Max Verstappen delivered a masterclass at Monza on Sunday, winning the Italian Grand Prix to halt McLaren’s dominance of the Formula One season.
Starting from pole after clocking the fastest lap in F1 history during qualifying, the Red Bull driver held off Lando Norris and championship leader Oscar Piastri in a rapid race that finished with the top five drivers in their starting order.
Despite the victory, Verstappen remains a long shot for the drivers’ title, trailing Piastri by 94 points. The Australian leads the standings by 31 points ahead of Norris, with McLaren cars having won all but four races this season.
The triumph was Verstappen’s third of the year — and his second win in Italy after his Emilia Romagna GP success in May — marking a historic weekend for the 27-year-old.
Ferrari, meanwhile, disappointed their home fans. Charles Leclerc came fourth, while Lewis Hamilton, starting from 10th after a grid penalty, battled his way up to sixth but couldn’t pass George Russell. It left the seven-time world champion frustrated in his first Monza race as a Ferrari driver.
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