Max Verstappen proves why championship experience matters

At Monza, the legendary temple of speed, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen reminded the Formula 1 world why championship experience is often the decisive factor when pressure mounts.

The Dutchman delivered a flawless drive to secure victory at the weekend in the 2025 Italian Grand Prix, capitalising on McLaren’s pit-wall mistakes and proving that even in a season dominated by the Papaya, Red Bull’s triple world champion still knows how to seize the moment.

Going into the weekend, McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri had been the protagonists of the championship battle, holding the edge in raw pace across most circuits.

Verstappen, meanwhile, had been lurking in the background, consistently finishing just behind the McLarens and waiting for opportunities.

He had only won twice since May, prompting questions about Red Bull’s ability to match McLaren’s resurgence. But at Monza, Verstappen demonstrated what sets him apart from drivers still finding their way at the sharp end of the grid.

From pole position, he converted the start cleanly, even though he was briefly asked to surrender the lead after cutting the first chicane on Lap 1. Rather than let frustration set in, Verstappen kept calm, reclaimed the position by Lap 4, and never relinquished it again.

His race management—balancing tyre preservation, outright pace, and split-second decision-making—was a masterclass forged through years of title fights.The contrast with McLaren could not have been sharper.

On the pit wall, the Woking squad rolled the dice on a long one-stop strategy, banking on a safety car that never arrived. When it came time to pit, McLaren’s execution faltered further.

Oscar Piastri was brought in first and enjoyed a lightning 1.9-second stop, but Norris, called in just after, lost precious time due to a slow wheel change.

The sequence flipped their running order, leaving Piastri ahead despite Norris having led the opening stint. Faced with an intra-team dilemma, McLaren made another misstep: issuing team orders that forced Piastri to hand the place back to Norris.

While the team justified it as restoring the “correct” order, the optics were poor. Piastri had done nothing wrong and understandably questioned the logic over team radio, noting that slow pit stops are simply part of racing.

The incident sparked criticism that McLaren undermined one driver’s race to protect another, drawing attention away from their genuine progress this season. Verstappen, meanwhile, needed no such assistance. He executed his strategy with ruthless efficiency, eventually pulling clear of both McLarens to win by over 19 seconds.

In doing so, he not only collected his third victory of 2025 and 66th career win, but also ensured his name was etched into the record books as the winner of the fastest race in Formula 1 history.

The result underscored a wider theme of this season: while McLaren may have the quicker car on balance, Verstappen’s race craft and composure continue to make him a constant threat. His ability to remain within striking distance, waiting patiently for rivals to falter, is the hallmark of a champion

At Monza, Verstappen did more than win a race—he reminded the paddock that titles aren’t just about speed. They are about seizing opportunities, staying calm under pressure, and punishing mistakes. And in that regard, Max Verstappen once again showed why experience matters most.