Max Verstappen led the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix from start to finish on Sunday. He defeated his teammate Sergio Pérez and Briton Lando Norris (Mclaren).
The track was wet with rain that stopped 20 minutes before starting, and it was on the intermediate wheels that the drivers entered the starting grid.
Verstappen took advantage of his pole position to take the lead when Charles Leclerc, in the front row of his Ferrari, missed his start.
Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) and Lando Norris (McLaren) managed to catch up with him.
On Saturday, I knew we could have a great weekend, but in the rain, there wasn’t a prior conclusion, Verstappen explains. In the end, everything went well for us in the race. We fully deserve it double.
Leclerc’s teammate, Carlos Sainz junior, had to retire on the first lap, which was hit by Daniel Ricciardo’s McLaren.
The rain never fell again, and the drivers wore smooth tires from the 17th lap.
Leclerc did try to redeem himself.
He was able to overtake Norris to temporarily move up to 3rd place, but an error on lap 53 while sticking with Pérez left him hopeless on the podium.
He finished 6th.
I don’t have the speed to do better than 3rd place, Leclerc explains. I was too greedy, and I paid for it dearly. I lost the team 7 potential points. And that could make a difference at the end of the season. I don’t want that to happen again.
That’s why Verstappen won his second victory this season after Saudi Arabia. Leclerc still maintained the drivers ’championship lead with a 27 -point lead against the Dutchman.
For Mercedes-Benz, the reigning world champion team, George Russell’s performance, which started from 11th place to 4th place, struggled to hide the hardships of his teammate Lewis Hamilton.
Starting at 14th place on the grid, the Briton finished 13th, and Verstappen even got on one lap.
Quebecer Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) scored his first point of the season by finishing in 10th place, one lap behind the leader.
Really fun to finally score, Stroll said. I was pressured throughout the race, the fights were very tight, and it rained on all of that, so at this point, we deserved it.
Nicholas Latifi (Williams) of Toronto finished 16th.
Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix Ranking:
- 1. Max Verstappen (NED / Red Bull) did 309.049 km in 1 h 32: 07.986
- 2. Sergio Pérez (MEX / Red Bull) in 16,527 seconds
- 3. Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren-Mercedes-Benz) at 34,834
- 4. George Russell (GBR/Mercedes-Benz) at 42,506
- 5. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Alfa Romeo-Sauber) at 43,181
- 6. Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari) at 56.072
- 7. Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/AlphaTauri-Red Bull) at 61.110
- 8. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Aston Martin-Mercedes-Benz) in 1: 10.892
- 9. Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas-Ferrari) in 1: 15.260
- 10. Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin-Mercedes-Benz) 1 lap away
- 11. Alexander Albon (THA / Williams-Mercedes-Benz) 1 lap
- 12. Pierre Gasly (FRA / AlphaTauri-Red Bull) 1 lap away
- 13. Lewis Hamilton (GBR / Mercedes-Benz) 1 lap
- 14. Esteban Ocon (FRA / Alpine-Renault) 1 lap away
- 15. Zhou Guanyu (CHN / Alfa Romeo-Sauber) 1 lap
- 16. Nicholas Latifi (CAN/Williams-Mercedes-Benz) 1 lap away
- 17. Mick Schumacher (GER / Haas-Ferrari) 1 lap
- 18. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS / McLaren-Mercedes-Benz) 1 lap
Fastest lap in the race:
- Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) 1: 18.446 on lap 55, averaging 248.364 km/h
Surrender:
- Carlos Sainz Jr. (ESP/Ferrari): 1st lap accident
- Fernando Alonso (ESP / Alpine-Renault): engine lap 7
Source: Radio-Canada