Max Verstappen's Monza story: From fastest lap in F1 history to P5 start at 2026
Max Verstappen set new Formula 1 speed records at the 2025 Italian Grand Prix, achieving the fastest qualifying lap and the fastest full-distance race in history. These feats highlight the extreme engineering requirements of the Monza circuit.
Why it matters
These records represent the pinnacle of automotive engineering and athletic performance in professional motorsports.
Monza has earned its nickname as the “Temple of Speed”, and Max Verstappen produced one of the most extraordinary demonstrations of that speed at the Italian Grand Prix in 2025.The Red Bull driver left Monza with not one, but two remarkable F1 speed records, the fastest qualifying lap in Formula 1 history by average speed and the fastest full-distance Grand Prix ever recorded.Verstappen’s record-breaking qualifying lapThe first record came in qualifying. With pole position still up for grabs in Q3, Verstappen delivered a sensational 1:18.792 on his final flying lap. The time was just 0.077 seconds quicker than Lando Norris, who had briefly moved to the top of the timing sheets with a 1:18.869.The real significance of Verstappen's lap, however, was its average speed.
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