Verstappen takes Monza win after pole, McLaren order stirs debate

Max Verstappen delivered a commanding win at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday at Monza, converting pole into victory as the Red Bull driver crossed the line 19.207 seconds ahead of Lando Norris with Oscar Piastri third. The result capped a weekend in which Verstappen also set the fastest qualifying lap in Formula 1 history, and handed McLaren another tricky moment in a season-long title fight.

Verstappen had claimed pole on Saturday with a lap averaging 264.682 kilometres per hour, a new benchmark for Monza, but the race began in drama when he briefly cut the first chicane while duelling with Norris. Team radio instructed him to give the place back to avoid a penalty and he complied on lap two. He reclaimed the lead on lap four and controlled the race thereafter, building a gap large enough to make his late pit stop strategy unthreatening. After the race Verstappen said the weekend had been “quite decent” and that the team had found better race balance compared with last year.

McLaren’s pair finished second and third after a contentious late pit-lane sequence. Piastri pitted a lap earlier and emerged ahead of Norris when the Briton’s stop was delayed by a sticky wheel gun....