Verstappen Triumphs at Imola as McLaren Completes the Podium

In what might be the last time Formula 1 visits the (in)famous Imola circuit in the foreseeable future, Red Bull star Max Verstappen delivered one of his finest drives of the past years to claim victory ahead of the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Move of the Season?

Red Bull brought a series of floor, sidepod, and engine cover upgrades to Imola, and while Verstappen narrowly missed out on pole on Saturday, the new-look RB21 came alive in race trim. At lights out, pole-sitter Piastri got away cleanly, but was immediately under pressure from Verstappen and Mercedes' George Russell. In a head-turning move, Verstappen outbraked Piastri and slid past him in the Variante Tamburello, quickly breaking the DRS window and controlling the pace from there.

Tire strategy shuffled by surprising longevity

Early indications suggested a two-stop strategy would be favoured by most teams, with around half the field opting for fresh tyres between laps 9 and 14. While the undercut initially appeared powerful for those pitting within a lap or two of each other, drivers who chose to extend their stints soon found themselves on the superior strategy. Both the medium and hard compound tyres demonstrated surprising durability – a fact Williams' Carlos Sainz testily noted after his engineer relayed the impressive lap times of his teammate, Alex Albon, who was on an extended first stint.

A Virtual Safety Car caused by Esteban Ocon’s Haas technical retirement offered a golden pit window for Verstappen, Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, and Albon in the top 6. Norris had just stopped moments before and lost time as a result, while Piastri opted for a second stop, losing track position but impressively regaining it within a dozen laps with some of his trademark clinical overtakes on Hamilton and Mercedes' rookie Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli heartbreak triggers safety car action

Local favorite Antonelli, born and raised just 40km from the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, was forced to retire with engine issues on lap 46, triggering a full Safety Car. This intervention erased Verstappen’s comfortable 20-second lead but also presented a perfect opportunity for another pitstop, which most drivers in the top 5 duly took. Piastri opted to stay out on his used tires, making an attack on Verstappen at the restart challenging. Verstappen, unfazed, quickly re-established a comfortable lead, pulling clear of the following McLaren’s DRS range to secure the win.

Williams Strong, but Denied Even Stronger Finish

Williams continued its impressive 2025 campaign, appearing to be the third-fastest package at Imola behind Red Bull and McLaren. The team could have secured an even better result than their eventual 5th (Albon) and 8th (Sainz). This was partly due to the decision to place Sainz on a two-stop strategy, while Albon lost a position to Hamilton after being forced off the track as he was attempting to overtake Charles Leclerc, who was forced to give the place back to avoid a penalty for the incident.

A Disappointing Sunday for Alpine and Aston Martin

Franco Colapinto, Alpine’s replacement for the struggling Jack Doohan, had a rocky start to his second (partial) F1 season. Following a crash in Saturday's qualifying, his race was largely anonymous, finishing 16th, ahead only of Oliver Bearman in an uncompetitive Haas and fellow rookie Gabriel Bortoleto in the Sauber. Colapinto's teammate Pierre Gasly finished a disappointing 13th place, after running wide into the gravel trap defending from Leclerc at the start of the race and stopping early as a result.

Aston Martin, despite a strong qualifying performance that saw Fernando Alonso line up 5th and Lance Stroll 8th, failed to convert their grid positions into points. The team opted not to stop under the Virtual Safety Car to preserve track position, resulting in both drivers tumbling down the order as their tires faded. Alonso, particularly frustrated, declared himself the "unluckiest driver in the **** world" on team radio.