Verstappen dominated the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, setting a new record for the fastest race completion time in F1 history. His time of 1 hour 13 minutes 24.35 seconds, at an average speed of 250.706 km/h, shattered Michael Schumacher's 22-year-old record of 1 hour 14 minutes 19.838 seconds, set in 2003. This victory follows Verstappen's record-breaking qualifying lap of 1 minute 18.792 seconds, surpassing Lewis Hamilton's 2020 record of 1 minute 18.887 seconds.

Verstappen's win at Monza came despite previous struggles with the RB21's performance this season. While the car has been outperformed by McLaren throughout 2025, its speed advantage on Monza’s straights proved decisive. "Honestly, when I crossed the finish line, I wasn't even thinking about the records, but it's great," Verstappen commented. "The car was a pleasure to drive. It was quite stable in high-speed corners and very quick on the straights. The new asphalt at Monza also helped, especially the wider curbs." He also acknowledged that the 2020 Mercedes might be even faster on the current track.

Verstappen wins the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on 7/9. Photo: AP

Verstappen wins the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on 7/9. Photo: AP

McLaren team principal, Andrea Stella, explained his team's unexpected speed deficit compared to Red Bull. He pointed out that while the MCL39 excels in corners, Monza’s limited cornering opportunities minimized this advantage. "The cornering advantage couldn't compensate for the deficit on Monza's long straights. This track layout is the opposite of Zandvoort and Hungaroring, and this clearly explains why McLaren didn't have a clear advantage here," Stella added.

The race began with a fierce battle between Verstappen and Norris. While Verstappen started from pole, Norris challenged him through the first corner, Rettifilo. Verstappen, braking late, cut the corner, having earlier forced Norris onto the grass. Norris exclaimed over the radio, "What is this idiot doing? He pushed me onto the grass and then cut the corner." Following instructions from Red Bull, Verstappen ceded the lead to avoid a penalty, but quickly regained it on lap 4, utilizing the RB21's superior straight-line speed and DRS.

Verstappen (right) overtakes Norris at a corner on the Monza circuit, Italy on 7/9. Photo: AP

Verstappen (right) overtakes Norris at a corner on the Monza circuit, Italy on 7/9. Photo: AP

This win, Verstappen’s first since the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in May, saw him pull away from the McLaren duo by 6 seconds before the mid-race pit stops. Recognizing Verstappen’s speed advantage, McLaren attempted a late pit stop gamble, hoping for a safety car, but it never materialized.

Starting third, Piastri briefly challenged Verstappen in the opening stages. However, being sandwiched between Norris and Verstappen hindered his progress, allowing Leclerc to seize third place. Piastri reclaimed the position with a skillful overtake at Turn 4 but lost it again to Leclerc at Curva Grande before finally regaining third at the start of lap five. By then, he had fallen 3.5 seconds behind Norris, a gap that continued to grow.

Towards the end, Norris, running second, pitted first to protect against the chasing pack. A slow 6-second pit stop allowed Piastri to briefly take second, but McLaren instructed Piastri to yield the position back to Norris, which he did.

Despite finishing third, Piastri retains his lead in the driver standings with 324 points, leading Norris by 31 points and Verstappen by 94.

Italian Grand Prix Results:

Driver Standings after 16 Races:

Constructor Standings after 16 Races:

Minh Phuong