There were two common themes coming out of the Italian Grand Prix weekend. One was the divided opinions over the approach taken by McLaren after the slow pit stop for Lando Norris, and the other was the surprise at just how dominant Red Bull was in race trim.
Max Verstappen has put in strong qualifying performances this year before, with nobody taking more pole positions than the defending champion so far. His tally of five matches championship leader Oscar Piastri, with Lando Norris one behind on four.
But of his three victories, Monza was the most comprehensive. In Japan, Verstappen was under pressure from the McLarens for the entire race. At Imola, things were more comfortable, but bigger gaps opened thanks to the Virtual Safety Car timing and pit stop calls from the chasing cars.
As unique as the Italian Grand Prix venue is, the struggles of 12 months ago, and subsequent difficulties at more venues this year, did not point to such a performance being likely, and team principal Laurent Mekies puts a huge amount of the outcome down to the driver.
“I think the starting point is last year,” Mekies said. “There was really big trouble last year in Monza. So it’s always a tricky balance because you do a lot of things only for Monza. You do wings only for Monza, you do set-up only for Monza…
“Last year was a very difficult point and the guys did an amazing job, analyzing last year, coming here with a very specific solution and it seems like they have overshot the target. Meaning the car was actually in a much better window compared to the other tracks.
Verstappen’s domination was a far cry from last year’s Italian Grand Prix. Mark Thompson/Getty Images
“So if you add to that, Max did just perfection, a perfect weekend. Such a strong weekend, it put us there. We were not anticipating to have a pace advantage in the race, but it turned out to be the case.
“We will probably think that a lot of that is probably Monza-specific. But we find out in Baku how much of the learnings with the components we had this weekend and with the way we ran the car this weekend can be transferred or not to other tracks.”
Verstappen’s performance should not be underestimated, given Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur also described it as “outstanding”, but the components that Mekies references also should be taken into account. There were Monza-specific wings, but also a floor update that was designed to extract more load through improved pressure distribution whilst maintaining flow stability.
Even if that proves to be a component that has its main benefits in Monza, it is highly unlikely so much resource would be spent on such a big component for one venue, and it could provide a step forward at other tracks, too. The new floor was only ready for Verstappen’s car in Italy, but is planned to be on both Red Bulls from Baku onwards.
“We are confident it’s a small step in the right direction. So it’s not a few tenths, to be clear. It’s a small quantity, but everything adds up.”
And where the floor could be more significant is in providing Verstappen with the confidence he needs to push the car’s limits. During difficult weekends, so often on the radio we’ve heard complaints about the balance, yet when it is more to Verstappen’s liking – such as in Monza – then he can translate one-lap performance into a strong race, too.
With new parts successfully improving the car, the determination to not write-off 2025 amid the recent struggles and continue to try and find solutions is something that Mekies was similarly keen to praise after Sunday’s success.
A new floor aided Verstappen’s push for victory. Mark Thompson/Getty Images
“In this sort of moment you think of the team, back in Milton Keynes, a tough start of the season. When things are not working the way you would like them to work, when you are missing that
ultimate pace, you question everything. That’s the way we are, that’s the way the competition is. You question everything.
“And what is great in the team is that they kept an open mind. They did question everything in a very constructive way. And it’s a lot of hard work, and you don’t always get the positive feedback from the tracks as what we got today.
“So the thoughts are very much with everyone in Milton Keynes that have been pushing so hard not to give up. And again, it’s a Monza specific layout, blah blah blah, but it’s very much giving them back the credit of many weeks, many months of hard work in the dark.”
The title is too far out of reach, with Verstappen still 94 points adrift of Oscar Piastri despite Sunday’s victory, and tracks that will suit McLaren far more are on the horizon. But more consistently strong performances from Red Bull will allow the Dutchman to still be a factor in the title race through being closer to both Piastri and Lando Norris more often.
Given Verstappen was similarly far adrift in Azerbaijan as Monza a year ago – qualifying over 0.6s off the pace and never featuring in the podium battle – Baku will be an even bigger indicator of just how involved he could become.
