Italian GP: Max Verstappen wins at Monza amid fresh McLaren team orders controversy

After a few laps of fighting Lando Norris for the lead at the Italian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen took control of the race to secure his third win of the season.

The McLaren teammates joined him on the podium with Norris ahead of Oscar Piastri after a brief moment of team order controversy late in the race.

Max Verstappen wins the Italian Grand Prix

17 cars lined up on the Monza grid with Max Verstappen on pole position ahead of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, while Isack Hadjar and Pierre Gasly were in the pit lane having taken on new engine parts overnight. Nico Hulkenberg retired his Sauber on the formation lap, told to box “to retire the car”.

Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, eighth and 16th, lined up under investigation for failing to follow the race director’s instructions by practising starts at the end of the pit lane on their reconnaissance laps.

Verstappen made a good start from pole position but Norris came up alongside him before he was muscled over onto the grass. The McLaren driver kept his car pointing in the right direction and challenged Verstappen into the first chicane with the Dutchman holding onto the position, but off the track.

“What’s this idiot doing,” Norris said, telling McLaren that Verstappen “put me in the grass”. Red Bull told Verstappen to “give back the position.”

He did so at the end of Lap 1 before trying to fight Norris for the lead into the chicane. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc pounced on Piastri for third with George Russell then all over the McLaren’s rear wing. Piastri complained about Leclerc moving under braking.

Verstappen was back up in P1 on Lap 4, passing Norris down the inside of Turn 2. Piastri was again on the radio complaining about Leclerc cutting a corner to stay ahead. A lap later, the championship leader was late on the brakes to take third place.

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Further back, Russell was running in fifth place ahead of the charging Hamilton, with Gabriel Bortoleto, Alonso, Yuki Tsunoda and Kimi Antonelli running inside the points in a DRS change that went all the way back to Stroll in 15th. The stewards noted an incident between Esteban Ocon and Stroll with the Haas driver given a five-second penalty for forcing the Aston Martin off the track.

Lap 15, Verstappen led by four seconds ahead of Norris, who in turn was six up on Piastri. Antonelli challenged and overtook Tsunoda for ninth place, while Carlos Sainz was noted for returning to the track in an incorrect manner having gone off at the chicane.

Tsunoda was the first of the top ten to pit, coming in on lap 20. He came out ahead of Oliver Bearman but the Haas driver easily overtook the Red Bull driver. Bortoleto and Alonso were the next in, Alonso getting the jump on the Sauber, who had a slow stop.

The two rejoined the DRS train near the back of the field, only for Alonso’s race to end on Lap 26 with a suspension failure. “Suspension failure, this is so unbelievable,” lamented the Spaniard.

Russell came in Lap 28, giving up fifth place and coming out behind Hadjar in 12th place, with his teammate in on ht next lap. Both McLaren drivers agreed with their respective race engineers to extend their stint.

Meanwhile, at the back of the field Tsunoda and Lawson banged wheels with the Red Bull driver coming out ahead, Franco Colapinto got it wrong at the first chicane, and Ferrari came out on Lap 34 for a pit stop for Leclerc. He came out in behind Alex Albon in seventh place. The Monegasque driver questioned the timing of his pit stop.

Verstappen pitted on Lap 38, bolting on a new set of hard Pirellis as he relinquished the lead to Norris, coming out in third place behind the McLaren teammates. Hamilton was the next in, also for hard Pirellis and out behind Russell. As Verstappen laid down fastest laps, the McLaren teammates ran long.

Sainz and Bearman tangled as they fought over 13th place, both drivers spinning, with Bearman hit with a 10-second penalty. Antonelli and Albon also tangled with the Mercedes driver noted for forcing the Williams man off the track. Antonelli gave the position back to Albon, and was given a five-second penalty for driving erratically.

The McLaren mechanics were out on Lap 46 for Piastri, who went with the soft tyres. Norris clarified with McLaren that they would swap positions if his teammate got the undercut on him. A slow stop for Norris with the front left, four seconds, meant Piastri was ahead after the Briton pitted. Verstappen was back up in P1.

And then came the message, “let Lando pass and then you’re free to race.” Piastri made his case to the team, and then moved over for the Briton. Norris quickly moved out of DRS range of his teammate.

Verstappen raced to the victory, his third of the season, ahead of Norris and Piastri whose lead was reduced to 31 points.

Leclerc was fourth ahead of Russell and Hamilton with Albon, Bortoleto, Antonelli and Hadjar completing the points.

The Italian Grand Prix result

1 Max Verstappen Red Bull
2 Lando Norris McLaren + 19.207
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren + 21.351
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari + 25.624
5 George Russell Mercedes + 32.881
6 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari + 37.449
7 Alex Albon Williams + 50.439
8 Gabriel Bortoleto Kick Sauber + 57.913
9 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes + 59.762
10 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls + 63.350
11 Carlos Sainz Williams + 63.983
12 Oliver Bearman Haas + 68.867
13 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull + 79.317
14 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls + 80.522
15 Esteban Ocon Haas + 1 LAP
16 Pierre Gasly Alpine + 1 LAP
17 Franco Colapinto Alpine + 1 LAP
18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin + 1 LAP

Did not finish

Fernando Alonso Aston Martin – suspension
Nico Hulkenberg Sauber – hydraulics

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