Two general themes have emerged from the Italian Grand Prix weekend. One was a split opinion of the approach that McLaren took after Randorris’ slow-pit stop, and the other was a surprise at how dominant Red Bull in lace trim was.
Max Verstappen announced a strong qualifying performance earlier this year. His tally of five-game championship leader Oscar Piastri, Rand Norris, is one person behind at 4am.
But of his three victories, Monza was the most comprehensive. In Japan, Verstappen was under pressure from McLaren throughout the race. At Imola, things were more comfortable, but the timing of the virtual safety car and the pit stop call from the tracking car opened up a bigger gap.
Just as unique as the Italian Grand Prix venue, the struggle 12 months ago, and the subsequent difficulties at more venues this year, have not pointed out that such a performance is likely, and the team’s principal, Laurent Mekies, brings enormous results for the driver.
“I think the starting point was last year,” Mekies said. “Last year, there was really a big problem with Monza. So, since we’re doing a lot for Monza alone, it’s always a tricky balance. We’ll do the wings on Monza alone. We’ll set it up only for Monza…
“Last year was a very difficult point, and we did an incredible job that we analyzed last year and had a very specific solution, and it appears they are overshooting their targets.
Verstappen’s domination was far from last year’s Italian Grand Prix. Mark Thompson/Getty Images
“So Max made the perfect weekend perfect. A strong weekend like this put us there. We didn’t expect to have a pace advantage in the race, but that turned out to be true.
“You probably think a lot of that is probably unique to Monza, but in Baku we’ll use this weekend’s components to see if we’ll be moving to other trucks in the way we drove this weekend.”
Given that Fred Vasser, the principal of the Ferrari team, also described as “exceptional,” Verstappen’s performance should not be underestimated, but Mekies’ references also need to consider components that should be considered. There was a Monza-specific wing, but there was also a floor update designed to extract more loads with improved pressure distribution while maintaining flow stability.
Even if it proves to be a component with the main advantages of Monza, it is very unlikely that a lot of resources will be spent on such a large component in one venue, and other tracks can take a step forward. The new floor was ready for the Italian Verstappen car, but is planned to be in both Red Bull after Baku.
“We’re sure it’s a small step in the right direction. So it’s not a few minutes. It’s clear. It’s a small amount, but it all adds.”
And what the floor can be even more important is to provide Verstappen with the confidence it needs to push the car’s limits. I’ve heard frequent complaints about balance on the radio during difficult weekends, but when I get more into Verstappen’s preferences like Monza, he can translate one-lap performances into powerful races.
As new parts have successfully improved the car, the resolve to not repeat the amortization in 2025 amortization amortization amortization continues to find a solution.
The new floor helped Verstappen win. Mark Thompson/Getty Images
“In these kind of moments, you think of the team, you go back to Milton Keynes and it’s a tough start to the season.
The ultimate pace, you question everything. That’s how we do it, and that’s how we compete. You ask everything.
“And the great thing about the team is that they were open-minded. They were wondering everything in a very constructive way. And it’s a lot of effort and you don’t always get positive feedback from the track as what we got.
“So there’s so much thought with everyone at Milton Keynes who have pushed hard so he doesn’t give up, and it’s giving Monza’s inherent layout, blah, blah, weeks of trust and months of effort in the dark.”
The title is far from reach, with Verstappen being Oscar Piastri’s 94-point drift despite Sunday’s victory, with a track that’s much better suited for McLaren on the horizon. However, a more consistently strong performance from Red Bull allows Dutchman to be a factor in the title race by getting closer to both Piastri and Randororis.
Given that Verstappen was similarly far from Monza in Azerbaijan a year ago, he qualified for more than 0.6 seconds from the pace and will not compete in the podium battle.