Verstappen Returns to Victory Lane at Monza as McLaren Team Orders Spark Controversy

8 September 2025 Motorsport

Dominant Display at the Temple of Speed

Max Verstappen claimed his third win of the 2025 season with a commanding display at Monza on Sunday, leading home the McLaren pair of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri after a dramatic race.

This victory marked Verstappen’s first win since May’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, following a thrilling early battle with Norris. The dramatic start saw the polesitter cut the first chicane as the two went wheel-to-wheel off the line, with Verstappen initially ceding the lead to Norris on his team’s advice. However, after retaking the lead by lap four, Verstappen dominated the front of the field, surprisingly pulling away from the McLaren cars that had won all but three races this season.

McLaren Team Orders Controversy

While McLaren secured a double podium finish, they sparked controversy with their team orders at Monza. The drama unfolded when Lando Norris lost approximately four seconds to Oscar Piastri due to a slow left-front tyre change, leading to an unexpected team decision to swap their drivers’ positions.

Championship leader Piastri ultimately finished third after complying with the team instruction to hand second place back to Norris. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton, in his first Italian GP for Ferrari, recovered from a five-place grid penalty to finish sixth, behind teammate Charles Leclerc and former Mercedes teammate George Russell.

Historic Venue Delivers Speed Records

The Autodromo Nazionale Monza, constructed in just 110 days in 1922, continues to live up to its reputation for incredible speeds. McLaren driver Lando Norris’s 263km/h average speed during his 2024 pole lap exemplifies the track’s nature, with cars running on full throttle for 80% of the lap and reaching maximum velocity on the circuit’s 1.1km start/finish straight.

Verstappen’s victory margin of 19 seconds capped off a thoroughly impressive weekend, marking the first Red Bull triumph in a Grand Prix of the post-Christian Horner era.