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- Max Verstappen‘s decisive move past Oscar Piastri at the start proved to be the race-defining moment, while Lando Norris mounted a late charge to finish second and close the championship gap.
- McLaren made the call to bring Norris in for hard tires, but seconds later, Esteban Ocon stopped on track, triggering the virtual safety car.
- Verstappen had already built a 5-second buffer and cruised to his second victory of the year, trimming the championship deficit to 22 points behind leader Piastri.
The Dutch driver delivered a masterclass performance at Imola, securing his 65th career victory and second win of the season. Max Verstappen‘s decisive move past Oscar Piastri at the start proved to be the race-defining moment, while Lando Norris mounted a late charge to finish second and close the championship gap.
Perfect conditions set the stage for strategic warfare
Weather conditions at Imola couldn’t have been better, with most drivers opting for medium compound tires at the start. Only a handful of racers—including Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Antonelli, Nico Hulkenberg, Oliver Bearman, and Yuki Tsunoda (who started from the pits)—chose the hard compound strategy.
The start sequence became the crucial turning point. While Piastri battled with George Russell, Verstappen seized the opportunity and grabbed the lead. Behind them, the grid remained relatively stable, with Norris initially stuck behind Russell until lap 8, when the McLaren driver finally found his way past his fellow Brit.
Pit stop strategies shake up the field
Charles Leclerc showed impressive pace early on and became the first major player to pit, switching to hard tires around lap 13. This move telegraphed Ferrari‘s intention to run a two-stop strategy. Russell followed a lap later, but the undercut maneuver worked perfectly for Leclerc, who emerged ahead of the Mercedes driver.
Piastri, realizing he couldn’t close the 2-second gap to Verstappen, made his move next. However, his pit stop exit placed him in heavy traffic, preventing him from setting the lap times needed to pressure Red Bull. Meanwhile, Verstappen, Norris, Albon, and Hadjar remained on track, clearly targeting a one-stop strategy.
Virtual safety car changes everything
Lap 29 brought a game-changing moment. McLaren made the call to bring Norris in for hard tires, but seconds later, Esteban Ocon stopped on track, triggering the virtual safety car. This dramatically altered the strategic landscape, reducing the time penalty for pit stops.
Everyone dove into the pits, with Verstappen benefiting most due to his 20-second cushion over Norris. The timing also allowed Norris to stay ahead of Piastri, who had entered the pits a lap earlier and found himself behind third-place Alex Albon.
Safety car adds late drama
With 18 seconds separating Verstappen and Norris, the top two positions seemed settled. Piastri quickly dispatched Albon to claim third, though he remained 14 seconds behind his teammate. The real battle was brewing further back, where Ferrari drivers were hunting down Albon.
Just as Leclerc was building pressure with his fresher hard tires, Antonelli’s retirement brought out the full safety car with 16 laps remaining. This compressed the field dramatically and set up a thrilling finale.
Both Verstappen and Norris pitted again for fresh hard compounds, while Piastri—without any spare tire sets—stayed out and gained a position, moving ahead of his teammate.
The final sprint to victory
Track officials needed seven laps to clear Antonelli’s car, during which tension built throughout the field. When racing resumed, Verstappen maintained his lead comfortably, but Norris immediately began pressuring Piastri on his worn tires.
Similar battles erupted throughout the field: Albon versus Leclerc, Hamilton versus Russell. Hamilton struck first, moving up to sixth place in the process.
On lap 58, Norris finally found his opportunity, passing Piastri for second place. However, Verstappen had already built a 5-second buffer and cruised to his second victory of the year, trimming the championship deficit to 22 points behind leader Piastri.
In the closing laps, Albon attempted to pass Leclerc but went wide, allowing Hamilton to capitalize brilliantly. The seven-time champion not only overtook Albon but also passed Carlos Sainz to claim fourth place. Ferrari later instructed Leclerc to return position to Albon to avoid a penalty—a directive that was indeed implemented.
The final podium saw Verstappen, Norris, and Piastri celebrate, followed by Hamilton, Albon, Leclerc, Russell, Sainz, Hadjar, and Tsunoda completing the points-paying positions.
This victory demonstrated Verstappen’s ability to capitalize on strategic opportunities while managing race pace perfectly. With the championship fight heating up, every point will matter as the season progresses toward its climactic finish.
