Highlights from the Italian GP

The Italian GP concluded with a victory for Verstappen and brought a new controversy regarding team orders. But what were the key highlights from the race at Monza this Sunday? Here are five highlights from the Italian GP:
Verstappen: From ‘monster’ at Monza to 2023-style victory
After Max Verstappen referred to the Red Bull car as a ‘monster’ in Monza last year, few had high hopes for Red Bull at this year’s Italian Grand Prix. But from the first practice session, the reality was different. When Helmut Marko mentioned on Friday, behind the garages, that Verstappen could fight for the win, many in the paddock were skeptical. Was he too optimistic? The final answer was a clear no. Marko was spot on. Verstappen secured pole position impressively on Saturday, with the noteworthy detail that he played a decisive role in setting up the car. Numerous team members, including technical director Pierre Waché, preferred to use a bit more wing and therefore more downforce, but Verstappen disagreed.
Race pace continued to be a big question for the Dutchman: ‘It has happened before that Friday looked good, but then we got destroyed on Sunday.’ But none of that materialized at Monza. Verstappen was applauded in the media center for his bold move around the outside of Lando Norris and continued to dominate. This Sunday was reminiscent of his best days in the 2023 season. From a ‘monster’ to a dominant victory at the same track – what a difference 12 months can make.
– Ronald Vording
McLaren needs to work on team orders
Just like in Monza last year, McLaren once again has something to talk about after the race regarding managing the battle between their drivers. Was it fair to give Lando back the position he lost due to McLaren’s slow pit stop? Probably yes. But was it in line with the ‘papaya rules’ – Piastri’s message suggests otherwise. This will certainly spark some debate. By finishing P2 in Monza, Lando Norris reduced the championship gap by three points (from 34 to 31 points). It’s not much, but it’s something.
– Oleg Karpov
Bortoleto, increasingly comfortable in F1 points
Gabriel Bortoleto knows Monza well. After all, he won here last year in Formula 2, coming from last on the grid. This time, the Brazilian had another strong and solid weekend in his debut season with Sauber on Italian soil. Bortoleto matched his best qualifying position of the year by securing seventh on Saturday, outperforming his teammate Nico Hülkenberg for the sixth consecutive time (he now leads 10 to 6 this season). On Sunday, he had a balanced race to finish eighth on a day when the other car didn’t even start due to a technical failure.
This was the fourth time in the last six races that Bortoleto scored points, confirming his impressive rookie season in F1. Yes, Isack Hadjar just got a podium [at the Dutch GP], but the Brazilian is also doing well in the battle for the unofficial Rookie of the Year title.
– Federico Faturos
Tsunoda not doing enough to secure Red Bull future
Things aren’t going well for Yuki Tsunoda. Time is ticking – and races like this might not make Helmut Marko and Laurent Mekies wait too long before deciding on the 2026 lineup. The Japanese driver had dreamed of this opportunity, but now it seems perhaps it would have been better to stay at Racing Bulls this year. The move to Red Bull hasn’t brought him what he expected. Forget podiums – even points are proving hard to come by. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen continues to impress. His weekend at Monza was once again outstanding – and while Tsunoda might argue he didn’t have the same specs, that certainly doesn’t explain the performance gap.
– Oleg Karpov
Traditional races need a boost
We all love the traditional permanent circuits, right? But a dry race at Spa tends to be lackluster, and this Italian GP wasn’t exciting either. After a few sparkling laps, the fast Monza race quickly turned into a procession, with medium tires that could easily have lasted the whole distance and therefore prevented any strategic gameplay. Should Pirelli have considered bringing even softer tires for their home race? Should the DRS zones have been a bit longer? Or has this generation of cars become too heavy in terms of downforce, despite ground effect rules, to provide a decent race on high-speed tracks? With F1 boss Stefano Domenicali making noise about more sprint races, reversed grids, and even shorter distances in GPs, perhaps the sport’s first order of business should be ensuring the foundation it’s built upon is a captivating spectacle. Shortening races doesn’t make sense if it means even less action. The best way to attract a younger audience is still through good racing.
– Filip Cleeren
HADJAR Better than BORTOLETO? ANTONELLI a letdown? Who’s the top ‘ROOKIE’ of F1 2025?
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