Max Verstappen claims dominant victory at Italian Grand Prix for 1st win since May

MONZA, Italy (AP) — Max Verstappen claimed a dominant victory at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday ahead of McLaren's title contenders Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, after a dramatic start and end to the race at Monza.

It was a first win since May for Verstappen – and only his third of the season — and capped a memorable weekend at Monza for Red Bull's four-time world champion, who had posted the fastest lap in Formula 1 history at the track on Saturday to claim pole position.

“That was unbelievable guys! Well done everyone,” Verstappen said on team radio. "We executed that really well. What an unbelievable weekend. We can be really proud of that.”

Norris was second, nearly 20 seconds behind Verstappen, to trim the gap to Piastri in the title race to 31 points, with eight races remaining. He had started the day 34 points behind the Australian driver, who was not happy after he was ordered to let his teammate past toward the end of the race.

The switch came after Norris had a slow pit stop, which appeared to put his title chances further in jeopardy when he came out behind his teammate but McLaren ordered Piastri to let the British driver past, which he did despite grumbling about the decision on team radio.

“I felt like I was there for quite a long time,” Norris said. “Every now and then we make mistakes as a team and this was one of them.”

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton had solid performances at the team's home race. Cheered on by the passionate, red-clad tifosi, Leclerc finished fourth while Hamilton surged through the field at the start to cross the line in sixth — after starting from 10th following a five-place grid penalty.

Norris was desperate to rebound from a disastrous Dutch GP where he retired with a rare engine problem. Starting from second at Monza, he tussled with Verstappen from the start and was forced off into the grass at the first corner.

“I always know it is going to be a good fight with Max and it was,” Norris said. “One of those weekends where we are a bit slower but a good fight and I enjoyed it.”

Verstappen was told to give the place back and duly did so but the Red Bull driver reclaimed the lead at the start of lap four, diving past Norris into turn one.

From there, it was almost a procession to victory for Verstappen.

“It was a great day for us. Of course lap 1 was a bit unlucky, but after that we were flying and that was for me really enjoyable," said Verstappen, who is third in the standings but 94 points behind Piastri and will almost certainly see his run of four straight titles ended this year.

“Fantastic execution by everyone from the whole team. I think the whole weekend we were on it and it’s super enjoyable to win here ... We’ll go step by step, race by race, but for us this of course was an unbelievable weekend.”

Verstappen briefly found himself behind the McLarens after pitting on lap 38 but retook the lead when Piastri was brought in on lap 46, followed by Norris a lap later.

“We went so long so the soft tires seemed like a good tire to put on," Piastri said. "We were staying out for safety cars if we got any. A little incident at the end but it’s okay.”

Hamilton was just behind his former Mercedes teammate George Russell, with Alex Albon, Gabriel Bortoleto, Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar rounding out the top 10.

Antonelli had crossed the line in eighth but the Italian teenager dropped a place because of a five-second penalty for contact with Albon.

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Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands celebrates on the podium after winning the Italian Grand Prix race at the Monza racetrack in Monza, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco steers his car during the Italian Grand Prix race at the Monza racetrack in Monza, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, left, overtakes McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain during the Italian Grand Prix race at the Monza racetrack in Monza, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands celebrates after winning the Italian Grand Prix race at the Monza racetrack in Monza, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain steers his car during the Italian Grand Prix race at the Monza racetrack in Monza, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car during the Italian Grand Prix race at the Monza racetrack in Monza, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands crosses the finish line to win the Italian Grand Prix race at the Monza racetrack in Monza, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. (Marco Bertorello/Pool Photo via AP)

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the third free practice ahead of the Italian Grand Prix at the Monza racetrack in Monza, Italy, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, centre, celebrates his pole position with McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain, left, and McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia after the qualifying session ahead of the Italian Grand Prix at the Monza racetrack in Monza, Italy, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands celebrates his pole position after the qualifying session ahead of the Italian Grand Prix at the Monza racetrack in Monza, Italy, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car during the qualifying session ahead of the Italian Grand Prix at the Monza racetrack in Monza, Italy, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — The interim government in Bangladesh beefed up security in the nation’s capital and elsewhere Monday ahead of an expected verdict against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who faces charges of crimes against humanity involving last year’s uprising that killed hundreds of people and ended her 15-year rule.

