The key figures of Imola GP
Verstappen’s victory tightens the championship battle, although the McLaren drivers remain in first and second place
Imola gave us a very entertaining Grand Prix, marked by strategy and a bit of luck on the narrow Italian circuit. Max Verstappen brought out his most aggressive version once again to conquer Italy with a maneuver worthy of a four-time world champion, which was enough to secure the win. He was closely followed by Norris and Piastri in second and third place, in a weekend where McLaren's performance wasn’t as expected. However, having both drivers on the podium allowed them to further extend their lead in the championship. The race once again showed us just how open the drivers’ title fight is this season.
On the Up
The bright side belonged to Ferrari. After the disappointment the tifosi felt seeing both their drivers out of contention in qualifying, Sunday brought some redemption with a fourth place for Hamilton and a sixth for Leclerc. This was thanks in part to a good team strategy, also aided by the race’s developments.
The Italian team opted for an early pit stop for Leclerc on lap 10, which theoretically placed Charles in fourth by the end of the race. However, neither the virtual safety car nor the full safety car helped the Monegasque driver. His teammate, on the other hand, did benefit. Hamilton regained his smile after climbing from 12th to 4th place, following a debut season with Ferrari that had not yielded many strong results.
On the down
The downside was experienced by the Spanish drivers. Just when it seemed improvements had arrived for Alonso’s Aston Martin, bad luck once again ruined his chances of scoring points. An early stop for hard tyres didn’t help, and the team’s decision not to pit him during the second safety car left him vulnerable. Alonso was ultimately overtaken by Tsunoda for the final point. The silver lining is that the updates introduced to the car suggest more competitive results can be expected for 2025, rather than next year as previously thought.
The surprise
The surprise came from Williams, who were so fast that Alex Albon seemed, at times, to have a real chance of overtaking Piastri’s McLaren. The Thai driver continues to deliver for his team and sits comfortably in eighth place in the standings, closing in on Hamilton’s Ferrari and Antonelli’s Mercedes.
Consistency award
The award for consistency goes to Max Verstappen, who never misses the slightest opportunity to make a difference. At the start, the Dutchman launched down the outside at Tamburello and overtook Piastri, seizing total control of the race. It was the first step toward victory—his second of the year after Japan—during what was Red Bull's 400th Grand Prix.