Verstappen's podium confirms progress, not yet a full return

Max Verstappen finished third at Monza, 14.718 seconds behind Kimi Antonelli, after briefly leading and beating both McLarens on the road.

Laurent Mekies described it as Red Bull's best race pace for several weeks and a step in the right direction. The result carries extra value because the team had expected to struggle at a circuit where power-unit efficiency and straight-line speed matter heavily.

The performance does not erase the deficit. Verstappen raced aggressively to stay in the lead group, but both Mercedes cars still had more ultimate pace over the full distance.

It was his fifth podium of the season and third in four races. The trend is therefore improving compared with early summer, without yet putting Red Bull back at the benchmark level.

Madrid will provide a new reference in an environment completely different from Monza's low-downforce extremes. If the RB22 can again beat Ferrari and McLaren there, the progress seen in Italy will carry more weight.