Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the Italian Grand Prix, claiming his second victory of the season. The dominant performance was attributed to the team’s upgraded RB21 car, which outpaced McLaren in a highly competitive race.
Christian Horner and McLaren’s Andrea Stella agreed that Red Bull had the pace, but Horner credited their high-speed downforce advantage for the win. The new aerodynamic package allowed Red Bull to control rear tire temperatures better, resulting in improved handling on Imola’s low-downforce circuit.
However, the Red Bull’s initial speed edge was neutralized when driver Sergio Piastri overused his tires in dirty air during the early stages of the race. A two-stop strategy by Piastri led to a significant traffic delay, allowing Verstappen and Norris to close the gap.
A late safety car for Esteban Ocon’s stationary Haas gave Verstappen a strategic boost, allowing him to maintain his lead over Piastri. Lando Norris attempted to retake second place with a move around Tamburello but was unable to overcome the deficit created by the safety car restart.
Verstappen’s victory marked a positive weekend for Red Bull, who also scored points from other teams’ struggles. With the team citing improvements in their setup, they are eager to apply their newfound success more often.
Source: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/mark-hughes-two-reasons-red-bull-stunned-mclaren-imola-f1-2025