LONDON • Daniel Ricciardo yesterday won the Italian Grand Prix in a stunning McLaren one-two with Lando Norris at Monza, while Formula One title rivals Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton took each other out of the race.

The win was McLaren's first since 2012 and the Australian's first since he was at Red Bull in 2018.

"About time," smiled Ricciardo. "To lead literally from start to finish, I don't think any of us expected that. To not only win but to get a one-two, it's insane. For McLaren to be on the podium is huge."

On McLaren's first one-two since Canada in 2010, Britain's Norris, who nabbed his fourth podium finish of the season after recording his first last term, said: "Big thanks to all the fans and to all the team, we've had a pretty awesome weekend... It's been four years since I joined the team, we've been working towards this."

Ricciardo, now an eight-time grand prix winner, had started on the front row and seized the lead from Verstappen at the start and he completed his day with a bonus point for fastest lap right at the end.

Finn Valtteri Bottas was third for Mercedes after winning the sprint race and then starting at the back of the grid due to engine penalties.

While McLaren celebrated, Verstappen and Britain's Hamilton had nothing to smile about.

The pair collided and crashed out after their pit stops, with Verstappen's Red Bull lifting off the kerb and ending up on top of Hamilton's Mercedes in the gravel - the halo head protection device keeping the seven-time world champion out of harm's way.

Both climbed out after the accident at the first chicane, with the Dutchman's five-point lead in the championship unchanged.

"That's what happens when you don't give space," said Verstappen on the team radio.

Afterwards, both drivers appeared to blame each other for their second direct collision of the season, coming after Silverstone in July that ended with Hamilton as the winner of the British GP and his rival retiring.

Verstappen said: "We knew it would be tight. I went around the outside and he kept on squeezing me. I just wanted to race.

"People will start to talk about Silverstone but I didn't expect him to keep on squeezing and squeezing because we still would've had a car's width out of Turn 2. I don't know why he kept pushing wider and wider.

"You need two people to work together to make the corner but unfortunately, we touched. If one guy is not willing to work, it is not going to happen. It's very unfortunate what happened today but I think we are professional enough to step over it."

Hamilton was equally frustrated, saying: "I'm a little bit stiff and sore on my neck because it (Verstappen's tyre) landed on my head but I'll be OK. I was racing as hard as I could and I was in the lead, as the team told me with the timings, so they pitted me.

"I was ahead into Turn 1, turned into Turn 3 and then Max was on top of me. It's exactly the same scenario that happened at Turn 4 where I was in the same position as Max and I gave way, that's racing - this time, he didn't want to give way. He knew what was going to happen but he didn't back out - I don't know what else to say."

REUTERS