The Italian Grand Prix began in chaotic fashion as Lando Norris branded Max Verstappen an “idiot” after a controversial move on the opening lap on Sunday.
Verstappen, who had started from pole position, cut across the track in the early stages as he battled with Norris and McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri.
The manoeuvre forced Norris onto the grass before Verstappen ran wide himself.
“What's this idiot doing? Come on,” Norris fumed over team radio. “He's put me in the grass and then he's just cut the corner.”
Lando Norris was forced onto the grass at Monza during Sunday's Italian Grand Prix
|REUTERS
Race control instructed Verstappen to hand the position back, with Norris reclaiming the lead down the main straight shortly afterwards.
The incident set the tone for a frenetic early phase at Monza, with the partisan Italian crowd witnessing wheel-to-wheel racing at more than 200mph.
There was also drama before the start.
Nico Hülkenberg was forced to retire his Sauber after the formation lap due to a technical issue, ending his weekend early despite qualifying 12th.
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The German had shown encouraging pace on Saturday but was unable to take the lights.
Verstappen arrived in Italy in strong form and had underlined his speed in qualifying by taking pole in spectacular fashion.
His lap of 1 minute 18.792 seconds set a new record for the fastest in Formula 1 history, eclipsing the marks set in Monza’s long tradition of high-speed racing.
The result placed him ahead of Norris on the grid, with championship leader Piastri starting from third.
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Going into the race, Piastri led the drivers’ standings on 309 points, Norris sat second with 275, and Verstappen was third on 205, looking to close the gap.
Speaking before Sunday’s race, Verstappen admitted securing pole had been a relief after struggling at times earlier in the season.
“It’s very difficult to nail the lap around here with the low downforce,” he said.
“Under braking it’s easy to make mistakes. Q3 felt good and to be on pole is fantastic.
"The car has been working well the whole weekend and I’m very happy to be able to fight for pole.
“We were still lacking a tiny amount going into qualifying. We made some final changes that allowed me to push a bit more. For us it’s a great moment.
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Max Verstappen finished ahead of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix
|REUTERS
"This season the race has always been more complicated for us, but we’ll give it everything we have.”
The clash with Norris highlighted the intensity of the title battle.
Piastri’s consistency has given him the edge so far, but Verstappen’s pole lap — combined with Norris’s frustration — underlined how fine the margins are between the three.