Max Verstappen smashes F1 records as McLaren face team orders criticism – Italian GP Winners and Losers

Max Verstappen converted pole position into victory at the Italian Grand Prix, in a crushing display which made clear that Red Bull is rediscovering its mojo. 

The Dutchman broke the record for the quickest race in F1 history, completing the 53 laps of Monza in 73 minutes. He was almost 20 seconds ahead of both McLarens in second and third, who offered little threat to the four-time world champion.

However, McLaren caused controversy in the closing laps after a slow pit stop for Lando Norris, with Oscar Piastri having been instructed to return second position to the Briton.

So, who has made the RacingNews365 list of winners and losers for the 2025 F1 Italian Grand Prix?

Winner - Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen was simply unstoppable in the Italian GP across the entire weekend, in what was a display of pure Red Bull dominance. 

While Monza marked Verstappen's third win of the season, it was his first truly dominant event since becoming a four-time world champion. 

A new floor appeared to work wonders on the RB21, increasing confidence within the Milton Keynes-based outfit that it can challenge for further victories in the remaining races this year. 

Verstappen's only blemish on a record-breaking weekend in Italy was cutting the opening chicane at the start of the race, triggering his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase to instruct him to hand Lando Norris the lead. 

The 27-year-old did so without complaint, before quickly reclaiming the lead and cruising to a 66th career victory. He might be out of the title fight, but he can still have a huge say on which driver will clinch his crown.

Loser - McLaren

Not for the first time this season, McLaren caused controversy by introducing team orders at Monza, entirely due to its own mistake. 

It became clear very quickly in the grand prix that a win was not on the cards, something which has rarely been said in the past 18 months. Norris and Oscar Piastri sat around six seconds apart from each other, in a very lonely second and third. 

For the majority of the race, it was looking set to be an uneventful double McLaren podium, only for Norris' pit stop to cause chaos. After Verstappen had pitted from the lead and gotten back within the safety car window of both McLarens in the closing laps, the British team decided to pit its drivers. 

Norris offered McLaren the chance to pit Piastri first, which it did. A smooth pit stop was delivered for the championship leader, while Norris had the complete opposite. An issue fitting the left-front tyre saw Norris suffer a lengthy pit stop, causing him to rejoin behind Piastri. 

McLaren instructed Piastri to return second to Norris, to which he immediately questioned why, given it was an error by the team. In the end, he quickly followed the instruction and moved back into third. 

It has raised several questions over whether McLaren was correct to use team orders, on a weekend where questions were already being asked on why it failed to show the dominance it has boasted for much of the season.

Winner - Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton had a whirlwind first Italian GP as a Ferrari driver, which started with an event in Milan which was attended by thousands of supporters. 

It gave Hamilton an inkling of what the entire race week would be like, with the amount of love he received having surprised team principal Fred Vasseur. 

Ferrari expected Hamilton to be received well by the Tifosi at Monza, but the sheer level of affection he was shown stunned the Maranello-based team.

Given his five-place grid penalty, a podium was always going to be wildly unrealistic, with strong points having been the target. Hamilton qualified in fifth so started from 10th, and quickly recovered to sixth in the race. 

He showed good pace in the opening stages before settling into sixth, just two positions behind Charles Leclerc. It was a very positive weekend for the seven-time world champion who made genuine steps in the right direction, and reassured him that he has the backing of the Tifosi.

Loser - Alpine

Monza was not Alpine's friend, with the Enstone-based outfit having been the slowest squad at the historic venue. 

Both Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly were eliminated in Q1 after only managing 18th and 19th on the grid, before Alpine opted to start the latter from the pit lane. 

Gasly received a new power unit for the grand prix, although he could only recover to 16th, a position ahead of Colapinto in 17th. 

In general, it was a weekend of pain for the French outfit, who remain comfortably at the bottom of the constructors' standings and with time running out to catch those ahead.

Winner - Gabriel Bortoleto

Isack Hadjar might have grabbed all the F1 rookie headlines in Zandvoort, but Gabriel Bortoleto is offering him a serious challenge for 'rookie of the year'. 

The Brazilian was stunning in Monza and was a genuine threat to some of the big names in qualifying, securing eighth which saw him start from seventh due to Hamilton's penalty. 

During the race, he showed some excellent defensive skills against his manager, Fernando Alonso, before crossing the finish line in eighth to score yet more crucial points for Sauber. 

Bortoleto has grown in stature at a consistent rate throughout the season, and appears to be strengthening on a regular basis. 

His next challenge is becoming a common name in Q3 and the points, something which would boost the team's chances of taking the fight to Williams for fifth.

Loser - Nico Hulkenberg

Unfortunately, Nico Hulkenberg failed to even start the Italian GP due to a hydraulics issue on his car. 

As the formation lap concluded, the German was instructed to enter the pit lane to retire the car, much to Hulkenberg's disappointment. 

Despite being unable to start the race from 12th on the grid, Hulkenberg failed to match Bortoleto's pace across the weekend. 

Since his unbelievable Silverstone podium, Hulkenberg has struggled to match his rookie team-mate, creating an intriguing intra-team contest in the final eight races.