F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Race results and reaction as Verstappen wins at Monza

Max Verstappen drove his way into the Formula One history books by taking his 10th-consecutive victory at Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix.

Verstappen sat behind Carlos Sainz for 14 of the 51 laps at Monza’s Temple of Speed before fighting his way past the Ferrari pole-sitter at the second chicane.

• ‘It was totally my fault’: Lewis Hamilton admits mistake in Italian Grand Prix

From there, the commanding Dutchman never looked back to better the mark he shared with Sebastian Vettel and become the first driver in Formula One to reach double figures for straight victories.

Sergio Perez finished second in the other Red Bull, while Sainz held off team-mate Charles Leclerc in a tantalising late battle between the Ferrari drivers to take the final spot on the podium. George Russell finished fifth with Lewis Hamilton, who served a five-second penalty for colliding with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, sixth.

Follow live updates and reaction from the Italian Grand Prix with The Independent

F1 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX - RACE UPDATES

• Max Verstappen wins record tenth-straight Grand Prix at Monza

• Perez second, Sainz holds on for third. Russell and Hamilton 5th & 6th

• ‘It was totally my fault’: Lewis Hamilton admits mistake in Italian Grand Prix

• Yuki Tsunoda’s car breaks down on the formation lap, delaying race start

• COMMENT: Lewis Hamilton shows statement of intent with Max Verstappen dig

Max Verstappen breaks new ground with record victory at Italian Grand Prix

16:22 , Ben Fleming

New ground, even for Max Verstappen. A 10^th Formula 1 victory in a row – breaking Sebastian Vettel’s record from 10 years ago – and another win at the home of Ferrari. But the Monza crowd were treated under the blazing Italian sunshine on Sunday to some brilliant racing at the front of the field throughout. Even with the spot at the top of the podium something of an inevitability once more.

To the end, the battles ensued. While Sergio Perez eventually took second to secure a Red Bull one-two, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc continued to squabble for that final podium spot. In the end, pole-sitter Sainz kept hold of a very much deserved third position: the Spaniard’s first podium of the season.

Mercedes were the next-best of the rest in fifth and sixth for George Russell and Lewis Hamilton respectively, while Alex Albon drove one of the defensive races of his life to keep hold of P7 from the McLaren of Lando Norris. The Williams resurgence has been one of the more uplifting sub-plots of the season so far.

For Verstappen, though, this one wasn’t as comfortable as many that have gone by. At the home of Ferrari, the opening 45 minutes was enthralling – and he didn’t have it all his own way.

Read Kieran Jackson’s race report below:

Max Verstappen breaks new ground with record victory at Italian Grand Prix

‘It was totally my fault’: Lewis Hamilton admits mistake in Italian Grand Prix

17:20 , Kieran Jackson

Lewis Hamilton admitted he was at fault for the collision with Oscar Piastri in the latter stages of Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix and has apologised to the Australian driver.

Hamilton and Piastri were fighting for eighth position on lap 41 of the 51-lap race and, coming out of the Curva Grande, the two cars were side-by-side and touched with the Mercedes squeezing the McLaren on the outside and both having to take to the escape road.

It was an incident which ruined Piastri’s race, having to pit for a new front nose and dropping outside the top-10, with Hamilton promptly receiving a five-second penalty from the stewards.

Ultimately, the penalty did not impact Hamilton – who finished sixth – while Piastri finished 12^th.

Full quotes below:

‘It was totally my fault’: Lewis Hamilton admits mistake in Italian Grand Prix

View from the podium

16:20 , Ben Fleming

An incredible view from the podium down onto the fans below as the three podium finishers get the celebrations under way!

Red Bull Team Principal, Christian Horner speaking to Sky Sports

16:14 , Ben Fleming

“We had to do it the hard way. The Ferraris were quick today. Carlos was defending like his life depended on it, so first Max had to get that pass done then we were able to pull out a gap.

“It gives Max ten victories in a row which is an incredible moment. It is a huge effort from every single department.

