Max Verstappen managed to fend off a fierce late push from Lando Norris to win the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, thereby extending his lead in this season’s campaign.
In what seemed like a comfortable race for Verstappen, who had built a 7.5-second lead with 20 laps to go, Norris mounted an impressive late charge, bringing the gap down to under a second and creating a nail-biting finish. The performance from the Miami GP winner shows we are far from seeing what McLaren has in store for us this season.
This victory marks Verstappen’s fifth in seven races this season, putting him back on track for a fourth consecutive drivers’ title, especially after losing to Norris in Miami two weeks earlier. With this win, Verstappen’s lead in the championship has grown to 48 points, while Charles Leclerc, who finished third, moved to second place in the standings, overtaking Sergio Perez.
Ferrari celebrated their first podium finish at Imola since 2006, thanks to Leclerc’s performance. Meanwhile, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri secured fourth place, besting Carlos Sainz in Ferrari’s other car.
Lewis Hamilton finished in sixth place, followed by George Russell. Russell, after making a late pit stop for new tires, handed his position to Hamilton and secured the fastest lap, earning Mercedes an additional point.
Sergio Perez, Verstappen’s teammate, had a challenging race, finishing eighth. Starting from 11th, Perez found it hard to advance due to the circuit’s limited overtaking opportunities. His finish contributed minimally to Red Bull’s constructors’ championship lead, which now stands at 56 points over Ferrari. McLaren trails in third, 114 points behind Red Bull.
Lance Stroll finished ninth, earning his first points since the Australian Grand Prix, while his Aston Martin teammate, Fernando Alonso, endured a tough race, finishing 19th.
Yuki Tsunoda, despite a strong qualifying performance that saw him start seventh, ended up taking the final point in 10th, maintaining his solid start to the season.
The Houston Rockets will be without their biggest star, Kevin Durant, for Game 5 of… Read More
Paris St-Germain secured a slender advantage in a dramatic Champions League semi-final first leg, edging… Read More
Paris Saint-Germain edged past Bayern Munich in a breathtaking 5-4 victory at the Parc des… Read More
LIV Golf has postponed its planned June event in New Orleans, casting fresh doubt over… Read More
Manchester City have been left frustrated after being handed a demanding run of fixtures in… Read More
Manchester City have confirmed that defender John Stones will depart the club at the end… Read More