Max Verstappen overhauled the Ferraris to storm to a record-breaking 10th consecutive Formula 1 win at the 2023 Italian Grand Prix.
Red Bull claimed a 1-2 finish as Sergio Perez made several on-track moves to come home second, with polesitter Carlos Sainz completing the podium at Monza.
Every driver inside the top 10 opted for the Medium tyre, except for Lewis Hamilton, who opted for the Hard compound like in Zandvoort last weekend.
However, the start was aborted when Yuki Tsunoda pulled over on the back straight before Parabolica, forcing the rest of the pack to embark on another formation lap.
However, the stricken AlphaTauri remained parked on the side of the track the next time they passed through, prompting the 19 remaining drivers ready to compete in the race to sit on the starting grid for several minutes before the crews were allowed entry to the track to redo the starting procedure.
Once the racing action eventually got underway over 20 minutes later than initially scheduled following another formation lap, Sainz executed the perfect launch to protect his leading position from Verstappen on the lengthy run down to the first chicane.
Charles Leclerc settled in behind the Red Bull in the second of the Ferrari cars, fending off pressure from George Russell’s Mercedes through the opening series of corners.
Behind that quartet came Sergio Perez, with Oscar Piastri managing to get the jump on Alex Albon. The other McLaren of Lando Norris was also on the move on the first lap, moving past Hamilton for eighth place.
However, Piastri was unable to retain Albon on the blast to Turn 5 the next time around as McLaren’s fears about its straight-line speed deficit instantly shone through.
Despite retaining the lead from the start, Sainz had failed to open up the vital one-second buffer to deny Verstappen the aid of the Drag Reduction System. The Dutchman appeared to be sitting comfortably in the Ferrari’s wake, voicing that Sainz was sliding around as early as Lap 4.
On towards the start-finish straight, Verstappen was ready to mount an attack and forced Sainz to defend into the first corner. The pair narrowly avoided contact through the second phase of the chicane as the Ferrari cut across the Red Bull.
While Verstappen continued to threaten, Perez had closed right onto the rear of Russell. But like his team-mate, Perez could not seek a way past the car ahead.
Further down the field, Alpine elected to roll the dice by bringing Pierre Gasly into the pits for a new set of the Hard compound tyre at the end of Lap 10. However, the Frenchman’s attempts to undercut Zhou Guanyu were undone by a slow stop by his Alpine crew.
Back on the track, Fernando Alonso recovered the place he had lost at the start to Nico Hulkenberg, propelling the lead Aston Martin car back into a points position.
Perez eventually got past Russell at the start of Lap 14, but the positions were reversed after both drivers trailed off the track at the first chicane. The Red Bull driver complained he had been pushed wide by Russell – however, replays showed that Perez had simply out-braked himself.
Verstappen had bided his time behind Sainz and his patience was rewarded when the Spaniard locked up heavily into Turn 1. That momentary mishap allowed the reigning champion to draw level with Sainz down the Curva Grande and maintain the high ground into the Variante della Roggia chicane.
Red Bull’s fortunes got even better as Perez finally dispatched Russell, diving down the inside into Turn 1 to claim fourth place.
Simultaneously, Albon became the first driver inside the top 10 to abandon their starting tyres, putting the Anglo-Thai racer back into 13th place, albeit in clear air.
Sainz’s flat spot would prove detrimental to his position as the lead Ferrari, with the polesitter rapidly falling into the clutches of Leclerc, who noted his team-mate was “struggling with his rears”. Ferrari’s decision to not reverse its cars enabled the fast-charging Perez to swiftly accompany the scarlet red machines in the fight for second.
Ferrari finally boxed Sainz at the end of Lap 19, but a slow stop further threatened to lose him more places. When Leclerc received a one-second faster stop next time around, the Monegasque rejoined in close proximity to Sainz.
While Leclerc yielded through the first chicane, he went side-by-side with his team-mate into the second chicane, but Sainz narrowly maintained track position.
Having pitted Verstappen on the same lap as Leclerc came in to avoid the race leader being undercut, Red Bull awaited the arrival of Perez, who emerged out of the pit lane still behind the Ferraris.
The two McLaren drivers were the next to almost get too close for comfort, Norris edging ahead of Piastri for ninth place after the Woking side’s pit stops had played out.
Hamilton inherited the lead once all of the Medium runners had made their mandatory pit stops, but Verstappen easily blasted past the Mercedes to reclaim a first place he would maintain to the chequered flag.
Sainz and Leclerc demoted Hamilton further, with Mercedes electing to stop the seven-time World Champion on Lap 28 before Perez got the opportunity to overtake. Hamilton returned to the track on the Medium tyre and within a solitary lap had eased his way past Alonso for ninth.
But Russell in the other Mercedes clumsily picked up a five-second time penalty for overtaking Esteban Ocon off the track at the first chicane when exiting the pits.
Leclerc had dropped outside of DRS range of his team-mate, paving the way for Perez to attempt an overtake for the final podium place. The Ferrari managed to be later on the brakes at Turn 1 and the two almost touched heading into the della Roggia chicane as Leclerc sought to close the door.
However, Leclerc was a sitting duck down the start-finish straight without the slot in his rear wing open, promoting Perez to third.
Albon was being made to suffer the consequences of being the first of the runners in the points places to pit for new tyres as he came under increased pressure from the two McLarens.
Norris shaped up a move to the outside of Turn 1 but had to take to the run-off, immediately venting frustration that Albon had forced him off. Their duel was allowing Hamilton to make inroads, but the Mercedes driver ran out of room at the della Roggia chicane when Piastri closed the door.
Although contact was avoided, the next time around Hamilton and Piastri came to blows, handing the McLaren wing damage. The Australian detoured to the pits, plummeting to 14th, with the stewards slapping Hamilton with a five-second penalty for the incident.
Hamilton, however, appeared to be continuing without significant damage and moved past Norris and Albon to seize sixth.
Having eclipsed one Ferrari, Perez was aiming to overtake Sainz. Having complained about the Ferrari driver moving under braking to his team, Perez finally moved into second on Lap 46, leaving Sainz and Leclerc to do battle for the final spot on the rostrum.
The Spaniard’s valiant defensive drive dropped him into the clutches of his team-mate, who made the move into Turn 1. However, Leclerc went in too deep, putting Sainz back ahead by the time the two reached the second chicane.
After numerous near misses, Leclerc was told to race cleanly but almost proceeded to wipe out his team-mate at the start of the final lap when he had to change direction to avoid Sainz’s late move under braking.
He may not have started at the front, but Verstappen again proved imperious to continue his rampant run with a second successive victory at Monza.
The Dutchman took the chequered flag 6s ahead of Perez, while Sainz edged Leclerc out to score his first podium of the season.
Russell maintained fifth despite his five-second time penalty, with Hamilton also not losing his sixth position.
Albon held onto seventh ahead of Norris, Alonso and Valtteri Bottas to round out the points places.
