Watch the race start from the Italian GP

Red Bull's Max Verstappen narrowly avoided a penalty at the Italian Grand Prix after a controversial opening lap battle with McLaren's Lando Norris. Starting from pole, Verstappen defended aggressively against Norris, who had a strong launch. As Norris took the inside line and briefly ran onto the grass, Verstappen cut the corner to maintain his lead, prompting race control to instruct him to cede the position to avoid a penalty. Further back, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and McLaren's Oscar Piastri engaged in a thrilling fight for P3, with Piastri ultimately making a superb overtake. Meanwhile, Kick Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg faced heartbreak, retiring his car on the formation lap despite qualifying an impressive 12th.