Max Verstappen’s race-winning overtake in Imola reminds McLaren of F1 title credentials

Brake too early at your peril. That’s the thought pole-sitter Oscar Piastri will take to Bologna airport on Sunday night, seeing 10 points pass him by in his championship hunt. The clear favourite to romp home to victory in the speedy McLaren, the championship leader endured a tough lesson in first-lap combat here under the stunning Imola sunshine. Unambiguously, you do not leave a Red Bull-sized gap down the outside for a four-time world champion.

For the race winner, no sign of father time here, a fortnight on from Max Verstappen becoming a dad for the first time. The Dutchman secured his second win of the season – his 65th overall in Red Bull’s 400th grand prix – with a terrific first-lap overtake, holding out at the end in an entertaining first European race of 2025.

It gave a striking reminder to McLaren of Verstappen’s quality; armed no longer with the fastest car, he is still able to eke out the maximum from what teammate Yuki Tsunoda’s crash on Saturday proves is a temperamental car. But when he finds the sweet spot, he remains the man to beat. Turns out, it may be a three-horse race for the title.

Lando Norris, starting in fourth, came home in second to narrow the gap to teammate Piastri in the standings to 13 points, benefiting from a late safety car and keeping it clean on an inevitable overtake on his teammate. Verstappen is now just nine points behind the Brit in third.

As for Ferrari after a wretched Saturday? Marked improvement. Thankfully, the thousands of scarlet-clad fans in the grandstands had something to cheer. Lewis Hamilton was fortuitous in various safety car interludes but still carried off a typically composed performance on track.

The Brit came home fourth – his best finish for Ferrari in a grand prix.

Yet for Verstappen, the sweet taste of victory was palpable. “The start itself wasn’t particularly great,” he said afterwards about his first-lap overtake.

“But I was still on the outside, on the normal line – and I just tried to send it around the outside – it worked really well. Then it unleashed our pace, the car was good and we could look after our tyres. I’m very pleased.”

Unquestionably, at an old-school circuit where overtaking is tricky and one-dimensional at the end of the home straight, this grand prix was won at the start, with one of the overtakes of the season so far. Piastri reacted quicker to the lights than Verstappen but the Australian – perhaps distracted by George Russell on the inside – left a gap on the outside.

Sniffing an opening, Verstappen swooped speedily around the outside of the Tamburello chicane and through to take the lead of the race. From there, he surged down the road, even benefiting further from a mid-race virtual safety car to change tyres in the pits whilst losing minimal time.

“I just braked too early,” Piastri said. “It was a good move by Max as well. Disappointing, obviously, we made a few poor calls afterwards too – it’s one to review.”

Kimi Antonelli’s late mechanical issue, triggering a full safety car, closed the pack up and rendered Verstappen’s 18-second lead an irrelevance, but he was unperturbed. A master of the safety car restart, the four-time world champion stole a march on Piastri from the off and quickly opened up a healthy and race-winning lead.

McLaren, interestingly, opted not to swap their drivers in second and third after the safety car, despite Norris in third being on fresher tyres. Inevitably, the Briton passed his teammate but could not chase down the irrepressible flying Dutchman.

Hamilton recovered eight places after capitalising on fortunate safety car interludes, while Leclerc was audibly frustrated over the radio as he finished sixth. Alex Albon came home fifth, but Russell – who started third – could only manage seventh on a day to forget for Mercedes.

But the bigger picture of the first European race is clear: on weekends where McLaren do not execute, Verstappen is the clear contender to pounce.

Now trailing by 22 points heading into the lottery of Monaco next week, perhaps a fifth consecutive title is not so unfathomable after all. It was also a fitting send-off to one of the sport’s most historic tracks, with this race set to fall off the calendar next year. Ciao, Imola.