Max Verstappen delivered a commanding performance at the 2025 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, securing his second victory of the season and narrowing the championship gap to leader Oscar Piastri. The Red Bull driver executed a decisive move on the opening lap, overtaking polesitter Piastri around the outside of Turn 2, and maintained his lead throughout the race.
Strategic decisions played a pivotal role in the race outcome. While Piastri pitted early on lap 14 in an attempt to undercut Verstappen, a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) triggered by Esteban Ocon’s stoppage on lap 29 allowed Verstappen and others who hadn’t pitted to do so with minimal time loss. This strategy enabled Verstappen to rejoin the race with a significant lead of approximately 20 seconds over Lando Norris.
A subsequent Safety Car on lap 46, caused by Kimi Antonelli’s throttle-control issue, bunched up the field. However, Verstappen managed the restart adeptly and extended his lead, ultimately finishing 6.109 seconds ahead of Norris. Reflecting on the race, Verstappen noted improvements in the car’s setup, stating, “Once we got into the lead, I think we showed what we could do with the pace of the car, and I could push quite nicely.”
Norris capitalised on the Safety Car period by pitting for fresh tyres, allowing him to overtake teammate Piastri on lap 58 and secure second place. This result reduced Piastri’s championship lead over Norris to 13 points. Piastri, who remained on older tyres, had to settle for third.
Lewis Hamilton delivered an impressive drive, climbing from 12th on the grid to finish fourth, marking his best result of the season. Alex Albon also showcased strong performance, securing fifth place for Williams. The top ten was completed by Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Carlos Sainz, Isack Hadjar, and Yuki Tsunoda.
This victory at Imola not only marked Verstappen’s 65th career win but also coincided with Red Bull Racing’s 400th Formula 1 race, underscoring the team’s enduring competitiveness.
