Max Verstappen delivered a stunning performance at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, seizing victory with a daring opening-corner pass on pole-sitter Oscar Piastri. Marking Red Bull’s 400th race, Verstappen’s move around the outside at the first chicane propelled him to his fourth consecutive win at Imola, ending Piastri’s three-race winning streak.
Though Verstappen appeared in control for most of the race, a late safety car erased his commanding lead, leading to an intense battle in the final laps. McLaren chose not to order team orders between their drivers, allowing Lando Norris to mount a courageous late challenge by overtaking Piastri with five laps remaining to secure second place. Piastri now leads Norris by 13 points in the championship, while Verstappen sits 22 points behind the Australian.
Ferrari rebounded from a disappointing qualifying session where their drivers started 11th and 12th, with Lewis Hamilton finishing a strong fourth in his first home race for the Scuderia and Charles Leclerc claiming sixth.
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Verstappen’s fearless maneuver at Tamburello corner caught many by surprise, especially as George Russell briefly led before getting stuck behind Piastri. Norris, frustrated by another underwhelming qualifying that left him fourth on the grid, initially had limited progress but gradually pressured Russell, overtaking him for third on lap 11.
Piastri was the first front-runner to pit, with a slow 3.6-second stop pushing him to 12th and committing him to a two-stop strategy. Verstappen and Norris chose to stay out longer, with Norris pitting on lap 29 and rejoining seventh.
The race dynamics shifted when Esteban Ocon’s stopped car triggered a virtual safety car, benefiting Verstappen by bunching up the field. Piastri, then second, pitted for his second stop but fell to fourth, behind Norris and Albon.
As the race resumed, Verstappen extended his lead to nearly 20 seconds. Leclerc’s progress was hampered by the VSC, voiced in frustration over safety car interruptions. The complexion of the race changed again when Kimi Antonelli broke down with 17 laps remaining, prompting a full safety car. Norris pitted but was overtaken by Piastri during the stop sequence.
With fresher tires, Norris pushed hard after the restart, overtaking Piastri for second place at turn three with nine laps remaining. The crowd of 242,000 Ferrari supporters witnessed Albon running off track during a battle with Leclerc, while Hamilton climbed to fourth. Leclerc ultimately finished behind Albon after giving way, and Russell ended the race in seventh for Mercedes.
Verstappen’s resilience under pressure sealed a memorable victory, while Norris’s late heroics highlighted McLaren’s competitiveness in a thrilling Imola GP.