08/09/2025 13:50
Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies has explained the team's "difficult"
decision to order Max Verstappen to cede the Italian Grand Prix
lead to Lando Norris. At Turn 1, Verstappen cut across the run-off
area whilst Norris made the corner, with the Red Bull maintaining
the lead for the remainder of the opening lap. However, he was
quickly instructed by race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase to give the
position back to Norris, with the incident being noted by the FIA
stewards. Verstappen let Norris past into Turn 1 on Lap 2, but in
the same place on Lap 4, elbowed past the McLaren to seize a lead
he would never lose as he cruised to a third win of the season, and
first for the team in the post-Christian Horner era. Earlier in the
year, in Saudi Arabia, Verstappen also took to the run-off at Turn
1 at the start, this time against the sister McLaren of Oscar
Piastri, but did not give up the lead he had claimed. There, he
received a five-second time penalty, going onto finish second to
Piastri by 2.843s. Reflecting on the Monza decision, Mekies felt it
was important to give the place back. "It is always a case-by-case
basis, and the guys on the pit-wall did a very good job of making
their own assumption of the situation," Mekies told media ,
including RacingNews365. "It is a difficult situation, as you can
imagine, to ask your driver to give the lead back, especially at
this moment, as you have no idea if you are going to have a pace
advantage or not. "So it may as well be your win getting away from
you, but nonetheless, it was felt that we should give the position
back and not risk a penalty. "That's what we have done, Max was
unbelievable in being able to attack Lando back and pass him, and
as it turned out, put our mind at ease after a few laps."
