IMOLA, Italy — On Sunday, Max Verstappen returned to his comfort zone for 63 laps. Against the scenic backdrop of Imola`s Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, he expertly controlled a Grand Prix from his Red Bull cockpit, displaying abundant performance, keeping his Pirelli tires perfectly tuned, and leaving competitors well behind.
When everything clicks for the four-time F1 world champion, Max Verstappen appears unbeatable. Despite McLaren`s tactics, the timing of safety cars, or the best efforts from Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, nothing could stop Verstappen from securing his second win of the season.
His only other victory this year, at the Japanese Grand Prix in early April, was achieved despite his car`s handling issues. This win, however, perfectly showcased the synergy between driver and machine. It almost made Verstappen`s 22-point deficit to Piastri in the standings – a gap that had grown since his Japan win – seem insignificant.
Yet, even under the intense Italian sun, one strong result doesn`t guarantee future success. As impressive as Verstappen`s Imola performance was, questions remain about its repeatability throughout the rest of the season.
Verstappen Dominant in Imola
Verstappen`s victory was effectively sealed by his bold move past Piastri into the race`s first corner. Piastri, perhaps focused on George Russell`s Mercedes behind him, braked relatively early for the Tamburello entry, leaving a crucial gap on the outside. Verstappen, predictably, seized the Red Bull-sized opportunity.
`I thought I had it pretty under control, so it was a good move from Max,` Piastri commented. `Yeah, I`ll learn for next time, clearly. At that point, I wasn`t overly concerned not to be in the lead, but then our pace just wasn`t as strong as I expected, so that compounded that first corner.`
As Piastri noted, the overtake was crucial to the outcome, requiring immense bravery, skill, and precision.
`Oscar left the slightest of gaps and Max just sent it,` said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. `It was win it or bin it. And again, he`s just so good in that situation where he just sees a gap and it`s so decisive for him.`
From that point on, Verstappen dictated the race.
As seen throughout the season, the leading car benefits from clean air, allowing better tire management, while a following car inevitably stresses its tires running in the disturbed air behind a competitor. Running close behind Verstappen, strain on Piastri`s front right tire became visible after just 10 laps. Tire graining quickly limited his ability to match the Red Bull`s pace.
Before the race, a one-stop strategy appeared optimal, especially for the leader. However, a two-stop was also a potential option on paper.
`I think Plan A is very ambitious at the moment,` Piastri communicated over team radio, referring to his one-stop chances.
The McLaren pit wall agreed, calling car 81 into the pits at the end of Lap 13. This decision proved detrimental to Piastri`s race, though McLaren defended it post-race.
`I think at the time, Oscar`s tires were degrading significantly and Oscar was providing feedback to that effect,` stated team principal Andrea Stella. `It was uncertain entering this event whether it would be a one- or a two-stop. If it was a two-stop, Lap 13 was the opportune time to pit.`
`And if the hard tires had performed slightly better, the two-stop would have been a very strong strategy, despite needing to overtake other cars. But once he switched to hard tires, his pace wasn`t much faster than Lando and Max, who stayed out on used mediums.`
`I think the hard tires were slightly less competitive than anticipated, but we needed to deviate and create an opportunity to challenge Max today. This can only truly be judged in hindsight, but if you were to deviate, that was the moment for a two-stop.`
`So, no regrets. Ultimately, the team outcome is the same, and for Oscar, it was potentially a path to victory. Sometimes when you take risks to win, there can be a small downside.`
A Virtual Safety Car (VSC) on Lap 29, triggered by Esteban Ocon`s Haas stopping, presented an opportunity for the entire field to pit just before the race midpoint. Unfortunately for McLaren, Norris had made his single pit stop the lap before the VSC, missing the time-saving benefit Verstappen enjoyed a lap later. This resulted in a 20-second gap between them once both had pitted and normal racing resumed.
The VSC also prompted Piastri to make his second stop earlier than planned on lap 30. He completed his two-stop strategy without gaining the tire advantage over the one-stoppers and used up his most effective race tires. Piastri started the race with only one set of medium and two sets of hard tires available, with his three used soft sets from qualifying being unsuitable for racing.
