Race Recap: Netherlands and Italy

After a much-needed break for the team, we are back to continue the show, as both championships are up for grabs.

It's been bizarre to see how Red Bull went from dominating at the season opener to losing its competitive edge after the break, McLaren being unable to convert a pole to win in Italy, and Ferrari pulling one of the best strategic feats this season.?

From the rocketship McLarens to another young driver making his debut in the sport, let's revisit some of the best stories from the Dutch and the Italian Grand Prix (GP).

(All image credits go to Formula One)

A statement by Lando Norris

Heading into the break, F1 fans were puzzled as to whether the Papaya team could cement itself as the fastest team with one of the strongest driver pairings on the grid. In the Netherlands, however, they showed a strong start with Lando Norris securing pole position in front of the Orange Army.

Still, the race unfolded in a true Norris style, with the Briton losing his lead in turn 1 to championship rival Max Verstappen — but things took a turn when the MCL38 began to chase the leading RB20 with relative ease.

It was only a short time until Lando swiftly overtook Max and was never to be seen again. His massive 22-second gap led to second place when he took the checkered flag in his rival's backyard truly shows what he can do when he strings together a clean weekend.?

Helpless Max Verstappen powerless to catch Norris

A win on home turf would've provided Verstappen and Red Bull some much-needed points for both championships.?

Despite initially taking the lead in the first couple of laps, Verstappen was unable to significantly challenge the charging Norris, and the latter easily took over the lead and never looked back.?

While the hometown hero took second place, the race showed the RB20's vulnerability. It's also worth noting that this is the first time Verstappen has failed to win the Dutch Grand Prix since its reintroduction to the calendar in 2021.

Where has Mercedes’s pace gone?

Prior to the summer break, Mercedes had won three of the four races heading into that break, including an on-track 1-2 in Belgium before Russell was disqualified — so it was only natural for us to expect the Brackley-based team to continue that momentum in Zandvoort.

What happened during the race left Toto Wolff stumped as he insisted the team had plenty of "head-scratching" to do. Rusell, for example, qualified in the second row and dropped back to fourth after being overtaken by Oscar Piastri off the line.

That wasn't the end of it. He would later be undercut by Charles Leclerc, overtaken on track by the recovering Piastri, and was about to be overtaken by Carlos Sainz before piting for a second set of fresh tyres. By the end of the race, Rusell only managed to wind up in seventh ahead of his teammate.?

How did Ferrari get there?

Charles Leclerc was “very surprised” to finish third after starting sixth on a track that supposedly doesn’t suit the SF-24, as the car was a second slower than the McLaren on the pole.?

After jumping Sergio Pérez at the start, Leclerc drove a brilliant race to hold off a charging Oscar Piastri to finish on the podium. Sainz shared Leclerc's enthusiasm as he recovered from his Q2 exist to cross the chequered flag in fifth position on a track that can be difficult to overtake.

Perhaps the biggest question is: how did Ferrari unlock this new pace?

The midfield has never been tighter than before?

With the top teams like McLaren, Ferrari, RedBull and Mercedes all in the mix for the front spots of the grid, it has never been more of a challenge for the midfield team to scrap away with the remaining points-paying position — Zandvoort is a clear cut case on where the driver can make all the difference in the tight midfield.

Two-time Fernando Alonso has admitted that the 2025 campaign for Aston Martin is already on his mind after a difficult Dutch GP saw his efforts ultimately being rewarded with a single point. Daniel Ricciardo, who has still yet to secure a drive for 2025, reflected on a discouraging weekend for VCARB as both drivers failed to reach the top 10, with split strategies leaving them stuck in dirty air for the majority of the race.

Further back, Alex Albon tried a bold two-stop strategy in his Wiliams on Sunday but only managed to come home in 14th. As for his teammate Logan Sergeant, the American struggled due to a lack of pace and practice after suffering from a crash during Free Practice.

A strategy masterclass by Ferrari

There's always a special kind of pressure from the Tifosi in Monza and Charles Leclerc delivered on these expectations with an emotional win in the Temple of Speed.

The Monegasque driver had a great start and took advantage of the battle between the two McLarens during the race's early stages. After boxing for a set of Hards, Ferrari gambled with a single-stop strategy for Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, with McLaren opting for a two-stopper.

In the end, Leclerc managed to hold Piastri behind and take home his second victory of the season. To do it in front of the home fans makes the victory even sweeter for the Prancing Horse.

Red Bull is on a steady decline

If Red Bull thought Zandvoort was frustrating, Monza was even more disappointing. The Milton Keynes-based team had no answer to their rivals' pace.

Red Bull was far from challenging the front-runners and spent most of the races in the upper midfield positions. Verstappen can only manage sixth and Pérez in eighth, struggling to keep George Russell behind.?

After Italy, McLaren was only eight points behind in the constructors’ championship.

Did McLaren fumble a potential 1-2?

After locking out the front row, it was easy to expect McLaren to capitalise on Red Bull's poor run in Qualifying — but an early battle on the opening laps saw Lando Norris drop down to third after Lap 1.

One of the biggest talking points after the race was McLaren's refusal to impose team orders when it became clear that Oscar Piastri could no longer catch Charles Leclerc for the win.

Things also got a bit dicey when "Papaya rules" was heard over the radio as both McLarens attempted to race each other for the win — tyre degradation would soon force both McLarens to go on the two-stop strategy, which meant they had to put in double the work to catch the leading Ferrari for the win.

Impressive show but indecisiveness still haunts Williams

Williams parted ways with Logan Sargeant after wearing out the team's patience following his disappointing showing in the first half of the season. Needing a quick fix, Williams turned within its ranks and hired its F2 driver, Franco Colapinto, for the remainder of the season.

Alex Albon had an excellent outing in Monza, fending off the last-points position with all his might. At one point, he radioed about his annoyance at the team's indecisiveness in strategy — a recurring problem for the team.

Nonetheless, Albon managed to finish ninth, equalling the team's best finish this season. His Argentine teammate, on his debut, finished a respectable 12th.

First F1 race ban in 12 years

It's finally happened.

Since the new penalty points system was introduced, Kevin Magnussen became the first F1 driver to be banned in 12 years.

This comes after the Dane's battle with Pierre Gasly. They made contact down the inside of Turn 4, which awarded the 31-year-old a 10-second penalty and two penalty points on his FIA Super License.?

At this point, Kevin Magnussen has accumulated 12 points over 12 months, which means he will be forced to miss the upcoming Azerbaijan GP.

What are your thoughts about the Dutch and Italian GPs?

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This newsletter was written by Ghazlan Atqiya Firmansyah and edited by Hew Hoong Liang (Nathan).

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