Max Verstappen was dominant in F1 Italian GP win as Lando Norris secured second after late team orders on Oscar Piastri.
It was not a clean run from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to start F1 Italian GP at Monza where he maintained his lead from McLaren’s Lando Norris but cut the corner at Turn 1. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri lost third to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, but the Australian regained third at Turn 4.
Mercedes’ George Russell was fifth from Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto, who made up multiple places to sixth from Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso. Even Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton was up to eighth from Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda, as Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli dropped to 10th.
The stewards looked at a corner cut by Hamilton and Tsunoda, but cleared them. Even before stewards could look into the Turn 1 incident, Verstappen gave up the lead to Norris at Turn 1. Just behind, Leclerc managed to re-pass Piastri for third going into Turn 1.
Hamilton was the driver on the move as he cleared not just Alonso but also Bortoleto in the couple of laps to be sixth. At the front, Verstappen kept hustling Norris and retook the F1 Italian GP lead at Turn 1. Like before, Piastri also managed to take on Leclerc for third at Turn 1.
Russell tried to hustle Leclerc, but there was no way through. Hamilton started to catch them both, as Bortoleto hung on to seventh from Alonso, who kept Tusnoda and Antonelli at bay. They were joined by Haas’ Oliver Bearman, just out the points position.
His teammate Esteban Ocon was handed a 5s time penalty for forcing Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll off going into Turn 4. Visa Cash App RB’s Liam Lawson went for an early stop, as Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg race ended even before he got on the grid to start the Italian GP.
Antonelli got through Tsunoda for ninth as Bearman – just behind – pitted on Lap 20 to kick-start the pit melee. The Japanese pitted on the next lap and came out behind the Red Bull driver, but he lost track position at Turn 4. Bortoleto and Alonso, meanwhile, pitted on Lap 22.
The Spaniard emerged ahead of the Brazilian to have track position in their overall fight for seventh. But all his work ended in drain after he ran wide on the kerb and his suspension broke, forcing him to retire. Williams played the team game to get Alexander Albon ahead of Carlos Sainz.
The Thai started on the hard compound against the Spaniard’s medium. Russell, meanwhile, pitted on Lap 28. Teammate Antonelli managed to overcut Bortoleto for track position. Leclerc, meanwhile, pitted on Lap 34 but had track position over the Mercedes pair.
Verstappen pitted on Lap 38 to switch to hard compound. Likewise Hamilton pitted on Lap 39. McLaren stayed put in a search of safety car or switch to soft compound. They almost had one when Sainz tried a move on Bearman at Turn 4 but the two made contact and spun around.
Sainz had the outside line and was ahead but turned into the corner without leaving much space. The move was put under investigation, as they only lost one place to Visa Cash App RB’s Isack Hadjar. Albon pitted and caught up Antonelli to pass him for track position.
He tried at Turn 1-2 sequence but forced onto the grass. He eventually took the outside line at Turn 4 to take the place. Piastri pitted on Lap 46 to switch onto soft. Norris did so on Lap 47 but to his luck, the front left was slow and he eventually lost second to his F1 title rival.
Interestingly, McLaren issued team orders on Piastri to give back the place revoking Hungary 2024 scenario. The Australian wasn’t too happy but moved aside to give Norris second. Leclerc was fourth from Russell and Hamilton, as Albon moved up to seventh from Antonelli.
Both were under investigation for Antonelli to forcing Albon off, with the Italian getting a 5s time penalty as a result. Bortoleto was ninth from Hadjar in the Top 10, with Sainz and Bearman just outside. The stewards handed 10s time penalty to the Brit for causing a collision.
Verstappen decimated opponents to win F1 Italian GP by 19.207s on McLaren, where Norris took second from Piastri in the Top 3. Leclerc was fourth from Russell, as Hamilton was up to sixth along with Albon in seventh. Antonelli finished eighth but a penalty dropped him to ninth.
It was Bortoleto in eighth, as Hadjar climbed from pitlane to finish 10th to score a point. Sainz was 11th from Bearman, who retained 12th despite the penalty. Tsunoda was 13th from Lawson, with Ocon, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly & Franco Colapinto and Stroll rounded out the 18 finishers – where everyone from Ocon until Stroll finished a lap down.
Here’s FIA documents about penalties: https://www.fia.com/documents/championships/fia-formula-one-world-championship-14/season/season-2025-2071
