Breaking: Verstappen kills McLaren strategy as Ferrari Sal…read more
Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix: Verstappen Outfoxes McLaren Tactics as Ferrari Salvage Respectability
Max Verstappen needed just one bold move at the opening corner to seize complete control of a race that had promised a strategic showdown. Swinging around the outside of Oscar Piastri at Tamburello, the Red Bull driver converted P2 on the grid into a lead he would never relinquish, ultimately banking his second victory of the 2025 season ahead of both McLarens after 63 frenetic laps at Imola.
The decisive overtake placed Verstappen clear of the squabbling papaya cars precisely when McLaren were still split on strategy. Pole-sitter Piastri had launched cleanly, angling his MCL38 toward his Dutch rival in a bid to cover the inside. Verstappen, however, carried superior momentum, trusting the grip of the soft compound to arc around the Australian and emerge ahead before Piratella. From there, Red Bull’s familiar race-pace advantage—and a reassuring safety-car restart on lap 54—allowed Verstappen to dictate proceedings to the flag.
Behind him, McLaren’s tactical divergence soon became the story. Engineers placed Piastri on an aggressive two-stop that required rapid early stints, while Lando Norris—starting fourth—committed to a conventional one-stop. The internal chess match intensified once George Russell’s Mercedes, running short-lived mediums, became a moving cork in the bottle. Norris dispatched Russell at the Villeneuve chicane on lap 11, clearing his path to chase Verstappen, while Piastri’s first visit to the pits on lap 14 was hampered by a stubborn front-right wheel. Rejoining in traffic behind Yuki Tsunoda, the frustrated Australian had to muscle his way through a DRS train that included Oliver Bearman and Franco Colapinto, burning precious seconds and tyre life.
Ferrari, meanwhile, salvaged pride in front of the Tifosi. Charles Leclerc executed an early undercut on Russell, Carlos Sainz, and Fernando Alonso, vaulting himself from a lowly tenth into genuine top-six contention. Although outright pace proved elusive, the red cars’ tidy pit work and disciplined tyre management ensured both scarlet entries finished solidly in the points—an encouraging rebound after a bruising Miami weekend.
Further back, Lewis Hamilton’s decision to gamble on the hard compound from the start looked questionable when he slipped to 13th by turn 1. The seven-time champion spent much of the afternoon entangled in midfield traffic and locked in a tense exchange with rookie Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli, who staunchly defended despite mounting tyre wear.
A brief late-race safety-car—triggered by debris at Variante Alta—could have given the pursuing Norris a final shot at Verstappen, but the Dutchman managed the restart flawlessly, cooling his tyres through Rivazza and then unleashing enough pace to pull safely clear. Crossing the line, Verstappen extended his championship lead, McLaren banked a valuable double-podium, and Ferrari headed home satisfied that, at least on Italian soil, they remain within shouting distance of the frontrunners.
