Image courtesy of News9Live
MONZA, ITALY – Red Bull driver Max Verstappen converted pole position into victory at the Italian Grand Prix, beating out the McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in a dramatic opening. Supporting series Formula 2 and Formula 3 also joined in for the race weekend.
Formula 3
In the final round of the championship, Tim Tramnitz capped off his Formula 3 campaign in style, securing back-to-back Sprint Race victories at Monza. Starting from third on the grid, the MP Motorsport driver briefly slipped to fourth on the opening lap but steadily worked his way forward to take his second win of the season. Roman Bilinski delivered an impressive drive from seventh to finish second for Rodin Motorsport, while Martinius Stenshorne claimed third for Hitech TGR.
In the Feature Race, Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak led a dominant 1-2 finish for Campos Racing, taking victory ahead of teammate Nikola Tsolov. Starting fourth, Inthraphuvasak surged to the front, with Tsolov close behind in second. PREMA Racing’s Noel León rounded out the podium in third.
The final championship standings saw Rafael Câmara crowned Drivers’ Champion, with Tsolov climbing to second overall, overtaking teammate Mari Boya who settled for third. Campos Racing celebrated a landmark achievement by securing their first-ever FIA Formula 3 Teams’ title, finishing ahead of TRIDENT in second and MP Motorsport in third.
Formula 2
Leonardo Fornaroli strengthened his grip on the Formula 2 Championship with a commanding performance in the Sprint Race, securing his fourth win of the season. Starting from third, the Invicta Racing driver quickly took control in the early stages and held firm under late pressure from Arvid Lindblad, who finished second. AIX Racing’s Joshua Duerksen originally crossed the line in fourth but was promoted to third after Dino Beganovic received a five-second penalty for a Virtual Safety Car violation.
The Feature Race saw a breakthrough moment for Luke Browning, who claimed his maiden FIA Formula 2 victory. Starting from pole, the Hitech TGR driver held his nerve in a dramatic contest to take the win. Joshua Duerksen continued his strong weekend with a second-place finish for AIX Racing, while Campos Racing’s Josep María Martí completed the podium in third.
Formula 1
Max Verstappen converted pole position into a win at the Italian Grand Prix, leading home McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri after a dramatic start at Monza.
The race got off to Verstappen and Norris going wheel-to-wheel down the main straight, with the Red Bull driver cutting the first chicane to maintain the lead. To avoid a penalty, Verstappen handed the position back at the start of Lap 2; regardless, he quickly reclaimed his position in front and pulled away.
A slow pit stop for Norris allowed Piastri to jump into second, prompting the team to orchestrate a position swap. Though initially hesitant, Piastri complied with the team order, allowing Norris back through before the pair were given the green light to race to the finish.
Piastri settled for third, trimming his championship lead over Norris by three points. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished just off the podium in fourth, leaving the Tifosi without a home podium this year. Mercedes’ George Russell delivered a solid drive to finish fifth, while Lewis Hamilton recovered from a grid penalty to take sixth, securing a double points finish for Ferrari.
Further back, Alex Albon impressed with a strong recovery to seventh for Williams, ahead of Kick Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, who served a five-second penalty for erratic driving. Isack Hadjar rounded out the top ten after a great effort from a pit lane start.
The next race will take Formula 1 and Formula 2 to Baku, Azerbaijan from 19-21 September.
