Max Verstappen was in a league of is own in Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix, the Red Bull charger claiming his 66th career win in F1 with a dominant display at Monza.
The Dutchman resisted early pressure from Lando Norris before stretching clear to seal a 19.2-second winning margin, as McLaren’s afternoon was complicated by team orders and pitstop drama.
The opening lap set the tone for a lively race. Norris made the better getaway from second on the grid and went wheel-to-wheel with polesitter Verstappen into Turn 1. The McLaren driver felt he was forced towards the grass as Verstappen held the inside line and then skipped across the first chicane to keep the lead.
In a nod to fairness, Verstappen handed the place back on the following lap – but he made sure not to stay behind for long. Tucked in Norris’s slipstream, the four-time world champion pounced at the start of lap four, diving down the inside into the Rettifilo chicane to reclaim the lead. From there, Verstappen was untouchable.
Verstappen in Control
Once back ahead, Verstappen wasted no time in building a buffer. His relentless pace quickly pushed Norris out of DRS range, and by lap ten the gap was stretching lap by lap.
Over the middle stint, Verstappen established a lead of around six seconds, never appearing under serious threat as Norris struggled to maintain the pace. With the RB21 looking sharp on medium tyres, Verstappen calmly extended his advantage before pitting at the end of lap 37 to switch onto hards for the run to the flag.
McLaren, by contrast, tried to delay their stop to keep the door open for a potential safety car that would allow a dash on softs. But as the laps ticked by, the gamble began to look like a risk without reward.
McLaren Team Orders Drama
The turning point for McLaren came in the pits. With both cars staying long on their opening stints, Norris selflessly allowed Piastri to stop first on lap 45. That goodwill backfired almost immediately when Norris came in a lap later and suffered a sluggish stop, dropping him behind his teammate.
Suddenly running third, Norris voiced his frustration over the radio. McLaren responded by invoking precedent from the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix, asking Piastri to hand back the position. The Australian showed some resistance but eventually relented, allowing Norris back into second.
The shuffle did little to trouble Verstappen, who by then was streaking clear on fresher hard tyres. Free to manage his pace, the Dutchman opened the gap to nearly 20 seconds by the chequered flag, claiming a vintage Monza victory.
Ferrari and Mercedes in the Mix
Behind the leading trio, Charles Leclerc salvaged fourth place in front of the adoring Tifosi. The Ferrari driver fought hard in the opening laps with Piastri, trading places twice before settling into his rhythm.
Ultimately, Leclerc lacked the pace to challenge McLaren but comfortably saw off the Mercedes duo behind.
George Russell led home Lewis Hamilton in fifth and sixth, the latter climbing back after a grid penalty carried over from Zandvoort. Both showed flashes of speed but were never in contention for the podium.
Midfield Battles and Penalties
Alex Albon drove a clever race to finish seventh after a long first stint, showing Williams’ growing strength in the midfield. Behind him, Gabriel Bortoleto inherited eighth when Andrea Kimi Antonelli received a five-second penalty for erratic driving.
Isack Hadjar claimed ninth, with Carlos Sainz rounding out the top ten after a collision with Ollie Bearman at Turn 4 dropped both out of the points battle.
They recovered to the finish, but the incident summed up a frustrating afternoon for Ferrari’s second driver in front of the home crowd.
A Statement Win
For Verstappen, the Italian Grand Prix represented more than just another victory – it was a statement of authority, and possibly resurgence. Having handed over the lead early, the Dutchman’s comeback and subsequent dominance were vintage examples of his control under pressure.
McLaren will leave Monza encouraged by another double podium but frustrated by the small errors and awkward team orders that prevented them from putting Verstappen under greater strain.
With Norris and Piastri still in the thick of the championship fight, the harmony between them may yet be tested again before the season is done.
At Monza, however, it was Verstappen’s day – a champion’s drive at the Temple of Speed.
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