Monza GP: Haas Gain Ground as Red Bull Lose Control
FIXXXER RACING SYNDICATE – ROUND 7: MONZA GP
The Chase Tightens at the Temple of Speed
Monza arrived at a crucial moment in the season. After Vegas, the narrative had shifted. 35Y was still leading the championship, but for the first time, the gap looked fragile. Daniep had momentum, Haas had pace, and the pressure was building. Monza, a track that rewards confidence and punishes hesitation, was the perfect stage for that tension to explode.
Qualifying reflected just how tight things had become.
35Y
Haru
Daniep
Chad Waldron
Brandon
Red Bull still secured pole, but Haas were right there, and once again both Astons hovered close behind, continuing their quiet consistency. Waldron backed up his Vegas performance with another strong showing, while Brandon returned to the grid after celebrating his previous title success.
The race start was surprisingly clean for Monza standards. No major Turn 1 chaos, just Waldron slipping back to P5. At the front, 35Y held the lead, but Daniep quickly moved into P2 and locked onto him. The two began to pull away almost immediately, running in formation, building a gap to the rest of the field. Haru, now in P3, struggled to stay within DRS range as the leaders began to disappear.
By lap 5, Brandon had worked his way into the fight behind, turning the battle into Haas vs Red Bull once again, but the real story was ahead. Daniep and 35Y were in a race of their own, pushing each other, lap after lap, both knowing what was at stake. This wasn’t just a race. This was the championship fight beginning to boil over.
Then the balance shifted.
35Y was pushed off track by a Haas, dropping him down the order. In an instant, Haas controlled the front, with Daniep now leading the charge and Waldron stepping into P2. Red Bull suddenly found themselves on the back foot, both cars falling behind as the race began to unravel for them.
Lap 9 brought another key moment. A tight Turn 1 battle caused a small incident that reshuffled positions again. Waldron held onto P2, the Red Bulls lined up behind, and Haru dropped to P5 after being caught out. Two corners later, the race took a dramatic turn.
A safety car.
Karen, already lapped in the Alpine, found himself leading the field under safety car conditions. What followed was chaos. Heavy braking on the straight triggered a massive pileup, bunching the entire field together and completely resetting the race. Light rain had started just before the safety car, forcing teams into quick decisions.
Most drivers switched to intermediates.
Some gambled.
Brandon and Gustavo later tried wets, a decision that ruined their races. Meanwhile, drivers like Salmon and Elpica quietly made the right calls, climbing the order while others struggled.
The restart only added more drama.
Waldron, leading the pack under the safety car, made a costly error. As the race went green, he braked suddenly before accelerating, catching drivers out behind him. Daniep reacted instantly and reclaimed control at the front, while Waldron managed to hold onto P2. Ambreiaj, running strongly in P3, showed real promise but eventually dropped back to P7 as the race settled.
Behind them, 35Y was fighting back.
Pushed off track again by the other Haas, he found himself recovering through the field, trying to limit the damage. Haas’ aggressive approach was clear. They weren’t just racing Red Bull, they were targeting them. Multiple incidents saw Red Bulls forced wide or into the gravel, a strategy that gained positions but came under scrutiny.
Haru recovered to P5 after having a 10-second penalty removed, but both Haas drivers received a stern warning for their driving. Their aggression had helped in the moment, but it risked hurting their momentum in the long run, especially in the constructors fight.
Track limits penalties also played a huge role, with even the top drivers picking them up. Monza became less about outright speed and more about control under pressure, especially in changing conditions.
At the front, Daniep was untouchable.
Once he got the lead, he controlled the race, managing the gap and never allowing 35Y back into contention. Waldron held onto an impressive P2 for much of the race before settling just behind the fight, while 35Y, despite everything, fought back to secure P3 and keep his championship lead intact.
Elpica delivered one of his strongest performances of the season with P4, while Salmon once again maximized strategy to finish P6. Haru, despite strong qualifying, couldn’t quite maintain the pace of the front runners.
Top 3 – Monza GP
Daniep
Chad Waldron
35Y
Championship Storyline
This race made one thing clear.
35Y is still leading, but he is no longer in control.
For the first time this season, Daniep didn’t just challenge him. He matched him, ran with him, and then beat him. The early laps, where both drivers pulled away from the field together, showed just how close they are. But when the moment came, Daniep capitalized.
Haas are rising.
Red Bull are under pressure.
And 35Y, once untouchable, is now being forced into mistakes and recovery drives.
The second half of the season begins with everything still to play for.
Next up: Brazil.
