Max Verstappen delivered a dominant performance to win the Italian Grand Prix 2025, securing a 20-second margin over McLaren. At Monza, the same track where Red Bull struggled in 2024, Verstappen described the car back then as “a monster.” This year, the story was very different, with a low-downforce rear wing, fresh Honda power unit, and new strategic approach playing crucial roles.
Red Bull’s Change in Race Preparation
Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko praised the team’s progress and Verstappen’s execution after the race. “The car worked perfectly this time, the strategy was good, so everything was fine,” Helmut Marko said in the Monza paddock post-race. “And Max was sovereign, besides that first corner. To win with 20 seconds’ margin on McLaren, that’s a real achievement.”
Marko explained that since the summer break, Red Bull is no longer relying only on simulator data. Instead, they now combine engineering inputs with Verstappen’s experience and on-track feel.
“The difference is that the preparation of a weekend is a different one now. Laurent is an excellent engineer, so now the idea is more to take whatever the simulation shows us, but mix that with the experience that Max has and with the experience that our racing engineers have. That’s how we want to make a car that is more predictable and drivable.”
From “Monster” to Monza Mastery
Marko recalled the contrast to last year’s struggles. “Last year we were 40 seconds behind the winner in Monza, and back then we had a monster.”
This time, Verstappen played a vital role in sticking to the right set-up. His decision to go with a low-downforce configuration in qualifying proved decisive. “We saw that we could drive away from the McLarens. The driver’s input was recognised.”
Verstappen and Mekies’ Growing Partnership
Verstappen credited Laurent Mekies, Red Bull’s new technical leader, for bringing balance to the team’s approach. “Up until now we’ve had a lot of races where we were just shooting left and right a little bit with the set-up of the car. Quite extreme changes, which shows that we were not in control,” Verstappen explained.
“With Laurent having an engineering background, he’s asking the right questions to the engineers – common-sense questions – so I think that works really well.”
According to Verstappen, the Zandvoort weekend was the first sign of progress. Monza confirmed that the adjustments are now working consistently.
Mekies Stays Modest
Despite the praise, Laurent Mekies deflected credit onto the team. “The level of my contribution is zero, and I’m not joking either. It’s 1,500 people working on making that car faster, so these are the talents that make the car faster, that make the hundredths and make the thousandths.”
“Our only role is to make sure that the talents that we have are put in the right conditions to express their talent at best.”
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