A Sunday reminiscent of other times: Verstappen wins

The weekend itself was already historic. In a qualifying session where he beat the McLarens and saw his teammate finish only 10th, Max Verstappen didn't just take pole position : at the Italian Grand Prix, the Red Bull driver broke the track record and set the fastest lap ever in Formula 1, clocking 1:18.792 minutes and a medical speed of 264.682 km/h.

"It's always difficult for us to have a good lap, even with braking, it's always easy to make mistakes, but I felt good in Q3. I'm happy with the laps, and of course, getting pole position here is fantastic for us. The car has been much better all weekend, and I'm really happy to have had the chance to fight for pole. It was close. We were a little behind, we made some final changes that helped me push harder, and it was exactly what we needed. It's a great moment for us. We're going to give it everything we've got," said the Dutch driver after finishing ahead of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, achieving the 45th pole position of his career.

Verstappen vs Norris ⚔️ Watch the race start ???? #F1 #ItalianGP pic.twitter.com/iDjEiJhcg5

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 7, 2025

Verstappen round the outside ????

Unbelievable battling at the front as the Dutchman retakes the lead! ???? #F1 #ItalianGP pic.twitter.com/hREmJQcsy0

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 7, 2025

At Monza, a circuit where Ferrari's support is always overwhelming and ends up having a kind of magical effect on the performance of the Italian team 's two drivers, Nico Hulkenberg retired before the start due to a problem with his Kick Sauber. At the start, Charles Leclerc excelled and jumped straight into third place, with Max Verstappen sending Lando Norris onto the grass at the first corner to maintain the lead.

The Red Bull driver was told to relinquish the position to the McLaren Brit, but the truth is that Lando Norris's lead only lasted until the fourth lap, when Max Verstappen overtook him and regained first place. Further back, Oscar Piastri managed to reclaim third place by overtaking Charles Leclerc, and the Monegasque was already being pressured by George Russell, while Verstappen put on a masterclass by pulling further and further away from Norris.

Russell was the first of the leading group to change tires, followed by Leclerc, and Fernando Alonso ended up retiring due to a suspension problem in his Aston Martin. Lando Norris managed to gain some time from Max Verstappen , and the Dutch Red Bull driver responded by pitting , returning behind Lewis Hamilton, who stopped shortly after, leaving the two McLarens in the lead without having yet stopped.

Dramatic footage of Alonso's suspension failure ???? #F1 #ItalianGP pic.twitter.com/LVa6NuDuDf

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 7, 2025

LAP 38/53

Our race leader pits for fresh rubber

Verstappen comes back out behind Hamilton who has yet to make a stop #F1 #ItalianGP pic.twitter.com/YMfpHsaLII

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 7, 2025

McLaren's late stop strategy continued until lap 46, well into the final ten laps of Monza, with Oscar Piastri changing tires before Lando Norris. Max Verstappen returned to the race lead, and it became clear that McLaren's strategy was to wait for a possible safety car , as Red Bull was much faster in pure pace. Norris came out behind Piastri due to an overly long stop, but the team ultimately asked the Australian to allow the Brit to pass.

Nothing changed until the end of the season . Max Verstappen won the Italian Grand Prix, returning to winning ways almost four months later, for the first time since Emilia-Romagna in May and for the third time this season. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri completed the podium, with Charles Leclerc finishing fourth, followed by George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Alexander Albon, Gabriel Bortoleto, Isack Hadjar, and Carlos Sainz.

LAP 49/53

Wait! ????

McLaren have asked Piastri to swap positions with Norris

And the Aussie lets his team mate through ????

Norris is P2, Piastri P3 #F1 #ItalianGP pic.twitter.com/GG9IZg88Za

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 7, 2025