bring Leclerc in for a pit stop. Unfortunately for the Monegasque driver, it ended while he was taxiing down the pit lane, effectively handing Verstappen control of the race, which the Red Bull man did not relinquish.

Following his second round of stops, Charles Leclerc struggled to chip away at the margin Max Verstappen had built over him. When Daniel Ricciardo's McLaren broke down on track late on to bring the Safety Car out, many hoped it would bunch up the field for a thrilling finale. Both Verstappen and Leclerc put on soft rubber in anticipation but the marshals were unable to clear the track in time and the race ended under yellow flags.

In his post-race interview, Charles Leclerc cut a disgruntled figure while speaking to Martin Brundle for Sky Sports. The Ferrari man said:

"The end was frustrating, I wish we could have had a bit of a race. Unfortunately, we were second because of what happened before. It's a shame, but I gave it all. P2 today. I wish I could have won in front of the amazing Tifosi here but I just couldn't today."

When asked about his pit-lane poker move during the first VSC and how he felt about it with the benefit of hindsight, the 24-year-old said:

"Well, to be honest, we didn't know what they (Red Bull) were going to do behind. So, we took a choice. Well, obviously, we finished P2 so, I am not extremely happy with the race but we will work on that."

Leclerc was then asked if had any answers for the pace deficit between Ferrari and Red Bull after the first round of pit stops. he concluded his interview by saying:

"I don't know. I think the pace was quite strong today. We will have to look into it but I think we were quite strong in this race."

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Time running out for Charles Leclerc to keep his 2022 F1 World Championship hopes alive

Charles Leclerc is running out of time and races to keep his dwindling hopes of becoming the 2022 F1 Drivers' World Champion alive after faltering yet again to hand Max Verstappen a victory.

The reigning world champion came into the race at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza with a 109-point lead over his main rival and left Italy with 335 points to Leclerc's 219.

Max Verstappen essentially has one hand on his second world championship and is in the process of securing the grip with another. He could end up securing the title in either Marina Bay or Suzuka, depending on how Leclerc's performances are affected in the coming rounds.

Should that happen, Ferrari and Charles Leclerc will only have themselves to blame, considering the amazing start they had to the campaign back in Bahrain.