Emilia-Romagna GP: Max Verstappen holds off McLarens to win at Imola

By Laurence Edmondson

IMOLA – Max Verstappen claimed his second victory of the season at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday, fending off a challenge from the McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who battled for second and third place.

Verstappen seized the lead from pole-sitter Piastri at the very first corner and maintained his composure through a late safety car period to secure his 65th career Grand Prix win.

Reflecting on the race, Verstappen commented: “The start wasn`t ideal, but I was on the outside line, the standard racing line, so I decided to attempt the pass around the outside, and it paid off brilliantly.” He added, “Once we were in the lead, the car felt strong, which allowed me to manage the tyres effectively.”

Championship leader Piastri, who began the race from pole aiming for his fourth consecutive win, finished third. He conceded second place to teammate Norris just five laps from the finish.

Commenting on Verstappen`s Lap 1 pass, Piastri admitted, “I simply braked too early. Max executed a great move.” He continued, “It`s disappointing, and we didn`t make the best strategic decisions afterward. Definitely not our strongest Sunday, plenty to analyze. Credit to Max and Red Bull; they had excellent pace.”

Piastri`s initial two-stop strategy and an ill-timed Virtual Safety Car hindered him earlier. However, he briefly regained second place under a late safety car when Norris pitted for fresh tyres while he remained out.

This strategic difference created a direct fight between the McLarens upon the safety car restart with ten laps left. Norris, on newer rubber, quickly closed the gap and decisively overtook Piastri.

Norris`s pass was sharp, reminiscent of his impressive move on George Russell earlier in the Grand Prix.

This podium finish tightens the championship standings. Piastri`s lead over Norris is now reduced to 13 points, with Verstappen trailing the leading McLaren driver by 22 points.

While the championship points are valuable, Verstappen and Red Bull will be particularly encouraged by the car`s performance at Imola, which seemed notably stronger than McLaren`s, especially given McLaren`s dominant 1-2 finish just two weeks prior in Miami.

The next event on the Formula 1 calendar will see these drivers compete again on the street circuit of Monaco.

Lewis Hamilton achieved his best result since joining Ferrari this year, finishing fourth in front of the home crowd. Starting 12th after a difficult qualifying, the seven-time champion climbed through the field thanks to effective strategy and better race pace.

He was indirectly helped by his teammate Charles Leclerc. Leclerc was running fourth after the safety car but was on older tyres and struggled to defend from Alex Albon`s Williams in the final laps. Defending the inside line at Turn 1 on lap 60, Albon was forced onto the gravel, allowing Hamilton to pass him for fourth. Albon finished fifth, while Leclerc dropped to sixth, appearing frustrated with the outcome.

George Russell finished seventh, the lead Mercedes driver, despite starting third. Like Piastri, his early two-stop strategy didn`t pay off, and he lost ground on older tyres after the safety car period.

Russell`s teammate, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, retired from the race on lap 46 due to a car issue, triggering the safety car.

Carlos Sainz secured eighth place for Williams, followed by Isack Hadjar in ninth for Racing Bulls and Yuki Tsunoda in tenth, who recovered well after starting from the pit lane following a qualifying incident.

Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix: Top 10 Results