MAX Verstappen won Sunday’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix with a dominant drive after a bold first lap move around the outside of McLaren’s Formula One leader and pole-sitter Oscar Piastri.
There is often a fine line between hero and zero but, fully committed and with the Australian braking slightly early, Verstappen nailed it.
“The start was pretty average. It was the first corner, and I think maybe Oscar was more focused on (Mercedes rival George) Russell and he left the slightest of gaps and Max just sent it,“ said Red Bull team boss Christian Horner.
“It was kind of ‘win it or bin it’”
“He’s just so good in that situation where he just sees a gap and it’s so decisive for him,“ continued Horner, whose team were celebrating their 400th grand prix since their debut in 2005.
The win was Verstappen’s second of the season, both somewhat against the odds with champions McLaren very much the favourites.
Piastri and teammate Lando Norris had been one-two in all three practice sessions at Imola and the Australian also secured pole position.
McLaren, now a hefty 132 points clear of second-placed Mercedes after seven races, had won five of six going into the Imola weekend.
Verstappen has now won four races in a row in Imola, an achievement unmatched by any other driver, and he also secured Red Bull’s 100th fastest lap in F1. From Red Bull’s 400 races, he has won 65.
“Before I got here this weekend, I didn’t really have a lot of hope that we could actually win a race here,“ he told reporters.
“But then I think from yesterday onwards, the car was more competitive over one lap and luckily also today.
“As soon as I braked late and then came off the brakes, I felt like, OK, there might be a move on. So, I just carried the speed in. And, luckily, it basically was sticking. It’s not an easy move to make, but luckily, everything went well.”
Verstappen said Red Bull’s form was still very track specific, however.
“Every time that we have been really competitive, it’s been high-speed tracks, high-speed corners. We still have work to do, but I do think it’s been a very positive weekend for us,“ he added.