“Formula One is the biggest team sport in the world and you need every single member of that team doing their job. This victory is down to everybody in the Red Bull team who have done an incredible job.

“For us to win here is massive.”

VERTSAPPEN WINS ITALIAN GRAND PRIX!

16:11 , Ben Fleming

What a reception for Carlos Sainz as he steps onto the podium. It may not have been a famous win for Ferrari in their home race, but that’s a performance to be proud of from the Spaniard:

VERTSAPPEN WINS ITALIAN GRAND PRIX!

15:59 , Ben Fleming

Carlos Sainz, who battled to hold onto third place, speaks to Sky Sports: “It was tough. It does not get tougher than it was out there today.

“Honestly, I spent the whole race pushing trying to keep the Red Bulls behind. In the end, I paid a bit of a price with the rear tyres.

“We had fun out there today.”

VERTSAPPEN WINS ITALIAN GRAND PRIX!

15:56 , Ben Fleming

Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez speaks to Sky Sports: “Second was the maximum we could have achieved today, it was so difficult to overtake, a lot harder than we really thought.

“I think we’ve made a lot of progress. On the setup side, I’m feeling a lot more comfortable in the car so I do expect that we will see the best form in the next races.”

VERTSAPPEN WINS ITALIAN GRAND PRIX!

15:52 , Ben Fleming

The victorious Dutchman speaking to Sky Sports after his record-breaking tenth-straight win: “I never would have believed that that was possible but we had to work for it and that made it definitely a lot more fun.

On the battle with Ferrari: “They had a lot of top speed and it was so hard to get close and get a move on into turn one. I had to force him into a mistake and luckily it came at some point where he locked and then I had better traction. From there on, we could do our own race.

“I was trying to stay patient. It’s a very long race, I could see they were struggling with their rear tyres so I just had to pick my moment.”

VERTSAPPEN WINS ITALIAN GRAND PRIX!

15:45 , Ben Fleming

Perez completes the Red Bull 1-2 while Sainz holds onto third place after a superb race. Hamilton did enough to keep sixth place even with his five-second penalty.

Here’s what the top ten looks like:

1) Max Verstappen

2) Sergio Perez

3) Carlos Sainz

4) Charles Leclerc

5) George Russell

6) Lewis Hamilton

7) Alex Albon

8) Lando Norris

9) Fernando Alonso

10) Valtteri Bottas

VERTSAPPEN WINS ITALIAN GRAND PRIX!

15:40 , Ben Fleming

The Dutchman has done it! He cruises to his record tenth-straight victory in dominant fashion.

It was hard work at the start but once he finally got past Sainz, it was all-too comfortable for the Red Bull driver.

“Not too bad,” he says over the radio. Not too bad, indeed.

Hamilton has five-second lead over Albon (Lap 50/51)

15:38 , Ben Fleming

The Mercedes has done well enough to get five seconds ahead of Albon and he now will occupy sixth place even with the penalty.

There’s still more tussling between Sainz and Leclerc for third but the Spaniard is just about holding on heading into the final lap.

Ferraris almost collide (Lap 48/51)

15:35 , Ben Fleming

Sainz and Leclerc have lost out to the Red Bull duo but now they are engaged in a tussle between themselves and it almost goes awry as the pair almost come together.

A bit further back, Hamilton finally overtakes Albon. He now needs to put as much distance between him and the Williams in the final few laps to try and hold onto his position given he has a five-second penalty coming his way at the end of the race.

Perez overtakes Sainz (Lap 47/51)

15:32 , Ben Fleming

It’s been an almighty battle from Sainz and Perez but the Red Bull finally gets the better of the Ferrari and moves into second.

Hamilton now sets his sights on Albon but the Williams is still somehow managing to hold onto sixth.

The top ten currently looks like: Verstappen, Perez, Sainz, Leclerc, Russell, Albon, Hamilton, Norris, Alonso, Bottas.

