Starting second, Max Verstappen lunged around the outside of Oscar Piastri at turn 1, catching the McLaren driver off guard. The move allowed Verstappen to dictate the pace, managing his tyres and staying ahead throughout the race.
As McLaren opted for an early pit stop for Piastri, aiming for an undercut but he emerged in traffic losing valuable time. Meanwhile, Verstappen and Lando Norris extended their first stints, benefiting from better track position. Piastri’s second pit stop under Virtual Safety Car further compromised his race leaving him vulnerable to Norris.
A safety car was deployed after Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes broke down closing up the pack. Despite the restart, Verstappen held his lead while Norris overtook Piastri for second with fresher tyres. The final laps saw no major shake ups with Verstappen cruising to victory.
Norris executed a well-timed overtake on teammate Piastri in the closing laps securing second place behind Verstappen. McLaren’s strategy misfire left Piastri vulnerable as his early pit stop forced him into traffic while Norris extended his stint and benefited from fresher tyres. The late safety car bunched up the field allowing Norris to pressure Piastri before making his decisive move.
Starting 12th, Lewis Hamilton delivered a masterful comeback making several overtakes and benefiting from well-timed pit stops. Ferrari’s home race pressure didn’t faze him as he outperformed teammate Charles Leclerc, finishing fourth. His offset strategy starting on hard tyres allowed him to gain positions late in the race, impressing the tifosi.
Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll surprised with strong qualifying performances securing top 10 grid positions. However, their race execution faltered with tyre degradation and strategy miscalculations preventing them from converting their pace into points. Aston Martin’s long run struggles highlight ongoing set up inconsistencies, limiting their ability to challenge the frontrunners.
Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 146 points |
McLaren – 279 points |
Lando Norris (McLaren) – 133 points |
Mercedes – 147 points |
Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 124 points |
Red Bull – 131 points |
George Russell (Mercedes) – 99 points |
Ferrari – 114 points |
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 61 points |
Williams – 51 points |
Verstappen’s victory at Imola marked his second win of the season, reducing Piastri’s Drivers’ Championship lead to 13 points. Norris, finishing second also gained ground, now just nine ahead of Verstappen. Piastri’s early pit stop strategy backfired, costing him a shot at victory and allowing Verstappen to capitalise.
McLaren still leads the Constructors’ Championship by 132 points maintaining despite strategy miscalculations. Piastri’s early pit stop left him vulnerable while Norris benefited from fresher tyres securing second place. Red Bull’s resurgence with Verstappen’s win signals a potential shift in momentum but McLaren remains the team to beat.
Imola’s narrow layout and single DRS zone made qualifying crucial with overtaking proving difficult. Pirelli’s new C6 compound introduced high degradation forcing team to carefully manage stints. The long pit lane meant teams had to minimise stops with undercuts proving risky.
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