Max Verstappen dominated the 2025 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, securing his third win of the season. Starting from pole, Verstappen initially faced a challenge from McLaren’s Lando Norris, who pressured the Red Bull driver right from the start. Verstappen briefly relinquished the lead to Norris but quickly reclaimed it and controlled the race from there.
After a smooth pit stop strategy, Verstappen maintained a comfortable gap over the McLaren duo, Norris and Oscar Piastri. Despite some team strategy drama at McLaren, where Norris had a slow pit stop and Piastri briefly moved ahead, the two teammates swapped positions to allow Norris to chase Verstappen.
Meanwhile, George Russell put in a solid performance to finish fifth, while Lewis Hamilton made an impressive recovery from his five-place grid penalty to finish sixth. McLaren’s strategy paid off, but with the team orders in play, Piastri finished third behind Norris.
Ferrari’s hopes for a home podium were dashed as Charles Leclerc ended up in fourth, ahead of Russell’s Mercedes. Alex Albon secured a strong seventh place for Williams, followed by Gabriel Bortoleto and Kimi Antonelli. Isack Hadjar made an impressive recovery from a pit-lane start to finish 10th.
In the midfield, Esteban Ocon received a penalty for forcing Lance Stroll off track, while Fernando Alonso suffered an apparent suspension failure. Other notables included the Sauber drivers, with Nico Hulkenberg failing to start due to a hydraulic issue.
Verstappen’s victory at Monza solidifies his position as a dominant force in the 2025 F1 season. Next, the series moves to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, set for September 19-21.
