At Imola, Italy, Max Verstappen appeared completely in control for 63 laps on Sunday. Piloting his Red Bull car at the picturesque Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, he effortlessly managed the Grand Prix, with performance readily available, optimal Pirelli tire performance, and rivals left well behind.
When everything aligns for the four-time F1 world champion, Max Verstappen truly seems unstoppable. Neither McLaren`s strategic decisions, the timing of safety car deployments, nor the determined efforts of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri could impede Verstappen`s drive towards his second victory of the season.
While his previous win this year in Japan in early April was achieved despite the car`s handling issues, the Imola victory demonstrated perfect harmony between driver and machine. It was a performance so commanding it almost made Verstappen`s 22-point championship deficit to Piastri – a gap that had widened since Japan – seem insignificant.
However, even under the bright Italian sun, a single outstanding performance doesn`t define a whole season. Despite how impressive Verstappen`s win was, questions remain about how consistently this level of performance can be replicated throughout the championship.
Verstappen Dominates at Imola
Verstappen`s path to victory began with his decisive pass on Piastri into the race`s first corner. Piastri, seemingly distracted by George Russell`s Mercedes close behind, braked relatively early for Tamburello, leaving a clear space on the outside that Verstappen immediately exploited.
“I thought I had it pretty under control, so it was a good move from Max,” Piastri commented. “Yeah, I`ll learn for next time, clearly. At that point, I wasn`t overly concerned to not be in the lead, but then our pace just wasn`t as strong as I expected, so that compounded that first corner.”
As Piastri noted, the maneuver was critical to the race outcome, requiring immense bravery, skill, and precision.
“Oscar left the slightest of gaps and Max just sent it,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner stated after the race. “It was win it or bin it. And again, he`s just so good in that situation where he just sees a gap and it`s so decisive for him.”
From that point onwards, Verstappen held complete control.
As observed throughout the season, the leading car benefits significantly from clean air, allowing for optimal tire management. A following car, conversely, suffers increased tire wear while running in a rival`s turbulent wake. Running behind Verstappen, Piastri`s front right tire started showing visible strain after only 10 laps, with graining already limiting his ability to match the Red Bull`s pace.
Before the race, a one-stop strategy was considered the primary route to victory, especially for the leader after lap one, though a two-stop was also theoretically possible.
“I think Plan A is very ambitious at the moment,” Piastri relayed over team radio, expressing doubt about the feasibility of a one-stop strategy.
The McLaren pit wall concurred, instructing car 81 into the pits at the conclusion of Lap 13. This decision significantly hindered Piastri`s race recovery, although McLaren defended it post-race.
“I think at the time, Oscar`s tires were degrading significantly, and Oscar was providing feedback confirming this,” explained team principal Andrea Stella. “Entering this event, it was uncertain whether it would be a one- or a two-stop race. If it were a two-stop, [Lap 13] was the appropriate time to execute it.
“And had the hard tires performed slightly better, the two-stop would have been a very strong strategy, even with the need to overtake other cars. However, once he switched to hard tires, his pace was not significantly faster than Lando and Max, who remained out on used mediums.
“I believe the hard tires were less competitive than anticipated, but we needed to diverge our strategy to create a chance to beat Max today. I think this can only be judged in hindsight, but if you choose to deviate, that was the moment to commit to a two-stop strategy.
“So, no regrets. Ultimately, the team achieved the same outcome, and for Oscar, it was a potential path to victory; sometimes when you take risks to win, there can be minor drawbacks.”
A Virtual Safety Car (VSC) deployed on Lap 29 to retrieve Esteban Ocon`s stopped Haas presented an opportunity for the entire field to pit just before the halfway point. Unfortunately for McLaren, Norris had made his only pit stop the lap prior to the VSC, missing out on the time-saving pit stop Verstappen benefited from a lap later. This resulted in a 20-second gap between the two once both had completed their stops and normal racing resumed.
The VSC also prompted Piastri to make his second stop earlier than planned on lap 30. This meant he finished his two-stop strategy without gaining the tire offset advantage over the one-stoppers and had used up all his suitable race tires.
Entering the race, Piastri had only one set of medium tires and two hard sets remaining in his allocation. His three sets of used soft tires from qualifying were unsuitable for race conditions. This might not have been a major issue if the race had continued normally. However, when a safety car was deployed on Lap 46, he had no fresh medium or hard tires available to switch to. Consequently, he had to remain on track while both Verstappen and Norris pitted for their final set of hard tires.
Piastri moved up to second place due to his teammate`s pit stop under the safety car. But with tires 17 laps older when racing resumed, he was unable to hold off Norris. As the two McLarens battled for the remaining podium positions, Verstappen pulled away decisively for the win.
While the race circumstances clearly disadvantaged McLaren, it was also evident for the first time this year that Red Bull possessed the superior race car on the day.
“I think today we explored various scenarios to try and overcome Max, but at no point did we seem to have sufficient race pace,” Stella commented. “Even after the final safety car, Lando could pass Oscar and push hard, but Max was essentially matching Lando`s pace.”
Is Verstappen Back in the Title Fight?
Imola`s circuit, known for its high-speed corners and old-school feel, undoubtedly favored Red Bull`s car over McLaren`s. Compared to the tight, slow-speed sections of Miami two weeks prior, which strongly suited McLaren, Imola was expected to provide a more evenly matched contest between the two fastest cars.
“After a race like Miami where our pace was very strong, we knew that due to the track layout and slightly different ambient conditions, this race would be more balanced from a race pace perspective,” Stella stated. “But honestly, today we were still a little surprised by Red Bull`s pace, which was extremely competitive.
“Well done to Max, well done to Red Bull, for delivering this kind of performance. It meant the race was largely decided by the position swap between Oscar and Max in Corner 1. After that, we tried to chase him, but we simply lacked the necessary race pace today to beat Max, especially after he took the lead on Lap 1.”
Horner added: “This win was almost unimaginable two weeks ago [in Miami]. I think it`s a crucial win for the team at this stage of the championship. It feels like we`re building some momentum behind the scenes. Everyone back at the factory is working incredibly hard. It`s a well-timed win for the championship; it maintains pressure and keeps us in contention.”
Red Bull introduced floor upgrades in Miami and further modifications at Imola. The car proved challenging to drive during Friday practice, but setup adjustments before final practice on Saturday finally unlocked lap time that hadn`t been accessible earlier in the year.
“We still have work ahead, but I believe it`s been a very positive weekend for us,” Verstappen commented. “Of course, we brought upgrades, and I think they were effective. Friday was still very difficult, but then I think we found a better setup for Saturday, and I simply hope we can utilize that more often because it definitely brought the car into a better operating window.”
By finding a balance that reduced car sliding, Verstappen was able to better manage his tires, leading to improved degradation control and increased race pace.
The critical question now is whether the progress seen at Imola will translate into similar performances at other circuits. Determining how much of Verstappen`s dominant performance was specific to the track and how much represents genuine car improvement will be a key focus of data analysis for both Red Bull and McLaren after Sunday. Conveniently, the upcoming race through the slow-speed corners of Monaco`s famous street circuit could provide a clear answer.
“I do think this track features quite a few high-speed corners, which I believe our car favors,” Verstappen added. “I also think we advanced with the car`s setup, which helps, but Monaco is, of course, vastly different. So, we`ll see how we perform there. Last year was very difficult for us. I don`t anticipate it being much easier this time because it`s primarily low-speed, but we shall see.
“Ultimately, it`s just one race on the calendar, where you strive to do your best. Even after that, many races remain, but you can clearly see that when we go to high-speed tracks and corners, we are more competitive.”
For McLaren, the reaction to Sunday`s defeat will be based on analysis rather than hasty conclusions. Excluding Verstappen`s exceptional victory in Japan, the first six races suggested the MCL39 was the strongest car, and this is likely to hold true again across many remaining circuits. Nevertheless, the championship leaders are keenly aware that their closest rival may have made a significant step forward.
“We will need to examine the data, look at tire behavior and their thermal characteristics, but I think what occurred today is a result of a combination of factors,” Stella concluded. “Red Bull, I believe they have improved; they`ve been developing their car over the past couple of races and I think they have made a step forward.
“Furthermore, if we compare the speed of the corners here with those in Miami, the car operates within a completely different part of the aerodynamic performance window at Imola. We know our car is strong on layouts like Miami, Bahrain, or China, but when it comes to high-speed corners like those at Imola, I don`t think we possess any particular advantage.
“So, the track layout and Red Bull`s progress are, in my opinion, the two factors that meant we didn`t have a significant advantage today.”
