Max Verstappen stormed to a commanding second victory of the 2025 Formula One season at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, securing his fourth consecutive win at Imola in what was Red Bull’s 400th Grand Prix start. The reigning World Champion made a blistering start, snatching the lead from polesitter Oscar Piastri at the first chicane and never looked back despite an eventful race peppered with Safety Car interventions and strategic gambles.
Piastri, who had looked strong in qualifying, initially made a solid getaway from pole. However, Verstappen surged past through the Tamburello chicane, taking control of the race early on. The Dutchman steadily built a gap in the opening laps while Piastri, along with several other drivers, dived into the pits as early as Lap 14 for the hard compound tyres. The move failed to pay off for the Australian, as Verstappen stayed out and continued to extend his lead.
As teams debated between one-stop and two-stop strategies, the complexion of the race shifted dramatically on Lap 29 when a Virtual Safety Car was triggered by Esteban Ocon’s retirement, the Frenchman pulling his Haas off onto the grass. This allowed Verstappen and others who had yet to stop to pit without losing significant time, with the Red Bull driver rejoining the circuit with an imposing 20-second lead over McLaren’s Lando Norris in second.
Further drama unfolded on Lap 46 when a full Safety Car was deployed after Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes came to a halt at the side of the track. The incident allowed Verstappen and Norris to pit once more. Piastri, however, stayed out, prompting speculation as to whether McLaren would instruct the Australian to let his team-mate through at the restart.
Verstappen executed the restart flawlessly, pulling clear of the McLarens and cruising to the chequered flag. Behind him, Norris overtook Piastri to claim second place, while the Australian did just enough to hold off a resurgent Lewis Hamilton, who finished fourth after a strong comeback drive in his Ferrari following a disappointing qualifying.
Williams’ Alex Albon impressed once again with a spirited drive to fifth, prevailing in a thrilling late-race scrap with Charles Leclerc, who brought his Ferrari home in sixth. George Russell finished seventh for Mercedes as their sole points-scorer, following Antonelli’s retirement.
Carlos Sainz contributed to Williams’ points haul with an eighth-place finish, while rookie Isack Hadjar claimed ninth for Racing Bulls in another standout performance. Yuki Tsunoda completed the top ten, bouncing back from a crash in Saturday’s qualifying to earn a valuable point for Red Bull.
Fernando Alonso narrowly missed out in 11th as Aston Martin continued to struggle for pace, while Nico Hulkenberg fell just short in 12th after looking promising earlier in the race. Pierre Gasly finished 13th for Alpine, ahead of Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) and Lance Stroll (Aston Martin).
Franco Colapinto completed his maiden F1 race in 16th for Alpine, followed by Ollie Bearman (Haas) and Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber), who rounded off the classified finishers. Esteban Ocon and Kimi Antonelli were the only retirees on an action-packed afternoon in Imola.
With his victory, Verstappen strengthens his title bid, while McLaren’s continued pace suggests the fight is far from over as the 2025 season gathers momentum.