Max Verstappen took victory at the Italian Grand Prix with a dominant drive at Monza for Red Bull but, as the world champion hared across the finish line, the intra-team psychodrama at McLaren was playing out once more in his wake and its theatrical head‑to‑head was greeted with some disdain in motor racing’s colosseum.
Having fought a frenetic scrap on the opening laps, during which he lost and regained the lead, Verstappen went on to pound out a consummate run to the flag and in so doing beat the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri into second and third. The two title protagonists finished thus only after McLaren once more imposed orders on their drivers in the closing stages that proved controversial.
