Verstappen’s win shatters a record as Red Bull secures a one-two ahead of Ferrari

In an extraordinary feat, Max Verstappen has now achieved an unmatched 10 consecutive victories in Formula One, securing another win for Red Bull at the Italian Grand Prix. This impressive winning streak surpasses Sebastian Vettel’s previous record of nine consecutive wins in F1, establishing Verstappen as the new record holder, with the potential to extend this streak further throughout the remainder of the season.

Despite Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc starting in the first and third grid positions, they couldn’t maintain their initial challenge against the dominant Red Bull cars. Instead, they found themselves locked in a battle for the third podium spot.

In the final laps of the race, the two Ferrari drivers fiercely contested the final podium position, leading to contact between their cars on Lap 47 and a series of intense wheel-to-wheel duels into Turn 1. Leclerc was advised over the radio on the penultimate lap to take no unnecessary risks but attempted a daring move on the final lap, locking up both front tires in a bid to pass his teammate at the first chicane. However, Sainz successfully defended his position, securing his first podium finish of the year.
It took Verstappen 15 laps to seize the lead from Sainz, who had started from pole position. Verstappen applied pressure to Sainz into Turn 1, causing the Spaniard to lock a wheel while braking for the chicane. This compromised Sainz’s exit, allowing Verstappen to pull alongside him through the sweeping Curva Grande and execute the overtake into the Roggia chicane.

Four laps later, Verstappen had built a 3.8-second lead over Sainz, who was then embroiled in a tight battle with teammate Leclerc.

Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Perez, had progressed through the field from fifth on the grid and passed Leclerc for third place on Lap 32 of the 51-lap race. However, unlike Verstappen, Perez struggled to break free from Leclerc, remaining entangled with him as they fought for position with ten laps remaining.

On Laps 43 and 45, Perez made attempts to pass Sainz into Turn 1 but missed the first part of the chicane on both occasions, necessitating him to relinquish the position. However, Perez finally managed to secure second place at the start of Lap 46.

Verstappen’s triumph extends his championship lead to 145 points, with eight races remaining, keeping him on track to potentially clinch the title at the Qatar Grand Prix, with five races left on the calendar.

In terms of the constructors’ championship, Ferrari’s 27-point haul catapults them ahead of Aston Martin, positioning them behind Mercedes and Red Bull.
Outside of the top four, George Russell claimed fifth place for Mercedes, while his teammate Lewis Hamilton finished sixth. Both Mercedes drivers incurred five-second penalties, with Russell penalized for skipping the first chicane after returning to the track alongside Esteban Ocon following a pit stop, and Hamilton penalized for a collision with Oscar Piastri while jockeying for position at the second chicane. However, their significant lead over the cars behind them meant that these penalties had no impact on the final standings.
Alex Albon secured seventh place for Williams, maintaining strong performance and keeping McLaren’s Lando Norris at bay. Fernando Alonso secured ninth place for Aston Martin, and Valtteri Bottas claimed the final championship point in tenth.

Following his collision with Hamilton, Piastri required a new front wing and ultimately finished in 12th place, setting the fastest lap in the process.