Verstappen Triumphs in Eventful Imola GP – Last Chance on Italian Tarmac?

Imola, May 18, 2025 — In what could be the last ever race at the iconic Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Max Verstappen made history with his 65th Grand Prix victory, in Red Bull Racing’s 400th race. But it was anything but a simple drive: yellow flags, safety cars, tactical blunders and dramatic moments determined the course of a memorable afternoon in Emilia-Romagna.

Start: Verstappen seizes early control

At the start, Lando Norris and George Russell got off to a good start, but it was Max Verstappen who decisively took the lead from a surprisingly strong Oscar Piastri in turn 3. Charles Leclerc also gained a place, while Lewis Hamilton lost ground. Verstappen quickly started to pull away, while Piastri struggled to keep up with the pace of the Red Bull.

Strategy: Early stop pays off (or not?)

On lap 11, Leclerc decided to stop early for hard tyres – a bold choice that initially seemed to pay off. Thanks to the undercut, he jumped past Russell, Alonso, Sainz and Stroll. On the same lap, Norris passed the Mercedes of Russell, clearing the way for an attack on the lead.

Williams shines: Albon in the spotlight

Meanwhile, Alex Albon wrote a little fairy tale for Williams. After a clever stint, he temporarily found himself in an impressive P3. When a Virtual Safety Car was called after Esteban Ocon came to a standstill on lap 29, Albon seized his chance for a ‘free’ pit stop. Piastri was also pitted and came out behind Albon, did McLaren throw away a potential victory here? This did not last long, however. On lap 40, Piastri finally passed, ending the dream of a Williams podium, but not without a shine.

Drama for Antonelli, chaos at Ferrari

The biggest tragedy of the day occurred on lap 46. Andrea Kimi Antonelli, in his first home race for Mercedes, retired with a technical problem — a painful end for the young Italian. The Safety Car that followed wiped out Verstappen's 18-second lead and heralded a new strategic phase.

Verstappen, Norris, Albon and Hamilton immediately pitted. However, Ferrari was caught up in internal miscommunication: race engineer Bozzi told Leclerc that Hamilton would not pit. When he did, Leclerc missed his chance to go on new soft tyres. He lost crucial time and track position to his rivals.

Victory for Verstappen, missed opportunity for McLaren?

At the restart, Verstappen maintained the lead, while McLaren let its drivers battle. Norris overtook Piastri, but could no longer threaten Verstappen. The Dutchman thus won after 63 laps in a dominant yet controlled manner.

Behind them, Norris and Piastri finished in P2 and P3, followed by a strong Hamilton. Albon drove a great race and finished in an impressive fifth place. Leclerc eventually had to settle for P6 after team orders and a penalty threat. George Russell had a lackluster day and came in seventh, followed by Sainz, Hadjar (strong in P9) and Tsunoda who took the final point.

A worthy farewell?

If this is indeed Imola's farewell on the F1 calendar, it couldn't have had a more worthy ending. Tension, emotion and pure racing came together on this historic asphalt. Verstappen once again proved his class, but teams like McLaren, Williams and RB also showed that 2025 is anything but predictable. Perhaps we will return to the historic Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari one day.

Next week: Monaco awaits — with narrow streets, wall contact and strategic nightmares. Will it be Verstappen again, or will it be Leclerc who manages to take his 2nd victory on home soil?