Both Ferrari drivers gave their best but Max Verstappen managed to take a historic tenth consecutive F1 victory at the Monza circuit. Sergio Perez made it a double for Red Bull while Carlos Sainz took third on the podium after an intense battle with Charles Leclerc.
The Tifosi were ready to cheer on both Ferraris at the start of the Italian GP, but that start was postponed as Yuki Tsunoda parked his AlphaTauri on the side of the track during the formation lap.
We therefore got an extra formation lap, but even after that the race could not be started. After all, Tsunoda’s AlphaTauri was still standing in the grass along the track. The start was aborted and postponed.
With a delay of about twenty minutes, the race was still started. Max Verstappen started slightly better than Carlos Sainz but the Spaniard managed to stay in the lead of the race, ahead of Verstappen and Charles Leclerc who just managed to secure third place.
During the opening laps of the race, Sainz remained in the lead ahead of Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. The Dutchman was in the ‘Ferrari sandwich’ but seemed to gradually increase the pressure on Sainz.
In lap 6, Max Verstappen tried to pass Sainz in the chicane for the first time, but the Spaniard put up a strong resistance in the Ferrari. Sainz remained in the lead ahead of Verstappen and Leclerc.
Behind the leading trio we saw Sergio Perez putting more and more pressure on George Russell in the Mercedes.
In the meantime, the battle between Sainz and Verstappen was feasting on the front. Given Red Bull’s dominance this season, it was already a serious achievement from Sainz and Ferrari to keep Verstappen behind for so long.
At the start of lap 15, Carlos Sainz braked in the chicane, Verstappen came out of the chicane better after which he passed the Spaniard fairly easily. Verstappen leading the race.
Both Ferraris were then fighting each other for second place, mainly because they came back on track very close to each other after the pit stops. Finishing on the podium now seemed to be the message for Sainz and Leclerc.
Just before half way through the race we saw George Russell get a five second time penalty. Russell got it because he cut the chicane in a head-to-head battle with Ocon.
At McLaren we saw Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris race against each other in the chicane. McLaren boss Zak Brown will not have liked that.
In lap 31, Sergio Perez had joined Charles Lelcerc and the Mexican attacked the Monegask.
Perez eventually passed Leclerc on the straight and the Mexican could start his hunt for Carlos Sainz.
Verstappen controlled the race while we had to look more behind for spectacle. In midfield we saw a nice battle between McLaren and Williams.
Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri battled for position and the two drivers came into contact.
Hamilton received a five-second time penalty for the collision and that could cost him dearly in the final result.
Meanwhile, Sergio Perez had been trying for almost half a race to pass Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari, the Spaniard defended very firmly for many laps but eventually had to give in. Red Bull on its way to the double with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
Then we had a titanic battle between the two Ferraris for several laps. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz obviously both wanted to be on the podium. A very nice and exciting wheel-to-wheel battle between the two Ferraris.
Despite several attempts by Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz managed to finish third ahead of Charles Leclerc.
At the front it was Max Verstappen who finished the race in a controlled manner, ahead of teammate Sergio Perez. The Red Bull double in Ferrari land.
Verstappen thus achieved his tenth F1 victory in a row this season in Monza, a record that is now only held by his name.