Ex-Ferrari Star Exposes Reason Behind Max Verstappen's Record-Breaking Italian GP Win 2 Lando Norris and Max Verstappen (via IMAGO)

Ex-Ferrari Star Exposes Reason Behind Max Verstappen’s Record-Breaking Italian GP Win

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Armaan Agarwal | Last updated Sep 10, 2025 12:46 AM ET

Max Verstappen pulled off an incredible performance at the Italian GP, shocking fans and pundits alike. The reigning world champion had failed to deliver decent results for Red Bull in the past few weeks. However, Monza felt like a completely different race altogether. Now, former Ferrari driver Jean Alesi has revealed the reason for Verstappen’s return to the top step of the podium.

Since the start of the season, Max Verstappen and Red Bull have found it difficult to match McLaren. The Dutchman did take two victories early on. However, before the Italian GP, Verstappen was winless for almost four months. The RB21 simply didn’t seem quick enough to challenge for victories. Though, Monza has changed the situation.

Max Verstappen clinched pole position after the fastest lap in the history of Formula 1. The Red Bull star carried this momentum on Sunday to take the fastest race win in the sport.

Jean Alesi pointed out that he knew Max Verstappen had good balance with the car at the Temple of Speed. The way the Dutchman managed to take pole without needing a two, showed that the car was in the right window. Moreover, Alesi highlighted that Verstappen was able to keep pushing during the race even when the front tires started blistering.

Yes, because the qualifying lap he did was alone, without the tow, without any trick. So that means he had very good balance. In the middle of the race we saw some blistering on the front tires, and he was still fast. So then I said, ‘Okay, no problem.’
Jean Alesi told RacingNews365

Max Verstappen’s dominance toppled McLaren from ‘favorite’ status

The two McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have dominated the 2025 season. While Verstappen did win a couple of races, Piastri and Norris simply had too big of an advantage against the rest of the grid. The entire season seemed similar to the Mercedes Turbo Hybrid era battles between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. However, it seems that Max Verstappen has finally managed to throw a spanner in the works.

Jean Alesi highlighted that before the Dutchman’s victory at Monza, McLaren remained the favorite to win every race. However, the Woking-based team could not manage to sustain its dominance due to the track’s high-speed layout. The Italian GP is known for having low rear wings to maximize top speed. While Red Bull did not bring a special wing for the race, the team managed to have a better setup for Max Verstappen than his rivals.

They [McLaren] have been the favorite every race so far. But Monza, the characteristic is that you are without a normal rear wing, you have a very low rear wing level. I think the balance of the Red Bull was very good.
Jean Alesi added

Max Verstappen might not have a realistic shot at the 2025 title, but he can become trouble for Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. The two McLaren drivers are separated by 31 points in the standings. A single bad result can transform the situation for both, champion-leader Piastri, and second-placed Norris. However, it will be interesting to see if Verstappen and Red Bull are able to continue this pace in Baku.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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