Formula One News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

David Kirouac-Imagn Images

‘Not Completely Back,’ Max Verstappen Downplays Shock Italian GP Win

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Armaan Agarwal | Last updated Sep 8, 2025 1:02 AM ET

Max Verstappen emerged victorious at the Italian GP. The reigning world champion finally took his third win of the 2025 season after waiting for almost four months. This victory has rejuvenated fans and the Red Bull crew. However, Verstappen has made it clear that the situation will remain difficult for Milton Keynes.

In the past few weeks, Max Verstappen and Red Bull have struggled to match McLaren upfront. The four-time world champion has already given up on this year’s title. With less than half of the season remaining, the situation is grim for the Dutchman.

The Italian GP saw a turnaround in fortunes. The high-speed Monza circuit allowed Max Verstappen to maximize the RB21. Not only did he win the race by a margin of over 20 seconds, it was the fastest victory in the history of Formula 1.

Yet, after the race, Max Verstappen gave a reality check. The 27-year-old insisted that he will not be fighting for wins at every race despite this triumph. However, the Monza weekend was a wake-up call for Red Bull as Verstappen pointed out that the team had a better idea over the areas it needs to focus on.

I’m not going to say we’re completely back and will be fighting for wins every weekend. But the good thing now is that we know better what we need to do to be more competitive.
Max Verstappen told De Telegraaf

max: “i’m not going to say we're completely back and will be fighting for wins every weekend. but the good thing now is that we know better what we need to do to be more competitive.”

[de telegraaf] pic.twitter.com/qmOT5HCd7W
— nini (@SCUDERIAFEMBOY) September 7, 2025

Max Verstappen rejoices ‘one of the best’ podiums at Monza

Monza is the Temple of Speed. It is Ferrari’s home face with thousands of Tifosi coming to the race every year to celebrate the Italian GP. The crowd went bonkers for Max Verstappen this year even though the Scuderia had a hard time. So much so, fans chanted the infamous Verstappen meme song on the podium.

Max Verstappen is starting to get used to support from Italian fans, something he never really enjoyed in the past. This year, the Dutchman received a similar reception at the Emilia Romagna GP. Verstappen pointed out that it was sad to see no Ferrari drivers on the podium for the Tifosi. Yet, the spectacle was indeed beautiful. The reigning world champion described it as one of the best podiums in F1.

I think in Imola it was already pretty similar, it’s just nice to see that support. Of course they’re all– or most of them are here for Ferrari. Unfortunately they were not on the podium. But to see that crowd, it’s one of the best podiums this season. It was nice to be apart of it.
Max Verstappen said post-race

max on hearing the tifosi chant his name: ''i think in imola it was already pretty similar, it's just nice to see that support. of course they're all– or most of them are here for ferrari. unfortunately they were not on the podium. but to see that crowd, it's one of the best… pic.twitter.com/uVSerKLtmE
— nini (@SCUDERIAFEMBOY) September 7, 2025

Certainly, Max Verstappen needed this win. The Dutch driver gets a much-needed morale boost after weeks of struggles. Nevertheless, the 27-year-old is going to remain realistic over his prospects for the remainder of the year. But fans can expect that Verstappen will continue to push himself as always once the cars hit the track on Sunday.

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

More must-reads: