Max Verstappen claimed his third win of the season with a commanding drive at the Italian Grand Prix. The reigning champion crossed the finish line nearly 19 seconds ahead of Lando Norris, whose battle for position with teammate Oscar Piastri created late-race tension within the McLaren camp. The victory marked Verstappen’s third career triumph at Monza, and the first time he has converted pole into a win at the famous circuit.
McLaren had gambled on delaying their pit stops, hoping a late safety car would allow them to maximize the benefit of fresh soft tires. That strategy backfired when a slower stop for Norris dropped him behind Piastri, despite the team’s policy that the lead car should receive priority service.
Fearing that keeping Piastri out longer would leave him vulnerable to Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari, the team brought the Australian in first. His stop was a rapid 1.9 seconds, while Norris lost crucial time to a sluggish change on his left front tire, rejoining the track behind his teammate.
After the race, Verstappen praised his team’s flawless execution: “It’s super enjoyable to win here. It was a great day for us. Lap 1 was a bit unlucky but after that we were flying. The car was really enjoyable. I could manage the pace quite well throughout that first stint and we pitted at the right time. Fantastic execution by everyone by the whole team. The whole weekend, we were on it.”
Norris briefly challenged Verstappen off the start, forcing the Red Bull wide through the opening chicane after running onto the grass on the approach to Turn 1. To avoid a penalty for gaining an advantage off track, Verstappen was instructed to yield the place on Lap 2—but his superior pace saw him reclaim the lead just two laps later. Reflecting on the race, Norris said: “I always know it’s going to be a good fight with Max and it was [at the start]. So enjoyable but just not the speed today of Max and the Red Bull .. I felt like I was there quite a long time. Every now and then we make mistakes as a team and today was one of them.”
Leclerc took fourth, and Lewis Hamilton finished sixth in his first Italian Grand Prix as a Ferrari driver. Rounding out the top ten, Alex Albon’s alternative tire strategy earned Williams a strong seventh, followed by Gabriel Bortoleto’s Sauber in eighth. Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli secured ninth, while Isack Hadjar picked up the final point for Racing Bulls in 10th.
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