Reese Mautone

Already resigned to starting from the back of the grid, Liam Lawson entered Monza Qualifying with little to gain for himself and everything to offer Max Verstappen, but a late run-in with Oscar Piastri ensured the Kiwi's afternoon ended before he could complete his Red Bull mission.

Ferrari’s nightmare on home soil left the Tifosi searching for something to celebrate, but an emotional Kimi Antonelli delivered the perfect antidote, charging from P19 to the top step to become the first Italian winner of the Italian Grand Prix in 60 years.

There was no room for Oscar Piastri to switch off across 53 laps in Monza, with the Australian caught in a relentless series of increasingly tense battles, including one that saw his own teammate brand his driving “very dangerous”, on his way to a hard-fought fifth-place finish.

Liam Lawson’s promising fightback from last place was cut brutally short when front-wing damage cost the Red Bull substitute more than 30 seconds, ultimately wiping out what could have been a points-scoring recovery in Monza.

With Monza’s drama already in the rear-view mirror, Oscar Piastri is looking firmly towards the future, insisting the team has “made some good progress” as McLaren turns its attention to the unknown challenge of the brand-new Madring.

Liam Lawson arrives in Madrid with Formula 1’s newest challenge ahead of him and a Red Bull seat beneath him, with the Kiwi looking to turn his growing familiarity with the RB22 into another statement when the brand-new Madring makes its F1 debut.

George Russell emerged fastest from Formula 1’s first-ever assault on the Madring, putting Mercedes at the head of the field after an hour of near-misses and traffic dramas around Madrid’s new circuit.

Mercedes made it two from two at the Madring, with Kimi Antonelli taking over from George Russell to top a Red Flag-riddled second hour of practice in Madrid, which left the field with little opportunity to chase down the championship leader’s promising benchmark.

Oscar Piastri’s first day at the Madring proved anything but straightforward, with lost track time, tyre graining and a lack of outright pace leaving the Australian chasing answers ahead of Saturday’s final practice session.

Liam Lawson admitted Red Bull Racing “probably left a little bit of margin” on the table during its first day at the Madring, with the Kiwi and his team prioritising confidence and consistency as they got to grips with the brand-new circuit.