Verstappen wins Imola Grand Prix to close championship gap

Max Verstappen returned to the top step of the podium with a clinical win at the 2025 Formula 1 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday, holding off the McLaren duo in a high-stakes contest at Imola.

Starting from P2, Verstappen had a slow launch but a perfect line coming in to turn 1 and executed a perfect strategy to convert early track position into 25 crucial points. The Red Bull ace was paying +140 at Stake.com and never looked back once he claimed the lead into Turn 1.

Lando Norris finished just over six seconds behind, while championship leader Oscar Piastri rounded out the podium in third. The result tightens the title race and marks another strong weekend for McLaren, who continue to lead the Constructors’ standings.

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2025 Imola Grand Prix results

• Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) – 1:31:33.199
• Lando Norris (McLaren) – +6.109s
• Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – +12.956s
• Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – +14.356s
• Alexander Albon (Williams) – +17.945s
• Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – +20.774s
• George Russell (Mercedes) – +22.034s
• Carlos Sainz (Williams) – +22.898s
• Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – +23.586s
• Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull Racing) – +26.446s
• Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – +27.250s
• Nico Hulkenberg (Kick Sauber) – +30.296s
• Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – +31.424s
• Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – +32.511s
• Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – +32.993s
• Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – +33.411s
• Oliver Bearman (Haas) – +33.808s
• Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber) – +38.572s
• Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – DNF
• Esteban Ocon (Haas) – DNF

Imola GP 2025 biggest winners

Max Verstappen – A champion’s drive. Aggressive at the start, faultless under pressure, and tactically sharp. His Turn 1 move on Piastri set the tone.

Lewis Hamilton – P4 at Ferrari’s home Grand Prix and ahead of Leclerc. His best drive of the season came when the Tifosi needed it most. Hamilton will look to build on this momentum heading to Monaco next week.

Alex Albon – Another midfield masterclass. P5 for Williams cements Albon as the season’s surprise package, with 40 points already in the bag.

Imola GP 2025 biggest losers

Kimi Antonelli – The Italian rookie’s home debut ended in heartbreak with a mechanical failure cutting his race short. There’s no doubt he’ll bounce back, but a DNF at Imola in front of the home crowd will sting for some time.

Yuki Tsunoda – After crashing out in Q1 and starting from the pit lane, Tsunoda did well to recover to P10 and salvage a point. However, when Red Bull needed him to hold up Piastri, he couldn’t deliver. Once again, questions are being asked about his long-term place in the team.

Franco Colapinto – A quiet debut for Alpine, finishing P16 and offering little impact throughout the race. The Argentine will need to find more speed and composure if he’s to earn future starts. With team advisor Flavio Briatore reportedly laying down clear expectations, breaking two of those already isn’t a great look.

2025 F1 Drivers’ Championship standings

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 146 pts
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 133 pts
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 124 pts
4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 99 pts
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 61 pts
6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 53 pts
7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 48 pts
8. Alexander Albon (Williams) – 40 pts
9. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 14 pts
10. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 14 pts
11. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 11 pts
12. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 10 pts
13. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 7 pts
14. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 7 pts
15. Nico Hulkenberg (Kick Sauber) – 6 pts
16. Oliver Bearman (Haas) – 6 pts
17. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 0 pts
18. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 0 pts
19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber) – 0 pts
20. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 pts
21. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 pts