Max Verstappen took his second victory of the Formula 1 season Sunday at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. This victory cements his status as the leading contender for the title. This historic victory took place during Red Bull’s 400th Formula One race weekend, providing another encouraging milestone for the team. Verstappen kept the lead cleanly from Oscar Piastri away in the opening corner. This daring leap would foreshadow the blazing track performance we would see from him all summer.
Verstappen started his race on the 12th row out wide. Like a last-minute, show-stopping overtaking maneuver, in one fell swoop he took charge over the field. His car really was that much better than the competition, particularly McLaren. This monumental victory for Piastri, though, was just two weeks after he and his teammate Lando Norris scored an impressive one-two finish in Miami.
As the race progressed, Verstappen was unflappable and razor-sharp. This was particularly notable during a last safety car period when Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes broke down on Lap 46. In doing so, he secured his 65th Grand Prix victory, repelling fierce challenges. On Lap 60, three laps from the end, he pulled a Thierry Boutsen IndyCar-style move to overtake Alex Albon up the inside line going into Turn 1.
Verstappen later lamented his poor first start. He acknowledged it wasn’t all great, but when that opening presented itself on the outside line, he pounced.
“The start itself wasn’t particularly great, but I was still on the outside line, the normal line, so I was like ‘well I’m going to try and send it around the outside’ and it worked really well.” – Max Verstappen
It was during this race that the opposing fortunes of McLaren and Red Bull were really highlighted. As Verstappen celebrated on the podium, McLaren’s Piastri—who took the lead at the start of the race—lamented losing the lead right away.
“I just braked too early. It was a good move by Max as well. Disappointing obviously but we made a few wrong calls after that anyway.” – Oscar Piastri
By taking the win, Verstappen was able to further close in the title standings. He’s now only 22 points behind leader Lando Norris. As the race showed, Red Bull’s dominance was on full display, giving them confidence as they head into the rest of the campaign.
Verstappen and his rivals will resume battle on the twisty streets of Monaco in the next round of the championship. The narrow and challenging circuit promises to test drivers’ skills in a different environment, contributing to an exciting continuation of the season.
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