Max Verstappen boosted by Red Bull technical ‘gamble’ that Ferrari ‘lost’ at the Italian Grand Prix

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Max Verstappen rediscovered his cutting-edge form with a perilous display for Red Bull at the Italian Grand Prix.

It felt like the man third in the drivers’ championship was delivering the same sort of performance he did back in 2023, when he claimed 19 of 22 victories.

Unfortunately, Red Bull’s rise at the Italian Grand Prix was more likely to have been down to circumstance, rather than any sudden change.

Verstappen will now be left wondering whether he can pinch a few more wins from the McLaren drivers before the end of the campaign.

Martin Brundle noticed an ‘important’ difference in Verstappen before he went on to claim his first victory in nine races.

There’s a good chance that Red Bull might have changed their minds about one under-pressure individual at the team, which could be the start of them getting back on track for 2026.

READ MORE: Max Verstappen dominates as McLaren use team orders with Lando Norris during Italian Grand Prix

Max Verstappen boosted by Red Bull wing ‘gamble’ which Ferrari ‘lost’ at the Italian Grand Prix

Verstappen’s Monza onboard showed why he’s no longer dominant as he fought some gremlins with the rear of his car.

By remaining competitive, the Dutchman is at least building some positive momentum heading into the 2026 F1 regulations.

His team took a setup ‘gamble’ which paid off in Monza, and backfired down at Ferrari according to Italian journalist, Franco Nugnes.

“In short, the distribution of the front and rear wings is questionable, which evidently allowed the wing to be further cut,” he said.

“Being able to further count on a car body capable of ensuring the necessary grip on the long straights of Monza. This is an important fact because it was the gamble that Red Bull won and Ferrari won.”

READ MORE: Max Verstappen has noticed something ‘very important’ about Isack Hadjar’s attitude at Racing Bulls

Why Max Verstappen could win the most F1 races before the end of the 2025 season

Now that Red Bull’s ‘extreme’ weakness has been fixed, they can start moving forward and attacking the front of the pack again.

With nothing to lose, they can be as aggressive as they would like to be with their setups and in combat against their rivals.

It’s a big reason why, with a title on the line and tensions increasing at McLaren, Verstappen might end up winning more races than Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri before the end of the year.

While a fightback for the title is out of the window, Verstappen might yet be able to play a significant role in how the storyline plays out in 2025.