Emilia Romagna GP: Max Verstappen claims superb victory as Lando Norris beats McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri to second

Max Verstappen delivered a flawless performance to secure victory at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Lando Norris finished second, successfully overtaking his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.

Starting from the second grid position, Verstappen made a decisive move around the outside of pole-sitter Piastri at the first chicane on the opening lap, taking the lead and skillfully managing the race from there.

The Red Bull driver appeared to be cruising towards victory until a late Safety Car period closed the gap. However, Verstappen again pulled clear during the final 10-lap sprint. Lando Norris, equipped with fresher tires, capitalized on the restart to pass Piastri for the runner-up spot.

Piastri’s challenge for the win was hampered by McLaren’s decision for an early first pit stop, which saw him caught in traffic. In contrast, both Verstappen and Norris were able to significantly extend their initial stints on track.

Following this result, Max Verstappen extended his lead in the Drivers` Championship. Lando Norris closed the points gap to his teammate Oscar Piastri, while McLaren increased their advantage in the Constructors` Championship.

Reflecting on his victory, Verstappen said: “The start itself wasn`t particularly great but I was still on the outside line, the normal line, so I was like `well I`m going to try and send it around the outside` and it worked really well.”

He added: “Of course, that unleashed our pace because when we were in the lead, the car was good. I could look after my tyres.”

Verstappen concluded by expressing pride in his team: “Incredibly proud of everyone. It`s been a very important week for us. The car has performed really well.”

Lewis Hamilton executed a remarkable recovery drive, climbing from 12th on the grid to finish fourth. This marked his best grand prix result for Ferrari in their home race in Italy.

The seven-time world champion benefited from both the Virtual Safety Car and the subsequent full Safety Car, making several late-race overtakes to improve his position significantly.

Alex Albon secured fifth place, his second successive strong finish. He regained the position from Charles Leclerc on the final lap after the Ferrari driver, under investigation for forcing Albon off track, was instructed to give the place back.

George Russell finished seventh after starting third, with strategy not working in his favour. Mercedes endured a challenging afternoon, compounded by Kimi Antonelli`s retirement from his home event due to a throttle issue.

Carlos Sainz finished eighth for Ferrari.

Isack Hadjar continued his promising rookie season by taking ninth place for Racing Bulls. His teammate Yuki Tsunoda completed an impressive recovery from a pit lane start following a heavy qualifying crash, securing the final championship point for Racing Bulls.

Emilia Romagna GP Result: Top 10