Max Verstappen Completes Italian Double In Record Time Khaleej Times

Red Bull's Max Verstappen won Formula One's fastest ever race on Sunday to complete an Italian double in Ferrari's backyard while McLaren's Oscar Piastri obeyed team orders and had his overall lead trimmed to 31 points.

Australian Piastri finished third and behind teammate Lando Norris after the Briton suffered a slow, late pitstop and came out behind his title rival despite being assured by the team that he would stay ahead.

Piastri was asked to give the place back and obliged, finishing third, while Verstappen cruised to the chequered flag to win by a hefty 19.2 seconds and take his first win since Imola last May.

The race duration was officially timed at one hour 13 minutes and 24.325 seconds, and an average speed of 250.706kph around the 'Temple of Speed'.

"The whole weekend, we were on it. It's super enjoyable to win here," said Verstappen of his third success of the season and career 66th.

"I could see the pace was good, I just needed to settle in," the reigning world champion added after ceding the lead to Norris at a chaotic start and then taking it back.

"I could see the pace was there and quite quickly we were back in the lead. This was an unbelievable weekend."

The title battle between Piastri and Norris, effectively a two-horse race, was always the centre of attention and controversy erupted after Norris's pitstop and the team's decision to reverse positions.

Verstappen chipped in over the car radio when told about the swap by race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase: "Ha! Just because he had a slow stop?," said the Dutch driver with affected incredulity.

McLaren apologised to Norris over the radio for the delay.

Charles Leclerc finished fourth for Ferrari, giving the massed tifosi something to cheer after both cars crashed out in the Netherlands last weekend, and George Russell was fifth for Mercedes.

Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton was sixth on his first appearance at the 'Pista Magica' in the red Ferrari overalls after starting 10th.

Alex Albon gave Williams a tidy fistful of points in seventh with Sauber's Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto eighth, Mercedes' Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli ninth and Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar collecting the final point.

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