Hamilton gets five-second penalty (Lap 46/51)

15:29 , Ben Fleming

Both the Mercedes drivers have now picked up a penalty and I’m not sure either can have any complaints. Hamilton moves into seventh as he overtakes Norris but he’ll need to do some work to gain enough of an advantage to hold onto that position.

Verstappen closing in on record (Lap 45/51)

15:28 , Ben Fleming

A win today would see Verstappen set the record for consecutive wins for a driver. His lead is now in and around 12 seconds and he’s cruising to that record.

Hamilton and Piastri make contact! (Lap 42/51)

15:26 , Ben Fleming

The two were tussling for position down the straight and neither relented into the turn as they collide and veer off the track. It looks like some front wing damage for Piastri who pits immediately.

“He just turned across me under braking,” Piastri says over the radio. He does not sound best pleased.

The officials are now taking a look.

Norris closing in on Albon (Lap 40/51)

15:21 , Ben Fleming

That first turn has provided plenty of overtake opportunities as Norris tries to get the better of Albon at the start of the lap.

The McLaren is forced wide and off the track, momentarily overtaking Albon but having to give the place back.

Norris feels he was forced off the track but Albon will maintain his position.

Hamilton unsure of medium tyres (Lap 38/51)

15:19 , Ben Fleming

“We’re screwed because I don’t know how long these tyres are going to last,” Hamilton says over the team radio. He’s not made the move Mercedes would have hoped for and remains in ninth on the medium tyres.

Up at the front, it’s an 8.5sec lead for Verstappen.

Albon under pressure (Lap 37/51)

15:17 , Ben Fleming

Alex Albon’s tyres seem to be not functioning at their full capacity and he’s dropped well off the pace from the top five. Norris, Piastri and Hamilton all behind him will be eyeing up an overtake over the final 14 laps.

Perez and Leclerc battle for third (Lap 34/51)

15:12 , Ben Fleming

“It will be tight to make it to the end,” Sainz says over the radio. He’s in a battle now to hold onto second as Perez bears down on the Ferrari.

Sainz has a 2.4sec lead currently but that’s coming down all the time.

Verstappen sets a new fastest lap time as he pushes his lead over seven seconds.

Perez and Leclerc battle for third (Lap 32/51)

15:10 , Ben Fleming

That was close! Perez tries to get himself on the podium but he has to pull away at the last minute as he veers into the gravel around the bend.

Perez is angry over the team radio but they reassure him the opportunity will come around again. And it does, just moments later, and Perez is up into third.

Verstappen still in first by around 6.5 seconds.

Hamilton overtakes Alonso (Lap 30/51)

15:07 , Ben Fleming

“It is a long way to go on these damn tyres man,” Hamilton says over the radio. The Mercedes driver is one of three on the medium tyres and he’s worried they may not last the rest of the race in this Monza heat.

They are working well at the minute, mind, as the Brit overtakes Alonso into ninth. He turns his attention to Piastri in eighth.

Sainz and Leclerc pass Hamilton (Lap 28/51)

15:04 , Ben Fleming

Hamilton pits eventually, but not before he’s overtaken but Sainz, Leclerc and then Perez.

The Mercedes returns in tenth behind Alonso.

Verstappen returns to first (Lap 25/51)

15:02 , Ben Fleming

Verstappen eventually returns to first place, using DRS and his superior car down the straight to overtake Hamilton. He and Bottas remain the only two who are yet to pit.

The top ten now looks like: Verstappen, Hamilton, Sainz, Leclerc, Perez, Russell, Albon, Norris, Piastri, Alonso.

George Russell penalty (Lap 24/51)

15:00 , Ben Fleming

A costly penalty for the Brit, who loses five seconds after he left the track to maintain his advantage over Ocon. He can’t give the place back but those seconds will be totted up at the end.

Norris pits too (Lap 23/51)

14:57 , Ben Fleming

A slew of pits now as Perez, then Norris heads in for a change of tyres.

Oscar Piastri remains out there on the medium tyres meaning the McLaren leads an F1 race for the first time in his career.

Verstappen pits (Lap 21/51)

14:55 , Ben Fleming

With a healthy lead, Verstappen pits and re-emerges in sixth. Perez takes the lead with the McLaren duo of Piastri and Norris making up the podium.

That will change as they all come into pit eventually.

Sainz and Russell pits (Lap 20/51)

14:53 , Ben Fleming

The Ferrari exerted a lot of pressure on his tyres trying to keep Verstappen ahead of him. Because of that, Sainz pits but it’s not the fastest and he can’t get out ahead of Bottas and now slots in at ninth.

George Russell pits too.

Verstappen taking control (Lap 18/51)

14:51 , Ben Fleming

Well, it was just over a second on Lap 16. Now, Verstappen’s lead is closing in on three seconds.

A great battle from Sainz for the first 15 but it’s a tall order now for the Spaniard.

Perez overtakes Russell (Lap 16/51)

14:48 , Ben Fleming

What a couple of laps for Red Bull as Perez finally gets the better of George Russell after a real back-and-forth tussle between the two drivers. Perez up into fourth now while Verstappen has already established a lead over Sainz of more than a second.

Ominous signs.

Verstappen overtakes Sainz! (Lap 15/51)

14:47 , Ben Fleming

Finally, the Red Bull driver is ahead. Down the straight into turn one, the Ferrari tyres locked up and Verstappen capitalised in clinical fashion, forcing himself round the outside and into first as they come out of turn two.

Perez and Russell battle for fourth (Lap 13/51)

14:43 , Ben Fleming

Alongside the battle for first, there’s a real tasty exchange down in fourth and fifth between Russell and Perez. The Mercedes is doing a good job of defending his position at the minute but the Red Bull driver is going nowhere.

Gasly pits (Lap 12/51)

14:40 , Ben Fleming

The Alpine is the first to pit as he moves onto the hard tyres. Bottas, Magnussen and Hamilton the other three using those tyres at the minute.

Verstappen remains around half a second behind Sainz.

Sainz still ahead of Verstappen (Lap 11/51)

14:39 , Ben Fleming

“He’s struggling with the rear, Max - a lot,” the Red Bull team reassures Verstappen over the radio. The Ferrari tyres do tend to degrade quicker than some of their rivals and Red Bull seem confident that opportunities will present themselves for Max as we continue.

Top five separating (Lap 9/51)

14:37 , Ben Fleming

There’s a gap of more than three seconds now from Albon in sixth and Perez in fifth and the top five have really established themselves

Russell is battling hard to stave off attacks from Perez behind him.

The top ten currently: Sainz, Verstappen, Leclerc, Russell, Perez, Albon, Piastri, Norris, Hamilton, Alonso.

Great defence from Sainz (Lap 6/51)

14:33 , Ben Fleming

And there goes Verstappen down the first straight of lap six. It’s bold down the left side but Sainz holds his nerve and forces the Red Bull driver to pull away into the corner of the first turn.

“That was naughty,” Max says over the team radio.

“Good move,” Sainz’s team tells him over the radio.

Somewhat differing opinions from the two teams. We stay as we started.

Verstappen closing in (Lap 5/51)

14:31 , Ben Fleming

The Red Bull is now just under half a second behind Sainz and closing in on first place. Charles Leclerc is slipping away from Verstappen in third which might make Max’s task of overtaking Sainz that bit easier.

Tight at the top (Lap 2/61)

14:27 , Ben Fleming

Superb from Albon who retakes sixth place down the straight, overtaking Piastri in the process.

Verstappen remains behind Sainz but by under a second and he’ll be on the attack after the second lap when DRS is enabled.

LIGHTS OUT (Lap 1/61)

14:26 , Ben Fleming

And we are off! Sainz takes the lead and maintains it into the first corner - impressive stuff from the Ferrari to cut off Verstappen. Russell exerts plenty of pressure on Leclerc as Piastri moves above Albon into sixth.

Hamilton slips down to ninth in the early stages. Somewhat expected on the hard tyres.

Second formation lap under way!

14:23 , Ben Fleming

Take two. Let’s hope the remaining 19 drivers can make it through the formation lap this time.

Second formation lap coming up

14:17 , Ben Fleming

Confirmation of a second formation lap beginning at 14:20pm BST.

Delayed start

14:13 , Ben Fleming

Tsunado’s car has been removed from the track as the engineers get to the track to ensure the cars remain cool before this second start.

We’re set for another formation lap now meaning we’ll lose two laps from the official race length. 51 laps rather than 53.

Delayed start

14:08 , Ben Fleming

Tsunoda’s car is a tricky one to recover and it looks like we are set for a delayed start.

Over Verstappen’s radio, we get confirmation from the Red Bull team. Delayed start and out come the engineers to the grid.

Tsunoda engine failure

14:05 , Ben Fleming

Well, that’s not the start we hoped for. The formation lap was underway but AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda pulled over to the side with an apparent engine failure.

It’s an aborted start meaning another formation lap and likely a reduction in the race length by a lap.

Race time upon us!

14:02 , Ben Fleming

The drivers get the formation lap underway. Plenty of medium tyres on display with just three drivers opting for the hard tyres. Lewis Hamilton - starting in eighth - is one of those.

What is the starting grid for the Italian Grand Prix?

13:58 , Kieran Jackson

1) Carlos Sainz

2) Max Verstappen

3) Charles Leclerc

4) George Russell

5) Sergio Perez

6) Alex Albon

7) Oscar Piastri

8) Lewis Hamilton

9) Lando Norris

10) Fernando Alonso

11) Yuki Tsunoda

12) Liam Lawson

13) Nico Hulkenberg

14) Valtteri Bottas

15) Logan Sargeant

16) Zhou Guanyu

17) Pierre Gasly

18) Esteban Ocon

19) Kevin Magnussen

20) Lance Stroll

Max Verstappen talking to Sky Sports

13:54 , Ben Fleming

On the chance to break the record for consecutive race wins: “I just want to try to win the race - I’m not really thinking about the number.

“It would be nice to have but it also needs to be possible. At the end of the day, we’re fighting for a championship, that’s what we need to bring home. It’s not about getting 10 in a row.”

Tyre strategy crucial

13:50 , Ben Fleming

As ever, the tyre strategy will be important today. It’s a softer range on offer for the drivers today with the C5 soft tyres, the softest of the Pirelli range.

C4 medium and C3 hards:

Lando Norris speaking to Sky Sports

13:45 , Ben Fleming

“We have to pick the balance wisely. It’s a long race with two or three stints depending on what we choose with the strategy, but a lot of it is about management today - management of the tyres and choosing the balance wisely.

“We want to go forwards, we want to push forward, we want to try and overtake and get some positions but it’s not going to be easy.”

Lewis Hamilton shows vital statement of intent with Max Verstappen dig

13:40 , Kieran Jackson

Comment by Kieran Jackson

It lingered on, but the deal had been all but sealed for months. Lewis Hamilton was always extending his stay at Mercedes – where he has claimed six of his seven world titles – and George Russell has joined him in parallel. Particulars of salary and contract length, with Hamilton reportedly receiving a £10m increase to £50m a year, show the gargantuan regard in which he is still held. No barren year or two is going to change that.

But Hamilton’s contract announcement came with a message. A series of them, in fact. A press release hammered home the same beat. “We have never been hungrier to win”; “we continue to chase our dreams”; “unfinished business.” Words with substance behind them not just for the fans, but for the Mercedes engineers and mechanics at Brackley and Brixworth.

Frankly, it may as well have read: “Give me the car to win – and I’ll make it happen.”

But it was a sharp prod in the direction of Max Verstappen, his 2021 nemesis and current runaway leader, which really rippled the currents ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where Verstappen is chasing a record-breaking 10th win on the spin.

Full piece below:

‘My team-mates have been stronger’: Hamilton dig at Max shows statement of intent

Italian Grand Prix race odds!

13:35 , Kieran Jackson

Fancy a flutter?

Max Verstappen - 1/5

Carlos Sainz - 6/1

Charles Leclerc - 10/1

Sergio Perez - 20/1

George Russell - 40/1

Lewis Hamilton - 50/1

Alex Albon - 66/1

Oscar Piastri - 100/1

Lando Norris - 100/1

Fernando Alonso - 175/1

Lewis Hamilton on the road back to success for Mercedes:

13:27 , Ben Fleming

Carlos Sainz speaking to Sky Sports

13:19 , Ben Fleming

“We are focused on the race. We are in a great position to target the win.

“But at the same time, we are realistic. We know Red Bull has the quicker race pace and the quicker car.

“I am optimistic, I am positive about today and I am going to give it everything today to get a win in front of the Tifosi.”

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz delights Italian crowd by taking pole position in Monza

13:13 , Ben Fleming

Qualifying report

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz saw off Max Verstappen by just 0.013 seconds to take pole position for the Italian Grand Prix.

The Spaniard outgunned Red Bull’s Verstappen to the delight of the Ferrari faithful with Charles Leclerc third in the other scarlet car.

George Russell finished fourth with Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton only eighth on an underwhelming afternoon for the seven-time world champion.

Full report below:

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz delights Italian crowd by taking pole position in Monza

What is the starting grid for the Italian Grand Prix?

13:06 , Ben Fleming

1) Carlos Sainz

2) Max Verstappen

3) Charles Leclerc

4) George Russell

5) Sergio Perez

6) Alex Albon

7) Oscar Piastri

8) Lewis Hamilton

9) Lando Norris

10) Fernando Alonso

11) Yuki Tsunoda

12) Liam Lawson

13) Nico Hulkenberg

14) Valtteri Bottas

15) Logan Sargeant

16) Zhou Guanyu

17) Pierre Gasly

18) Esteban Ocon

19) Kevin Magnussen

20) Lance Stroll

Max Verstappen chasing history

12:59 , Ben Fleming

While Carlos Sainz will be eyeing up a historic victory for Ferrari in their home race, Max Verstappen has his eyes on his own bit of history.

The Red Bull driver currently has nine consecutive wins and with another here today in Monza the Dutchman will set a new record. He currently shares the record with Sebastian Vettel who achieved nine-straight wins in 2013.

Can Ferrari secure famous home win?

12:51 , Ben Fleming

The last time Ferrari won the Italian Grand Prix was back in 2019 when Charles Leclerc saw off the then-Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.

The home fans have a Ferrari in pole again for the race today - will we see a repeat and a victory for Sainz or Leclerc?

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz gets goosebumps after landing pole for Italian Grand Prix

12:44 , Ben Fleming

Carlos Sainz said he had goosebumps after sending Monza wild by putting his Ferrari on pole position for the Italian Grand Prix.

The Spanish driver saw off Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by just 0.013 seconds to huge roars at the sun-cooked Temple of Speed, with Charles Leclerc third in the other scarlet car.

“It is difficult to put into words to describe how I feel,” said Sainz after taking just the fourth pole of his life and his first in Monza.

“I have had goosebumps since I crossed the finish line. Watching the crowd and getting out of the car and seeing this is incredible.”

Read more below:

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz gets goosebumps after landing pole for Italian Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso makes Lewis Hamilton claim: ‘I’d stay with him until he’s 80 years old’

12:37 , Ben Fleming

Fernando Alonso insists he would keep Lewis Hamilton “until he’s 80 years old” over picking a young F2 driver after the seven-time world champion signed a new contract with Mercedes.

Hamilton, 38, penned an extension until the end of the 2025 season – alongside team-mate George Russell – which will keep him racing in F1 into his 40s.

Alonso, himself 42, has shown with his seven podiums for Aston Martin this season that age is no factor when it comes to performance – a point he reiterated when speaking to the press in Monza about Hamilton’s new deal.

Read more of the Spaniard’s thoughts below:

Alonso makes Hamilton claim: ‘I’d stay with him until he’s 80 years old’

Italian Grand Prix race odds!

12:31 , Kieran Jackson

Fancy a flutter?

Max Verstappen - 1/5

Carlos Sainz - 6/1

Charles Leclerc - 10/1

Sergio Perez - 20/1

George Russell - 40/1

Lewis Hamilton - 50/1

Alex Albon - 66/1

Oscar Piastri - 100/1

Lando Norris - 100/1

Fernando Alonso - 175/1

Odds provided by Betfair

Lewis Hamilton reveals reason for signing new Mercedes deal: ‘Unfinished business’

12:26 , Ben Fleming

Speaking further on his contract extension, Hamilton said: “I have had such an incredible journey with Mercedes, and we still have unfinished business.”

“We want to get back to the top, and back to fighting for world championships. We are in this together. We have a lot of work to do, but there is nowhere else I would rather be. You are all stuck with me for a little bit longer.

“I truly believe we can win more world championships and more races together and that’s where all my energy is going. I’m not thinking that it’s going to take another four years to get to where we need to be. I’m aware that it does take time.

“But I’m so hopeful the decisions we are taking will put us in that target zone. In my heart I truly believe if it’s not next year it will be the year after that we can challenge.”

Lewis Hamilton signs new Mercedes contract

12:19 , Ben Fleming

In case you missed the big news earlier in the week, it was finally confirmed that Lewis Hamilton has signed a new contract with Mercedes, extending his stay with the Silver Arrows until the end of 2025.

The 38-year-old joined Mercedes from boyhood team McLaren in 2013 and has won six of his seven world titles under the guidance of boss Toto Wolff.

George Russell, who joined as Hamilton’s teammate in 2022, has also extended his deal for another two years.

Read more about the extension below:

Lewis Hamilton signs new Mercedes contract

Charles Leclerc speaks out about Ferrari future ahead of Italian Grand Prix

12:13 , Kieran Jackson

Charles Leclerc insists he would “love to stay” at Ferrari for the foreseeable future but insists extending his contract beyond 2024 is not a “priority” at the moment.

Leclerc joined Ferrari in 2019 from Alfa Romeo and made an immediate impression on the tifosi fanbase, winning their home Italian Grand Prix at Monza as well as the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa.

After a few forlorn years, 2022 saw the Scuderia challenge at the top again – with Leclerc winning two of the first three races – before Red Bull stole a march and cruised to championship glory as Ferrari saw their tilt fade away due to reliability and strategic errors.

This season has seen Ferrari, if anything, take a step backwards and as a result Leclerc has been linked with a move to Mercedes – even in a potentially astonishing swap deal with Lewis Hamilton – but the Monegasque driver was keen to emphasise his heart remains with Ferrari.

Full quotes below:

