In what is becoming a familiar story, Lando Norris started on pole, only to see another driver atop the podium on Sunday. Charles Leclerc proved he could manage tires with the best of them, executing a one stop strategy and getting his second win in Monza. Oscar Piastri once again found himself in front of his teammate after the start, with Piastri finishing in front of Lando in P3 and P4. Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top 5, with Max Verstappen finishing a full 37 seconds behind the leader in P6. George Russell and Sergio Perez came home in P7 and P8, while Alex Albon and Kevin Magnussen secured hugely important points finishing P9 and P10.

McLaren’s insistence on supporting both drivers equally, while admirable, potentially cost them the win in Monza in another stumble for the Woking outfit. From the infamous moment “Papaya Rules” came across the radio, it was clear that McLaren wasn’t willing to sacrifice Piastri’s race to boost Lando’s title hopes. While both drivers seem to be calm about the matter, one has to wonder how much longer Zak Brown will let this go? At some point Lando’s pursuit of Max has to be put over Piastri’s great, but not title threatening season, right?

A day after the Mercedes F2 driver made his FP1 debut (and crashed George Russell’s car), Mercedes finally confirmed Andrea Kimi Antonelli as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement at Mercedes for the 2025 season, ending months of uncertainty and speculation around the seat. He is expected to get another run at FP1 later in the year as he gets ready to join Russell full-time for 2025.

As predicted, after 36 races in F1, Logan Sargeant lost his seat at Williams and has been replaced for the rest of the season by Franco Colapinto. The F2 driver surprised many who were predicting the more experienced Liam Lawson or Mick Schumacher. Colapinto, who is part of the Williams junior academy, finished an impressive P12 in Monza in his first-ever F1 outing.

Not willing to leave quietly, Kevin Magnussen’s turn 4 collision with Pierre Gasly earned him his 12th penalty point of the year, and the distinction as the first F1 driver to receive a race ban under the penalty points system since it was introduced in 2014. That means that Oliver Bearman, (and Magnussen’s replacement for next season), will fill in for Magnussen in Baku — giving him some critical experience at one of the tougher circuits of the year.

Adrian Newey, widely regarded as the greatest F1 designer in history, will join Aston Martin on a £30m-a-year salary to help the team become a world championship contender. With 13 drivers' championships and 12 constructors' titles under his belt, Newey's expertise is seen as a guarantee of success in F1. Which is why Lawrence Stroll is paying a cool £3,434 per hour for his services!

• FIA Clarifies Front-Wing Flexing Compliance (Trackside)

• Ferrari Names Loic Serra As New Chassis Technical Director (Trackside)

• Alpine Staff Strike at Monza Over Plans to End F1 Engine Program (BBC Sport)

Ferrari took home a victory in front of the home fans, holding off a charging McLaren to give Charles Leclerc his second win at Monza. While Ferrari will be energized by the win, McLaren continue to look dominant, if only they can figure out how to balance their two drivers. While the pressure has been on Sergio Perez for awhile, Max Verstappen is beginning to get a taste of the midfield himself. Last, but certainly not least, great first showing for Franco Colapinto who finished P12 in his F1 debut.

Lando Norris gained 8 more points on Max Verstappen, which might just be making Max sweat. Charles Leclerc’s victory put him 20 points ahead of Piastri, further solidifying P3 in the Drivers’ Championship. At the other end of things, Alex Albon gained 2 points, putting him level with Oliver Bearman and Kevin Magnussen.

In the Constructors’ Championship, McLaren may just be the favorites, narrowing the gap with Red Bull to just 8 points. Ferrari finished P1 and P4, threatening to make it a three way race. At the bottom of the table, Williams added two additional points stretching their lead over Kick Sauber.

Next we’re off to Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where the challenging street circuit is sure to bring some exciting action (and Sergio Perez is king!) Will Papaya Rules still be in play? Has Red Bull figured out where they went wrong? Will Oliver Bearman get points in his Haas debut? Tune in this weekend to find out!

Until Next Time,

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