The Italian Grand Prix was full of drama and controversy as Max Verstappen beat the McLarens for his third win of 2025.
Verstappen dominated the race to claim victory after an early battle with Lando Norris. The Brit came home P2 ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri after McLaren controversially implemented team orders in the closing stages.
Piastri was pitted first to prevent an undercut from Charles Leclerc, but he ended up undercutting Norris after a slow stop. The Aussie was instructed to hand the position back, sparking outrage from fans towards McLaren on social media.
RANKDRIVERTEAMPOINTS1Max VerstappenRed Bull252Lando NorrisMcLaren183Oscar PiastriMcLaren154Charles LeclercFerrari125George RussellMercedes106Lewis HamiltonFerrari87Alex AlbonWilliams68Gabriel BortoletoSauber49Kimi AntonelliMercedes210Isack HadjarRacing Bulls1
The Tifosi did not get to see a Ferrari driver on the podium at the Italian Grand Prix, with Leclerc finishing fourth while Hamilton produced a great recovery drive to finish P6 from 10th. The Maranello outfit felt positive after the race, with Hamilton thanking Ferrari fans over the radio for their support.
Elsewhere, Alex Albon leapfrogged Kimi Antonelli in the drivers’ championship by finishing an impressive P7 for Williams. His result has further cemented the Grove outfit’s fifth place in the standings after Aston Martin failed to score points at Monza.
The Silverstone outfit had a miserable afternoon as Fernando Alonso suffered another mechanical failure and was forced to retire. Teammate Lance Stroll came home last on track in 18th, and the Canadian was utterly despondent after the race.
Photo by PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP via Getty ImagesLance Stroll ’embarrassed’ Aston Martin’s PR team with his post-race comments at Monza
Stroll is notorious for giving short answers in his media debriefs after races, and he kept up that reputation at Monza. In a report from Motorsport Espana, he gave a rather bizarre interview in the pen.
Aston Martin had delayed the Canadian’s only pit stop until the closing stages. When asked if this strategy was ineffective, he simply replied: “Yes.”
He was caught up in some drama at the Italian GP as Esteban Ocon pushed him wide at Variante della Roggia, landing him with a five-second penalty and a point on his FIA superlicence. But when he was asked to comment on it, ‘Stroll remained as silent as he had been’.
When the Aston Martin driver was asked if he could take any positives from the weekend, he gave his ‘longest answer’ of the interview by saying: “Not much.” Understandably, the Aston Martin PR team were ’embarrassed by the situation’.
When pushed again for an answer on the Ocon incident, the 26-year-old ‘didn’t even deign to answer’. Asked if he agreed with the penalty that the Haas driver received, he replied: “I have nothing to say about it,” before leaving the pen.
READ MORE: Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend
Photo by Jayce Illman/Getty ImagesLance Stroll’s post-race behaviour highlights why Aston Martin must think about his future
This is not the first time that the Canadian has given downcast interviews in 2025. Stroll walked out mid-interview at the Dutch GP after he crashed in practice and qualifying.
He did finish an impressive seventh ahead of teammate Alonso, but he and the team have found consistent points finishes hard to come by. He has scored points at five races compared to the Spaniard’s six.
CategoryLance StrollFernando Alonso2025 points3230Grand Prix results79Grand Prix qualifying016Grand Prix wins00Grand Prix poles00Grand Prix podiums00Best finish6th5thRetirements04Retirements (classified finish)00Fastest laps00Widthdrawals 10Grand Prix points finishes56Sprint results30Sprint Qualifying12Sprint wins00Sprint poles00Sprint podiums00The 2025 F1 teammate head-to-head battle of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso
His lacklustre performances, combined with the fact that Stroll is one of the hardest drivers to interview, cannot be something that his team are satisfied with. Aston Martin must consider Stroll’s future, especially when they hope to be a title contender under the new technical regulations.
Adrian Newey will spearhead the team’s operation with Honda engines, with Alonso excited to work alongside the legendary designer. Stroll has the ‘safest’ seat in F1 thanks to team owner and father Lawrence Stroll, but questions need to be asked if his form does not improve.