Red Bull sees progress behind dominant Mercedes

Max Verstappen claimed third at the Italian Grand Prix, finishing best of the rest behind Mercedes teammates Kimi Antonelli and George Russell as Red Bull showed signs of progress under Formula 1’s 2026 regulations.

Verstappen battled the two Mercedes cars and briefly led during a race shaped by differing tire strategies and the early red flag. He held off the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, while Red Bull’s pace on Monza’s long straights exceeded expectations.

“Today was a well-deserved podium for Max and the whole team,” Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies said. “It was probably our best race pace in a few weeks and a step in the right direction.”

The result was Verstappen’s fifth podium of the season and his third in the last four races. Mekies said the team was still searching for the ultimate level of speed, but believed the weekend had exposed useful areas for development.

“We won’t be happy until we have that ultimate speed and we clearly still have some challenges to overcome,” Mekies said.

Liam Lawson endured a more difficult afternoon. After power-unit penalties sent him toward the back, further setup changes forced him to start from the pit lane. Contact with Nico Hulkenberg damaged his front wing, and Lawson finished 14th without scoring.

Red Bull now heads to Madrid encouraged by its improved long-run performance, although Mercedes’ advantage at Monza remained substantial.