{"id":15000,"date":"2025-09-07T16:05:44","date_gmt":"2025-09-07T16:05:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/?p=15000"},"modified":"2025-09-07T16:05:44","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T16:05:44","slug":"italian-gp-max-verstappen-wins-by-nineteen-seconds-admits-mclaren-pit-stop-drama-results-in-team-orders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/italian-gp-max-verstappen-wins-by-nineteen-seconds-admits-mclaren-pit-stop-drama-results-in-team-orders\/","title":{"rendered":"ITALIAN GP \u2013 Max Verstappen wins by nineteen seconds, admits McLaren pit stop drama results in team orders"},"content":{"rendered":"

Max Verstappen has won the Italian Grand Prix, finishing nineteen seconds ahead of the two McLarens, as the Red Bull driver set a new record for the fastest full-distance Grand Prix in the sports history. The Dutchman converted pole at the start, though he was forced to give the place to Lando Norris after forcing him off through the first chicane.<\/p>\n

Verstappen won the early duel on lap four despite McLaren\u2019s dominance this season, which proved key in allowing him to take his fourth win of the season and his first since Imola in May.<\/p>\n

Norris, however, was soon back under pressure, and the Red Bull driver retook the lead, this time keeping it within track limits at the Rettifilo Chicane and soon started to pull away. Verstappen then had control throughout the race as he managed to cover off the McLarens by a couple of tenths.<\/p>\n

The only moment of jeopardy for Verstappen was when Ollie Bearman and Carlos Sainz collided at three-quarters distance, but both recovered from the run-off off which avoided the need for a virtual safety car. But the McLaren duo did have their own fight and dispute over team orders.<\/p>\n

The situation was created by themselves at the pit stops. Piastri had stopped with eight laps to go but when Norris came in a lap later, his stop was four seconds longer thanks to a faulty wheel gun. That put him behind Piastri, but the team ordered the championship leader to relinquish the position, arguing that it was “a bit like Hungary last year”.<\/p>\n

That was a reference to Norris letting Piastri by to take his first win after team strategy reversed their positions for tactical reasons. Piastri said he disagreed but followed the order anyway. It standard practice to make a decision like this, as the team made the error, to preserve the fairness of the championship. It means Piastri\u2019s lead has been cut to thirty-one points with eight weekends remaining.<\/p>\n

But Norris has looked throughout the weekend to have the advantage over his teammate. While this drama was going on, Verstappen was under no pressure as he had enough out in front to take victory. McLaren also looked comfortable as in other respects it allowed them to cover of an attack from Charles Leclerc, who finished four seconds behind.<\/p>\n

Piastri\u2019s championship lead has been cut to thirty-one points by Norris, while Verstappen is sixty-three further behind. McLaren maintains a three hundred and thirty-seven point lead over Red Bull.<\/p>\n

Verstappen wins the Italian Grand Prix. He said: “It was a great day for us, we were flying and the car for me was really enjoyable and I could manage the pace quite well throughout that first stint. We pitted at the right time and the hard tyres at the end you can push a bit more because they are more resilient.\u201d<\/p>\n

Norris said: “I try and kept it even into turn one. I always know it will be a good fight with Max and it was. It was enjoyable. It was a tricky one as it was one of the few weekends where we’re just a bit slow but I enjoyed it. We went so long so the soft tyres seemed like a good tyre to put on. We were staying out for safety cars if we got any.\u201d<\/p>\n

Piastri said, \u201cDifficult beginning, definitely I think, not my best first couple of laps. We seemed to have good pace the first couple of laps compared to Charles, I could get past. It was a pretty lonely race from there.<\/p>\n

Leclerc finished the race seven seconds ahead of George Russell, who split the Ferraris after he finished four and a half seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Though Ferrari didn\u2019t feature in the fight for victory, it was a solid weekend as Hamilton came through from tenth following a grid penalty to sixth, where he couldn\u2019t make further progress.<\/p>\n

Alex Albon recovered from a disappointing qualifying to finish seventh ahead of Kimi Antonelli and Gabriel Bortoleto, though Antonelli dropped behind the Sauber because of a five-second time penalty for erratic driving. Isack Hadjar continued his strong run as the Racing Bull recovered from a pit-lane start to finish tenth, four seconds behind the Italian.<\/p>\n

Carlos Sainz was eleventh the Williams finishing ten seconds ahead of Ollie Bearman on track, with them at one point banging wheels at the Roggia Chicane. But Bearman was given a five-second penalty for causing a collision but he still maintained a second and a half lead over Yuki Tsunoda.<\/p>\n

Tsunoda was also a second and a half ahead of Liam Lawson, with the second Haas of Esteban Ocon leading the lapped cars as he finished just under four seconds ahead of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto a further second and a half behind. Lance Stroll was the final classified finisher in eighteenth, just over a second and a half behind.<\/p>\n

Fernando Alonso was the only retirement around the halfway distance.<\/p>\n

Related<\/h2>\n