This allocation might not have been a major issue if the race concluded normally. However, when a safety car was deployed on Lap 46, he had no fresh medium or hard tires left to switch to. Consequently, he had to stay on track while Verstappen and Norris both pitted for their last remaining set of hards. Piastri temporarily moved into second place due to his teammate`s pit stop under the safety car. However, with tires 17 laps older when racing restarted, he couldn`t defend against Norris. As the two McLarens battled for the remaining podium spots, Verstappen pulled away to claim victory.
While the race circumstances disadvantaged McLaren, it was also clear for the first time this year that Red Bull possessed the superior race car.
`I think today we explored various scenarios to try and beat Max, but at no point did I believe we had enough race pace,` Stella commented. `Even with the final safety car, Lando could pass Oscar and push hard, but Max was effectively matching Lando`s pace.`
Is Verstappen Back in the Title Battle?
The high-speed corners characteristic of the Imola circuit undeniably suited the Red Bull car better than the McLaren. Compared to the awkward, slow-speed sections of Miami two weeks prior that favored McLaren, Imola was expected to provide a more evenly matched contest between the two fastest cars.
`After a race like Miami, where our pace was very strong, we anticipated that due to the track layout and slightly different conditions, this race would be more balanced in terms of race pace,` Stella admitted. `However, I must say, today we were still somewhat surprised by Red Bull`s pace, which was very competitive.`
`Credit to Max and Red Bull for achieving this level of performance, which effectively decided the race based on the initial position change between Oscar and Max at Corner 1. We tried to chase him afterward, but we simply lacked the necessary race pace today to beat Max after he took the lead on Lap 1.`
Horner added: `This win felt somewhat improbable two weeks ago in Miami. I think it`s an important victory for the team at this stage of the championship. It feels like we are building some momentum behind the scenes. Everyone back at the factory is working incredibly hard. It`s a well-timed win for the championship; it keeps the pressure on and keeps us in contention.`
Red Bull introduced floor upgrades in Miami and supplemented them with further adjustments at Imola. During Friday`s practice sessions, the car remained challenging to drive. However, setup changes before Saturday`s final practice session finally unlocked lap time that had been elusive earlier in the year.
`We still have work to do, but I believe it`s been a very positive weekend for us,` Verstappen stated. `Of course, we brought upgrades, and I think they worked. Friday was very difficult, but then we found a better setup for Saturday, and I hope we can utilize that more often because it definitely brought the car into a better operating window.`
By finding a setup that reduced sliding, Verstappen could manage his tires effectively, leading to better degradation control and stronger race pace.
The key question now is whether the progress seen at Imola will translate into similar performances at other circuits. Determining how much of Verstappen`s advantage was specific to the circuit characteristics and how much represents genuine car improvement will be a primary focus of data analysis for both Red Bull and McLaren from Sunday. Fortunately, the upcoming race through the slow-speed corners of Monaco`s famous street circuit should provide a clearer answer.
`I do think, again, this track has quite a few high-speed corners, which I think our car likes,` Verstappen added. `I also think we made a step forward with the car`s setup, which helps. But Monaco is, of course, very, very different. So, let`s see how we perform there. Last year was very difficult for us. I don`t expect it to be much easier this time because there`s a lot of low-speed corners, but we`ll see.`
`Ultimately, it`s just one race on the calendar where you try to do your best. Even after that, there are many races left. But, of course, you can clearly see that when we go to high-speed tracks and corners, we are more competitive.`
For McLaren, the reaction to Sunday`s defeat will be analytical, not impulsive. Discounting Verstappen`s exceptional Japan victory, the first six races indicated the MCL39 was the leading car. It`s likely to remain competitive on a wide variety of circuits remaining this season. Nevertheless, the championship leaders are acutely aware that their closest competitor might have made a significant performance leap.
`We will need to examine the data, analyze the tire behavior and thermal management,` Stella concluded. `But I believe what happened today is a combination of factors. Red Bull, I think, has improved; they`ve been developing their car over the last few races, and I think they`ve taken a step forward.`
`And if we consider the speed of the corners here and compare it to Miami, the car operates in a completely different part of the aerodynamic range. We know our car is strong on layouts like Miami, Bahrain, or China. But when it comes to high-speed corners like those at Imola, I don`t think we have any particular advantage.`
`So, the track layout and Red Bull`s progress are, I believe, the two factors that meant we didn`t have much advantage today.`
Rupert Caldwell