Verstappen Dominates Monza; McLaren's Team Orders Spark Controversy

Max Verstappen secured his first victory since Imola at the Italian Grand Prix, but the race was overshadowed by McLaren's controversial team orders that saw Lando Norris claim second place over Oscar Piastri. Verstappen's win also set a new record for the fastest F1 race in history, completed in under 73 minutes.

Why it matters

McLaren's decision to instruct Oscar Piastri to cede P2 to Lando Norris became the central talking point post-race, reigniting debates about team strategy and driver fairness.

The details

• Norris initially held P2 for most of the race, but a slow pit stop allowed Piastri to leapfrog his teammate.
• McLaren then offered Norris an early pit stop for softs, which he declined, leading Piastri to pit first.
• A quick two-second stop propelled Piastri ahead, but Norris's subsequent stop was marred by a four-second delay due to a front tyre issue.
• Despite this, McLaren ordered Piastri to return the position to Norris, citing a similar call from the previous year's Hungarian Grand Prix.
• Piastri reluctantly complied, and though told he was free to race, could not reclaim P2, finishing third.
• Race-winner Verstappen expressed surprise at McLaren's call over team radio: "Ha! Just because he had a slow stop?"
• Piastri downplayed the incident as "a little incident" and emphasized learning for the next race. Norris avoided direct comment on the team order, praising Verstappen instead.

Verstappen's Dominance

• Verstappen lost the lead from pole on Lap 1 due to a tight scrap with Norris, running straight on at the first corner.
• He was instructed by Red Bull to give the position back but reclaimed it three laps later, maintaining the lead for the rest of the race except during pit stops.
• This marked his 66th career victory.

Other key moments

• Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished fourth, and Lewis Hamilton sixth, split by Mercedes' George Russell, delighting the home crowd.
• Leclerc and Piastri had a fierce early battle, with Piastri making stunning moves to regain positions.
• Alex Albon secured back-to-back points for Williams in seventh.
• Gabriel Bortoleto finished eighth, while Kimi Antonelli was demoted to ninth after a five-second penalty for erratic driving.
• Isack Hadjar charged from the back to snatch the final point in tenth.
• Notable retirements included Fernando Alonso (suspension failure) and Nico Hulkenberg (formation lap).
• Collisions occurred between Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda; Carlos Sainz and Oliver Bearman (Bearman penalized); Esteban Ocon and Lance Stroll (Ocon penalized).

What's next

With McLaren's team orders once again a major talking point, the focus now shifts to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in two weeks, where the championship battle continues.