Red Bull explain 'difficult' Max Verstappen instruction after major Lando Norris flashpoint

Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies has explained the team's "difficult" decision to order Max Verstappen to cede the Italian Grand Prix lead to Lando Norris.

At Turn 1, Verstappen cut across the run-off area whilst Norris made the corner, with the Red Bull maintaining the lead for the remainder of the opening lap.

However, he was quickly instructed by race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase to give the position back to Norris, with the incident being noted by the FIA stewards.

Verstappen let Norris past into Turn 1 on Lap 2, but in the same place on Lap 4, elbowed past the McLaren to seize a lead he would never lose as he cruised to a third win of the season, and first for the team in the post-Christian Horner era.

Earlier in the year, in Saudi Arabia, Verstappen also took to the run-off at Turn 1 at the start, this time against the sister McLaren of Oscar Piastri, but did not give up the lead he had claimed.

There, he received a five-second time penalty, going onto finish second to Piastri by 2.843s.

Reflecting on the Monza decision, Mekies felt it was important to give the place back.

"It is always a case-by-case basis, and the guys on the pit-wall did a very good job of making their own assumption of the situation," Mekies told media, including RacingNews365. 

"It is a difficult situation, as you can imagine, to ask your driver to give the lead back, especially at this moment, as you have no idea if you are going to have a pace advantage or not. 

"So it may as well be your win getting away from you, but nonetheless, it was felt that we should give the position back and not risk a penalty.

"That's what we have done, Max was unbelievable in being able to attack Lando back and pass him, and as it turned out, put our mind at ease after a few laps."