Monza (Italy), Sept 8 (HS) Reigning world champion Max Verstappen claimed a stunning victory at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, bringing an end to McLaren’s recent dominance in Formula 1. Starting from pole position, the Dutch Red Bull driver delivered a flawless race to secure his third win of the season.

Verstappen outpaced Lando Norris and championship leader Oscar Piastri, who had been the benchmark all season. On Saturday, the Dutchman had already made headlines by : the fastest lap in Formula 1 history during qualifying to seize pole.

Despite his triumph, Verstappen still faces a steep challenge in the championship battle. He remains 94 points adrift of Piastri, who finished third and continues to lead the standings by 31 points over Norris.

McLaren’s dominance this year has been emphatic, with the team winning all but four Grands Prix so far. For Verstappen, this marked only his third victory of the 2025 campaign, and his first since the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in May — making Monza a crucial breakthrough.

The home crowd at Monza was left disappointed as Charles Leclerc finished in fourth place, falling short of delivering Ferrari glory on Italian soil. Lewis Hamilton, penalized five grid positions, began the race from P10 but stormed through the field to finish sixth, just behind former Mercedes teammate George Russell. Despite his charge, Hamilton could not climb into the top five.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar