Max Verstappen finished third at the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix in Monza, climbing from fifth on the grid in what he described as an unexpectedly strong result given his car's ongoing mechanical issues. The Red Bull driver complained of a faulty rear axle that made the car unstable over kerbs and bumps, saying rivals were overtaking him "as if I am a tortoise." Verstappen acknowledged that keeping pace with the dominant Mercedes cars of race winner Kimi Antonelli and George Russell over a full race distance was not possible, but credited improvement made to the car between Friday and Saturday for salvaging a positive weekend after a difficult outing at the previous race in Zandvoort.