Max Verstappen offered statements after his outstanding performance in the Italian Grand Prix, calling his performance “better than expected” and pointing out a “step forward with the car’s behavior”. Verstappen achieved his third victory in Monza, marking the first lights-to-flag victory since Charles Leclerc in 2019 at the Italian circuit. The Red Bull driver, although briefly losing the lead on lap 2 to McLaren’s Lando Norris, regained the position on lap 4 and dominated the race, finishing 19 seconds ahead of the McLaren drivers. The Italian Grand Prix, known for being the fastest race in Formula 1, also saw Verstappen set a new lap record in Saturday’s qualifying.
A little better than expected.
Max Verstappen
When asked about the victory, Verstappen commented that, once he regained the lead, he focused on maintaining his pace, although he admitted that he had some difficulties in the last laps with the medium tires.
Furthermore, he added that the car behaved more favorably to his preferences, indicating significant progress over the weekend. Verstappen highlighted that the team implemented a more conventional strategy, which, along with McLaren’s strategy, influenced the final difference in the race.
