Verstappen wins the Italian Grand Prix ahead of Norris and Piastri.
Photo: Mark Sutton
The Dutch world champion claimed pole position on Saturday in a completely unexpected fashion, laying the foundation for success in the main race. With his RB21, he managed to fend off both McLarens and secured his second victory on Italian soil this year with a 19-second lead over second-placed Norris.
McLaren in Monza made a rather controversial decision that ultimately determined the final podium order. Oscar Piastri, running in third, pitted for hard tyres, and shortly afterward, Lando Norris also came in. However, Norris’s stop didn’t go according to plan, as the front-right mechanic struggled to secure the wheel. The delay meant Norris rejoined the track behind Piastri. The team decided the situation wasn’t fair to Norris and instructed a position swap between the drivers. Norris therefore kept the second place he had held before the pit stops. The gap between the two McLaren drivers now stands at 31 points.
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| Photo: Rudy Carezzevoli |
Home team Ferrari leaves the Temple of Speed without a podium, much to the tifosi’s disappointment. Leclerc qualified fourth — the same grid slot from which he won last year — but this time, it was only enough to defend fourth place in the race. Lewis Hamilton delivered a solid qualifying performance, finishing fifth, but dropped five places on the grid due to a penalty carried over from the Netherlands. From tenth, he climbed up to sixth by the finish.
For Mercedes, it was a rather unimpressive weekend. Local hero Kimi Antonelli, who made his FP1 debut at Monza last year, failed to shine. He made a mistake in one of the practice sessions and ended up stuck in the gravel, leaving him without crucial data for the remainder of the weekend. Even so, he was only half a tenth slower than his teammate in qualifying. In the race, he fell further back and ended up with just two points for ninth place. George Russell fared slightly better, finishing fifth.
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| Photo: Marco Bertorello |
Alex Albon once again worked wonders with his Williams, securing six points for seventh place. Another standout performance came from Isack Hadjar, who scored points again in tenth after his podium in the Netherlands. While only tenth this time, considering he started from the pit lane, it was still an excellent result. He wasn’t the only rookie making waves — Brazil’s Gabriel Bortoleto also impressed, finishing eighth and once again outshining his teammate Hülkenberg.
Formula 1 now moves to the streets of Baku next weekend.