The Formula One Italian Grand Prix at Monza was a weekend of contrasting fortunes, highlighted by a dominant victory for Red Bull star Max Verstappen and significant incidents for other drivers. Verstappen, 27, stormed to a record-breaking win, securing both the largest victory margin of the season and the fastest-ever F1 race in history.

However, the Red Bull camp also faced disappointment in a lower category. Red Bull junior driver Tim Tramnitz, 20, initially claimed victory in the Formula 3 Monza Sprint Race, the season finale. His success was short-lived, as the FIA stripped him of the win due to a post-race penalty. Stewards found Tramnitz guilty of a start procedure infringement, having failed to properly engage the start set-up procedure for the formation lap, as required by the F3 2025 System User Manual. This resulted in a 10-second time penalty, dropping him from P1 to P18, with Rodin Motorsport’s Roman Bilinski inheriting a maiden F3 victory.

Reacting to the decision, Tramnitz expressed his frustration on social media, stating, “We did a great job on track securing the win in the sprint today! Due to a technical issue which wasn’t the team's fault, I wasn’t able to engage the start procedure in the formation lap, which resulted in a 10-second time penalty. This one is painful!” Despite this setback, Tramnitz, who had won the Monza Sprint in 2024, concluded the season in P4 in the driver’s standings, while Brazilian racer Rafael Câmara secured the championship.

Another dramatic moment at the Italian Grand Prix involved Williams driver Carlos Sainz, 31, who was caught in a scary crash during his race. While jostling for position against Haas rookie Ollie Bearman, 20, at the dela Roggia chicane (Turn 4), the two made contact as Sainz attempted to turn, sending both cars spinning off and then back onto the track. At the time of the incident, Sainz was running in P13, allowing Racing Bulls star Isack Hadjar to sweep past from P15 into P13.

For his role in the collision, British driver Bearman was handed a 10-second time penalty by the FIA, along with two penalty points on his superlicence. This brings Bearman precariously close to a race ban, having accumulated 10 out of the 12 points required for such a sanction. While two points will be scrubbed from his licence on November 3 (a year after picking them up at the 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix), he will need to maintain exemplary behavior on track for the remaining four races, particularly with the notoriously challenging Baku Street Circuit in Azerbaijan next.

Supporting Sainz from the Williams paddock was his girlfriend, Rebecca Donaldson, 29, who was visibly distressed, seen with her hands on her head, as she watched her boyfriend’s race unravel in the collision. The Scottish fashion model, who has featured in publications such as Vanity Fair and Vogue and boasts 651,000 followers on Instagram, wore a stunning white dress for race day at the track, affectionately dubbed the “Temple of Speed” due to its incredible high speeds. Sainz and Donaldson were first linked in the summer of 2023 and have largely kept their romance private, though Sainz once jokingly mentioned marrying Rebecca in Las Vegas while racing for Ferrari. Donaldson has been a frequent presence at races this season, including the opener in Australia and the Monaco Grand Prix.

Despite scoring points in six races this season, Sainz currently sits 18th in the drivers’ standings with 16 points, while his teammate Alex Albon holds seventh place with 70 points overall. The Italian Grand Prix once again delivered a blend of high-octane racing, personal drama, and significant career implications for many of its competitors.