Max Verstappen claimed his third win of the 2025 season at Monza, fending off a spirited early challenge from Lando Norris before controlling the race to take victory ahead of the McLaren duo.
Verstappen vs. Norris: Early Battle Sets the Tone
The opening lap brought high tension as Norris’ trajectory against Verstappen sent the British driver momentarily onto the grass at Turn 1. The Dutchman then cut the corner, but gave back the lead to avoid a penalty. Within a few laps, Verstappen reclaimed first place and never looked back, executing a long first stint on medium tyres before switching to hards and managing the gap to the finish.
Verstappen made history at Monza by winning the 2025 Italian Grand Prix, which became the fastest world championship race in Formula 1 history. Stopping the clock at 1:13:24.325 with an average speed of 250.706 km/h (155.791 mph), he broke the record previously set by Michael Schumacher in 2003.
The victory was Verstappen’s third of the season – his second in Italy after Imola – and the 66th of his career, as well as his third win at Monza in the past four years and the first from pole at the Temple of Speed since 2019.
McLaren Team Orders Spark Debate
McLaren’s race was shaped by a slow pit stop for Norris, which handed Piastri second place after his earlier stop. But with Norris having led his team mate for much of the race, the team ordered Piastri to give the position back. The Australian complied but questioned over the radio whether “a slow pitstop [is] part of racing?”
Norris later admitted he disliked the circumstances but backed the decision as “the most fair” outcome, while Piastri accepted the logic but noted there were “some things we need to discuss.” The result narrows Piastri’s championship lead over Norris from 34 to 31 points with eight rounds remaining.
Ferrari Fall Short at Home
Despite strong practice form, Ferrari lacked the pace to challenge Red Bull and McLaren on race day. Charles Leclerc battled Oscar Piastri at the start but fell back after overheating his tyres, ultimately settling for fourth. Lewis Hamilton, racing at Monza as a Ferrari driver for the first time, delivered a strong recovery from 10th on the grid to sixth, thrilling the Tifosi with a series of overtakes.
“It’s everything you could ever hope for,” Hamilton said of the fan support. “It’s a dream to drive for this team, and I’m going to work as hard as I can to one day stand on that top step.”
Standings and Outlook
With Verstappen back to winning ways and McLaren’s intra-team rivalry intensifying, the championship fight remains finely poised. Ferrari showed promise but were again outgunned by Red Bull and McLaren, leaving the team with work to do ahead of the next round.
Featured Image Credit: formula1.com
Written and edited by Jessica.
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