Verstappen storms to record-breaking win in thrilling Italian GP as Sainz third

Max Verstappen set a new all-time record for successive Formula 1 wins with his 10th in the Italian Grand Prix after passing Carlos Sainz for the lead.

Verstappen has won every race since Miami in May and entered the Monza weekend level with Sebastian Vettel on nine straight wins, and eased to the record in dominant fashion.

He was initially tucked up behind the rear-wing of pole-sitter Carlos Sainz for the opening 14 laps, but at Turn 1 on the 15th tour of 51, Sainz locked up allowing Verstappen to gain track position to make a move at the second chicane.

After the pit-stop cycle, Verstappen passed Lewis Hamilton for the lead at the start of Lap 25 and eased to his 12th win from 14 races to set the new benchmark and eclipse Vettel's tally from 2013.

Sergio Perez finished second 6.604s behind as Sainz narrowly pipped Leclerc to third in a thrilling late battle between the two Ferrari drivers.

Sainz leads Verstappn at start

The start of the race was initially delayed after Yuki Tsunoda's AlphaTauri suffered an apparent engine failure on the formation lap.

An extra lap was called, but the car was stuck in gear meaning a recovery vehicle needed to be deployed with mechanics re-entering the grid to tend to cars while the AT04 was removed.

After a 20-minute delay, the now 51-lap race began with Sainz holding position from Verstappen and Leclerc with Russell and Perez slotting in behind.

The leading trio then began to pull away as Russell and Perez battled for fourth, with Verstappen and Leclerc both having DRS to attack.

Sainz did well to fend off Verstappen into Turn 1 lap after lap, including one move on Lap 6 around the outside, which Sainz easily defended.

By the start of Lap 15, Verstappen was once again in position to make a move as Sainz locked up at Turn 1 with the Ferrari going wide, allowing the Red Bull a better run through Curva Grande to take the position into the second chicane.

Sainz pitted at the end of Lap 19 for a switch to Hards from the Mediums on which everyone bar Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas and Kevin Magnussen started, but was briefly held as Russell also pitted.

Verstappen, who had built a near six-second lead, responded along with Leclerc on Lap 20, the two Ferraris coming out side-by-side by Sainz just staying ahead.

Perez came in on Lap 22 for his change of tyre, and passed Leclerc for third on Lap 32 after being pushed wide at the second chicane on the previous tour.

Verstappen would go onto win by XXX with Perez finally passing Sainz on Lap 46 at Turn 1 after multiple attempts and being forced into the run-off to make it a sixth Red Bull one-two of the season as Sainz held on to take his first podium of the year in third after a thrilling battle with Leclerc.

At Turn 1 on the final lap, Leclerc massively locked up both front tyres in a desperate gamble to maintain the position, which he ultimately did by 0.184s.

Leclerc took fourth ahead of Russell who received a five-second time penalty for going off the track and gaining an advantage versus Esteban Ocon when exiting the pits.

Hamilton and Piastri make contact

Alexander Albon was the first of the leading gaggle to pit on Lap 16, but was hunted down by the McLaren pair of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri as the Williams' tyres went off during the long second stint.

Norris pitted six laps later than Albon, banging wheels with Piastri but was unable to find a way past the Williams despite a dummy call from McLaren to make a second pit-stop which Williams did not fall for.

On Lap 41, Hamilton and Piastri made contact in the braking zone for the second chicane as the Mercedes driver squeezed the McLaren, which suffered a broken front-wing and was required to pit for repairs.

The stewards noted the incident with Hamilton subsequently being issued with a five-second time penalty.

However, the Mercedes then scythed past Norris and Albon to run sixth and was able to pull out the five-seconds he needed to maintain position.

Albon was seventh ahead of Norris in eighth and Alonso in ninth as Bottas was the benefactor of Piastri dropping down the order to bag a point for Alfa Romeo - his first since Canada.

Logan Sargeant took 11th for Williams ahead of Piastri, the two-stopping Liam Lawson and Lance Stroll in the second Aston Martin.

Zhou Guanyu was 15th ahead of Pierre Gasly, Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen who was the last driver classified.

Ocon was the second retiree after Tsunoda who posted a DNS after his formation lap failure in a race otherwise without any yellow flags or Safety Car periods.