Paramilitary border guards and police were deployed in Dhaka and many other parts of the country as Hasina’s Awami League party called for a nationwide shutdown Monday to protest against the verdict, calling the tribunal a “kangaroo court.”

The prosecution in a special tribunal has sought the death penalty for Hasina, exiled in India, and a former home minister, who is possibly also in India. It did not recommend any penalty for a third suspect — a former police chief who became a state witness and pleaded guilty. Verdicts for all three are expected Monday.

Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan face charges of crimes against humanity for the killing of hundreds of people during a student-led uprising in July and August of 2024. The United Nations in a February report said up to 1,400 may have been killed in the violence, while the country’s health adviser under the interim government said more than 800 people were killed and about 14,000 were injured. Both of them are being tried in absentia.

The tribunal last week fixed Monday for delivering the verdict as reports of explosions of crude bombs and arson led to the disruption of classes and transportation across the country after the “lockdown” called for by Hasina’s party.

As the tribunal was set to convene Monday morning, the former ruling party called for the shutdown again, with Hasina in an audio message urging her supporters not to be “nervous” about the verdict. Hasina has survived at least 19 assassination attempts during her decades-long political career since 1981.

The verdict is set to come as local media reported new explosions of crude bombs in Dhaka, including one in front of the house of an adviser, equivalent to a Cabinet minister, on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Dhaka’s police chief Sheikh Mohammad Sazzat Ali issued a “shoot-on-sight” order if anyone attempts to torch vehicles or hurl crude bombs. The directive came as nearly 50 arson attacks, mostly targeting vehicles, and dozens of explosions of crude bombs have been reported nationwide over the past week. Two people were killed in the arson attacks, local media reported.

Authorities at the Supreme Court, in a letter to army headquarters on Sunday, requested the deployment of soldiers around the tribunal premises ahead of the verdict.

The prosecution said the tribunal’s deliberation of the verdict could be broadcast live on the state-run Bangladesh Television and other TV stations channels.

Hasina was ousted on Aug. 5 last year and fled to India. Bangladeshi Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus took over as the head of an interim government three days after her fall. Yunus vowed to punish Hasina and banned the activities of her Awami League party.

Both Hasina and her party have called the special tribunal a “kangaroo court” and denounced the appointment of a lawyer by the state to represent her.

Yunus said his interim government would hold the next elections in February, and that Hasina’s party would not get a chance to contest the race.

Bangladesh's politics under Yunus has remained at a crossroads with limited signs of stability.

Police use baton to disperse protesters gather outside the demolished residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh's former leader and the father of the country's ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ahead of an expected verdict against Hasina, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/ Ahadul Karim Khan)

Protesters shout slogans outside the demolished residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh's former leader and the father of the country's ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ahead of an expected verdict against Hasina, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/ Ahadul Karim Khan)

A police man checks the bag of a commuter near International Crimes Tribunal after security has been beefed up across the country ahead of an expected verdict against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajib Dhar)

Policemen stand guard outside International Crimes Tribunal after security has been beefed up across the country ahead of an expected verdict against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajib Dhar)

Bangladeshi Army soldiers stand guard outside the Supreme Court after security have been beefed up across the country ahead of an expected verdict against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajib Dhar)

Security personnel walk past a bus stop as ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her former ruling Awami League party called for a nationwide "lockdown" in protest against her trial, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu)

Security personnel stand guard at a traffic intersection as ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her former ruling Awami League party called for a nationwide "lockdown" in protest against her trial, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu)

FILE- Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina speaks during a press conference in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Jan. 6, 2014. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh, File)

Security personnel stand guard at Bangladesh's Supreme Court as ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her former ruling Awami League party called for a nationwide "lockdown" in protest against her trial in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu)