Max Verstappen Secures Victory at Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

Max Verstappen delivered a flawless performance to win the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, while Lando Norris overtook his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri to secure second place.

Verstappen, who started from second on the grid, executed a bold move on pole-sitter Piastri on the opening lap, sweeping around the outside of the first chicane to take the lead. He then expertly managed the race from the front.

The Red Bull driver appeared to be heading for a comfortable victory until a late Safety Car period compressed the field. However, he again pulled clear during the final 10-lap sprint to the finish. Norris, benefiting from fresher tires after the Safety Car, was able to pass Piastri for second place.

Piastri`s bid for victory was hampered by McLaren`s decision to pit him early. This dropped him into traffic, allowing Verstappen and Norris to extend their first stints significantly and establish a strategic advantage.

Following the race, Piastri`s lead over Norris in the Drivers` Championship was reduced to 13 points, while Verstappen is now 22 points behind the Australian in third. McLaren extended their advantage in the Constructors` Championship to 132 points.

Verstappen commented on his start: “The start itself wasn`t particularly great, but I was still on the outside line, the normal line, so I was like `well I`m going to try and send it around the outside` and it worked really well.” He added that being in the lead “unleashed our pace because when we were in the lead, the car was good. I could look after my tyres.” He also expressed pride in the team, stating, “It`s been a very important week for us. The car has performed really well.”

Lewis Hamilton produced a strong recovery drive, climbing from 12th on the grid to finish fourth in his first race in Italy for Ferrari. The seven-time world champion capitalized on both the Virtual Safety Car and the full Safety Car that followed, making several overtakes in the closing laps to achieve his best Grand Prix result for the team.

Alex Albon finished fifth for the second consecutive race. He inherited the position on the final lap when Charles Leclerc, driving the other Ferrari, was instructed to cede the place. Leclerc had been under investigation for forcing the Williams driver off track during a late battle.

George Russell finished seventh after starting third, with his strategy appearing to cost him positions. Mercedes` challenging afternoon was compounded by Kimi Antonelli`s retirement from his home race due to a throttle issue.

Carlos Sainz finished eighth for Ferrari. Isack Hadjar continued his promising rookie season by taking ninth for Racing Bulls. Yuki Tsunoda secured the final point for Red Bull in tenth place, having recovered impressive after starting from the pit lane following a significant qualifying crash.

Emilia Romagna GP Result: Top 10

Emilia Romagna GP Full Result