Max Verstappen’s Victory and the Unfolding Drama at the 2025 Italian Grand Prix

The 2025 Formula 1 season has delivered a series of fascinating storylines, and the Italian Grand Prix at Monza was no exception. While Max Verstappen secured his first win in over three months, several developments across the grid made this race much more than just a victory for the Dutch driver. The Monza weekend brought intense battles, strategic calls, and plenty of drama, especially for teams like Red Bull, McLaren, and Ferrari. Here’s a deeper look at the key takeaways from the Italian Grand Prix.

1. Red Bull’s Turnaround: Verstappen’s Impressive Victory

After a challenging race in 2024, where Verstappen only managed to finish sixth, Red Bull came to Monza with a well-thought-out plan to address their weaknesses. The team had struggled with balance issues and a lack of straight-line speed the previous year, particularly due to overly draggy wings. This time, Red Bull arrived with a dual-pronged strategy: focusing on both aerodynamics and increasing top speed with a Monza-specific wing package.

The result was a significant improvement in both areas. Verstappen’s RB21 was more balanced in the corners and had a noticeable increase in straight-line speed. In the final practice session, Verstappen tested an even more extreme rear wing, which boosted top speed but made the car trickier to drive. Despite the challenge, Verstappen was adamant about sticking with the setup. This decision paid off as he claimed pole position and dominated the race. Red Bull’s technical director, Pierre Vashet, was even celebrated on the podium, a clear sign of appreciation for the team’s hard work to correct its previous issues.

2. McLaren’s Fairness Dilemma: The Pastrana-Norris Situation

McLaren’s strategy at Monza came under scrutiny, particularly concerning how the team managed its drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. McLaren had pledged to ensure an equal opportunity for both drivers to fight for the championship, but the events at Monza highlighted the challenges of maintaining that fairness.

During the race, Piastri’s early pit stop allowed him to leapfrog Norris, who was delayed by a slow pit stop. While McLaren instructed Piastri to give the position back, the decision to swap positions after such an unusual set of circumstances raised questions about the fairness of the team’s approach. Piastri, however, complied with the team’s orders and handed back second place. While McLaren justified the decision based on the sequence of events, it opened a Pandora’s box about what other mistakes—such as a pit stop error—could warrant position swaps.

Team principal Andrea Stella defended the call, stating it was part of the team’s commitment to fair competition. However, the incident raised concerns about future team decisions, especially when there are no clear guidelines for when to adjust positions based on team mistakes.

3. Underwhelming Performance from Antonelli: Mercedes’ Expectations

The Italian Grand Prix also saw a somewhat underwhelming performance from Mercedes’ young driver, Kimmy Antonelli. After a promising start to the weekend, Antonelli found himself facing difficulties during the race, including a poor start and several track limit violations that earned him a penalty. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff expressed his disappointment with the driver’s performance, acknowledging that Antonelli had struggled to put together a clean weekend.

While Wolff still believes Antonelli has great potential, he made it clear that the young driver’s performance at Monza had fallen short of expectations. The result has put more pressure on Antonelli to deliver better performances in the coming races as Mercedes continues to develop its car for the remainder of the season.

4. Ferrari’s Homecoming and Hamilton’s Struggles

For Ferrari, the Italian Grand Prix was supposed to be a special occasion, with the team racing in front of its home fans at Monza. However, it turned out to be another disappointing race for the Scuderia. Charles Leclerc finished fourth, and Lewis Hamilton, racing for Ferrari for the first time at Monza, could only manage sixth place.

Ferrari’s performance this season has been far from competitive compared to Red Bull and McLaren, and there is little optimism within the team for a podium finish in the remaining races. Hamilton, while still optimistic about the future, admitted that he was still struggling to adapt to Ferrari’s car. He described the car’s driving style as “alien” and admitted that he was not 100% comfortable with the setup. As a result, Ferrari’s prospects of fighting for podiums this season appear slim.

5. Tsunoda’s Struggles with Red Bull’s Updates

Yuki Tsunoda, racing for AlphaTauri, had a difficult weekend at Monza. Despite Red Bull introducing a small floor upgrade to Verstappen’s car, Tsunoda was left behind with a car that lacked the same upgrades. The Japanese driver faced difficulties in qualifying and the race, finishing well outside the points.

Tsunoda’s struggles further underline the challenges faced by teams like AlphaTauri in trying to develop cars that can match the performance of their rivals. With Verstappen’s Red Bull continuing to dominate, Tsunoda’s prospects of securing a consistent top-10 finish are becoming increasingly difficult, especially without access to the same updates as his teammate.

6. Williams’ Persistent Tire Woes

Williams’ struggles at Monza continued, particularly in qualifying where Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant faced difficulties getting their tires into the optimal temperature window. Albon managed to turn around his race, starting 14th and finishing seventh, but Williams’ overall performance has been disappointing due to persistent tire warm-up issues.

Both Albon and Sargeant expressed frustration with the tire situation, with Albon highlighting that the team’s qualifying performance often leaves them too far down the grid to make up positions during the race. The tire issue has been a consistent problem for Williams, and with tracks like Baku on the horizon, it is unclear how the team will address this weakness in the coming races.

7. Silver Lining for Alonso Despite Aston Martin’s Misfortune

Fernando Alonso’s race at Monza was another example of bad luck striking at a critical moment. The Aston Martin driver had looked set to secure a strong points finish before being forced into retirement due to a suspension failure. Despite this setback, Alonso remained upbeat about the team’s progress throughout the season.

Aston Martin has struggled with its car’s aero efficiency, but under new team boss Andy Carl, the team has been more methodical in its approach to upgrades. Alonso believes that the team is heading in the right direction and that their prospects for future races are promising, especially once they receive the much-anticipated Adrian Newey-designed car.

8. Sauber’s Power Shift: Bottas vs. Hülkenberg

At Sauber, there has been a notable shift in driver hierarchy, with Gabriel Bortolto asserting himself as the team’s number-one driver. His strong performance at Monza saw him finish eighth after starting from seventh, while his teammate, Nico Hülkenberg, faced a frustrating weekend with a hydraulic issue that forced him to retire before the race even started.

Bortolto’s impressive qualifying performance, making it to Q3 for the fifth time, has put him in the spotlight, and Hülkenberg’s inability to match his pace has raised questions about the future of the German driver at Sauber.

9. Bearman’s Close Call with Suspension

Ollie Bearman, who replaced Kevin Magnussen for the weekend, found himself under scrutiny after a penalty for colliding with Carlos Sainz. The penalty, along with two license points, left Bearman just two points away from an automatic race ban. While he has four races to navigate without further incidents, Bearman’s future in F1 is becoming increasingly uncertain as he faces mounting pressure.

Conclusion: A Weekend Full of Surprises

The 2025 Italian Grand Prix at Monza was filled with more than just the usual racing drama. From Verstappen’s resounding victory to McLaren’s fairness dilemma, there were plenty of storylines to keep fans on the edge of their seats. As teams prepare for the next race, the developments at Monza have set the stage for an exciting end to the season, with several teams and drivers vying for critical positions in the standings.