Max Verstappen stormed to victory at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, ending McLaren’s dominance of the Formula One season with a superb drive from pole position in Monza.
The Red Bull star held off challenges from Lando Norris and championship leader Oscar Piastri, just a day after setting the fastest lap in F1 history to secure pole.
Despite the win, Verstappen’s hopes of a fifth consecutive drivers’ title remain slim, as he trails Piastri by 94 points after the Australian finished third.
Piastri still leads the standings, sitting 31 points ahead of Norris, who took second place. The top five drivers finished in the same positions they started, making it one of the fastest and most straightforward races of the season.
Sunday’s triumph marked Verstappen’s third win in a season dominated by McLaren, which has claimed victory in all but four Grands Prix. It was also his second win in Italy this year, following his earlier success at the Emilia Romagna GP in May, sealing a memorable weekend for the 27-year-old Dutchman.
Ferrari fans at Monza were left disappointed as Charles Leclerc missed the podium with a fourth-place finish. His teammate Lewis Hamilton, hit with a five-place grid penalty that pushed him back to 10th at the start, fought hard to climb to sixth.
However, the seven-time world champion couldn’t get past George Russell and ended his first Monza race with Ferrari on a frustrating note.