Charles Leclerc speaks out about Ferrari future

Constructors’ Championship

12:10 , Ben Fleming

1) Red Bull - 540 points

2) Mercedes - 255 points

3) Aston Martin - 215 points

4) Ferrari - 201 points

5) McLaren - 111 points

6) Alpine - 73 points

7) Williams - 15 points

8) Haas - 11 points

9) Alfa Romeo - 9 points

10) AlphaTauri - 3 points

Driver Standings

12:04 , Ben Fleming

1) Max Verstappen - 339 points

2) Sergio Perez - 201 points

3) Fernando Alonso - 168 points

4) Lewis Hamilton - 156 points

5) Carlos Sainz - 102 points

6) Charles Leclerc - 99 points

7) George Russell - 99 points

8) Lando Norris - 75 points

9) Lance Stroll - 47 points

10) Pierre Gasly - 37 points

11) Esteban Ocon - 36 points

12) Oscar Piastri - 34 points

13) Alex Albon - 15 points

14) Nico Hulkenberg - 9 points

15) Valtteri Bottas - 5 points

16) Zhou Guanyu - 4 points

17) Yuki Tsunoda - 3 points

18) Kevin Magnussen - 2 points

19) Logan Sargeant - 0 points

20) Nyck de Vries - 0 points

21) Daniel Ricciardo - 0 points

22) Liam Lawson - 0 points

Lewis Hamilton shows vital statement of intent with Max Verstappen dig

11:58 , Kieran Jackson

Comment by Kieran Jackson

It lingered on, but the deal had been all but sealed for months. Lewis Hamilton was always extending his stay at Mercedes – where he has claimed six of his seven world titles – and George Russell has joined him in parallel. Particulars of salary and contract length, with Hamilton reportedly receiving a £10m increase to £50m a year, show the gargantuan regard in which he is still held. No barren year or two is going to change that.

But Hamilton’s contract announcement came with a message. A series of them, in fact. A press release hammered home the same beat. “We have never been hungrier to win”; “we continue to chase our dreams”; “unfinished business.” Words with substance behind them not just for the fans, but for the Mercedes engineers and mechanics at Brackley and Brixworth.

Frankly, it may as well have read: “Give me the car to win – and I’ll make it happen.”

But it was a sharp prod in the direction of Max Verstappen, his 2021 nemesis and current runaway leader, which really rippled the currents ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where Verstappen is chasing a record-breaking 10th win on the spin.

Full piece below:

‘My team-mates have been stronger’: Hamilton dig at Max shows statement of intent

Max Verstappen shrugs off criticism: ‘They cannot appreciate dominance’

11:49 , Kieran Jackson

Max Verstappen has hit back at criticism of his dominance and set the target of remaining unbeaten for the final nine races of the season.

The all-conquering Dutchman will become the first driver in history to win 10 consecutive races if he takes the chequered flag at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Verstappen has been in imperious form this year, winning 11 of the 13 rounds staged as he closes in on a hat-trick of World Championships.

Full interview below:

‘They cannot appreciate dominance’: Max Verstappen shrugs off criticism

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur, speaking after qualifying:

11:39 , Kieran Jackson

“It’s a good step. The most important will be tomorrow. We did pretty well.

On the race: “Let’s see after lap one where we are and what we can do.”

“It’s a good achievement. We have to keep in mind to keep calm, the most important part of the weekend will be Sunday. We need to have in mind our result on Sunday, not Saturday.”

What is the starting grid for the Italian Grand Prix?

11:35 , Kieran Jackson

1) Carlos Sainz

2) Max Verstappen

3) Charles Leclerc

4) George Russell

5) Sergio Perez

6) Alex Albon

7) Oscar Piastri

8) Lewis Hamilton

9) Lando Norris

10) Fernando Alonso

11) Yuki Tsunoda

12) Liam Lawson

13) Nico Hulkenberg

14) Valtteri Bottas

15) Logan Sargeant

16) Zhou Guanyu

17) Pierre Gasly

18) Esteban Ocon

19) Kevin Magnussen

20) Lance Stroll

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz delights Italian crowd by taking pole position in Monza

11:33 , Kieran Jackson

Qualifying report

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz saw off Max Verstappen by just 0.013 seconds to take pole position for the Italian Grand Prix.

The Spaniard outgunned Red Bull’s Verstappen to the delight of the Ferrari faithful with Charles Leclerc third in the other scarlet car.

George Russell finished fourth with Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton only eighth on an underwhelming afternoon for the seven-time world champion.

Full report below:

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz delights Italian crowd by taking pole position in Monza

F1 Italian Grand Prix!

11:31 , Kieran Jackson

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza!

Carlos Sainz starts on pole for Ferrari with championship leader Max Verstappen - eyeing 10 wins in a row - second on the grid. Charles Leclerc is third, with George Russell in fourth.

Lights out is at 2pm (BST) - stay right here for all the build-up and news!