The race at Imola had some surprises compared to practice on Friday. Max Verstappen managed his tires well and benefited from setup adjustments made before qualifying. Lando Norris, driving for McLaren, put up a strong fight in the later part of the race but fell short by 0.7 seconds.
Norris said, “It hurts me to say, but one or two more laps and I think I would’ve had him.” He fought hard until the end but couldn’t catch up to Verstappen in the beginning. Verstappen had a better start and built a lead in the first stint of the race.
At the beginning, Norris gained slightly on Verstappen but couldn’t make a move at the first braking point. Verstappen’s lead grew, and he maintained his position despite Norris’s efforts to catch up. However, Verstappen faced some challenges later in the race due to track limit warnings.
Norris pitted earlier than Verstappen, switching to hard tires, which helped him close the gap in the second stint. Verstappen maintained his lead but faced pressure from Norris towards the end. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz and Oscar Piastri fought for position behind the leaders.
In the final laps, Norris pushed hard but couldn’t overtake Verstappen, who managed to stay ahead despite struggling with his tires. Charles Leclerc finished third, followed by Piastri and Sainz.
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell had their own battles further down the field, with Hamilton finishing sixth and Russell seventh. Sergio Perez finished eighth after starting from 11th place.
Alex Albon was the only retirement from the race due to a loose wheel issue, which led to a stop/go penalty. He ended up two laps down before being withdrawn from the race.
