Monza crowd celebrates Max Verstappen: how the Red Bull driver won over the Ferrari fans. Max Verstappen was cheered at Monza like never before.

Why Verstappen was so acclaimed at Monza

Max Verstappen was celebrated at Monza like never before, and behind the sea of red cheering the Red Bull driver there was an interesting reason. The Italian Grand Prix once again crowned the Dutchman as the man to beat, but this time with an important twist. The four-time world champion was welcomed on the podium at the Temple of Speed with a roar of support unlike anything he had previously experienced at Monza. And Max Verstappen himself gave a very significant explanation: this victory did not come at the expense of Ferrari, but rather against McLaren.

“It’s the first time I’ve felt so much cheering, because the other two times I won here I had done it by beating the Ferraris, and so I wasn’t as acclaimed. Definitely a great day for us,” Max Verstappen said, making it clear that the rival he defeated made all the difference.

At a time when McLaren is seen as the main obstacle to Ferrari’s world championship hopes, the Monza crowd chose to applaud the driver who managed to stop Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. For Ferrari’s fans, Max Verstappen’s victory over the British team felt like a small victory of their own.

Max Verstappen explains the Monza celebration

Max Verstappen described how his race unfolded, starting from the difficult getaway. “After what happened at the start, when I had to give up the position to Lando Norris, I was able to retake the lead and complete a very strong first stint.”

From there, Red Bull executed the middle phase of the race with precision. “I came into the pits at the right moment to fit the hard tyres and in the final laps I could push in the best possible way. I’d say it was a fantastic execution by everyone. A flawless weekend and it’s always a pleasure to win here,” explained the Dutchman at the end of the Italian Grand Prix weekend.

The celebration from the Monza grandstands sends a clear message: fans did not see Max Verstappen as a direct enemy this time, but as an ally in the ongoing fight against McLaren. It was the Red Bull man himself who highlighted this interpretation, underlining how different the atmosphere felt compared to his past victories in Italy. This podium marked not just another win for the reigning champion, but also the beginning of a new and unexpected connection with the Italian tifosi.