Five winners and five losers from F1's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

If that was to be the final F1 race at Imola for the foreseeable future, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix went out with a bang.

A unimaginable begin and the timing of two Security Automobile durations swung a race which ended with a 10-lap dash end in favour of a shock victor on a circuit McLaren appeared to have the benefit.

Listed below are our greatest winners and losers from Imola…

Winner – Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen arrange his run to a formidable, dominant victory by outfoxing Oscar Piastri with a shocking around-the-outside overtake into Flip 1 with some sensible late braking that caught his rival off guard.

That was the race-defining second which proved important for Verstappen, who produced a faultless drive to assert an unlikely win given Crimson Bull’s began the weekend on the backfoot.

It marked an unimaginable transformation from Crimson Bull, and the newest chic efficiency from Verstappen which is protecting the Dutchman proper in championship competition as he seeks a fifth consecutive world title.

Loser – Oscar Piastri

After claiming one other spectacular pole place, Piastri will stroll away from Imola bitterly disillusioned to not have transformed P1 on the grid right into a fourth straight victory.

A cautious Piastri was mugged by Verstappen at the beginning and misplaced out on technique later within the race when he didn’t pit underneath a late Security Automobile, leaving him a sitting duck to McLaren teammate Lando Norris, who will get an honorary point out as a ‘winner’ from at present. 

In consequence, Piastri has seen his championship benefit minimize to 13 factors.

Winner – Lewis Hamilton

Having been left “devastated” by the efficiency of his Ferrari automotive in qualifying, Lewis Hamilton turned in an excellent restoration drive from P12 on the grid to take fourth within the Scuderia’s first dwelling race of 2025. 

Hamilton benefitted from the timing of the 2 Security Vehicles and an offset technique throughout his struggle again, which included passing teammate Charles Leclerc within the closing laps with a lot brisker tyres on his Ferrari.

It was a much-needed morale increase for Hamilton and marked the seven-time world champion’s finest end result for Ferrari in a grand prix.

Loser – Aston Martin

Aston Martin would have been concentrating on a double factors end after an excellent exhibiting in qualifying with their upgraded automotive, however the Silverstone-based squad come away from Imola empty-handed.

The timing of the 2 Security Vehicles wrecked Aston Martin’s hopes and prevented Fernando Alonso from ending his point-less streak in 2025. The Spaniard referred to himself as “the unluckiest driver ever” over group radio on his strategy to a annoyed P11.

Winner – Alex Albon and Williams

A implausible day for Williams because the group sealed a double factors end for the third consecutive race.

Alex Albon matched his finest results of the season with a superb drive to fifth, marking the third time in seven races he has completed in that place, as he strengthened each his and Williams’ championship positions.

It was a extra irritating afternoon for Carlos Sainz, who bemoaned Williams’ technique, but the Spaniard nonetheless got here dwelling eighth to bag his third top-10 look on the trot.

Loser – Mercedes and Kimi Antonelli

It proved to be a depressing grand prix for Mercedes, with George Russell delivering a reasonably damning evaluation of his group’s lack of efficiency as he slumped to P7.

Russell mentioned Mercedes have been “lifeless sluggish” and fortunate to complete as excessive as they did after their W16 as soon as once more suffered in hotter temperatures – one thing the Briton acknowledged is the Silver Arrows’ greatest weak point.

Whereas Russell referred to as for pressing options, teammate Kimi Antonelli suffered heartbreak by being pressured to retire from his first F1 race round his dwelling circuit when a throttle failure struck his Mercedes.

Winner – Isack Hadjar

One other spectacular efficiency from Isack Hadjar, who transformed P9 on the grid into ninth place and two factors for Racing Bulls with a peaceful and picked up drive in Sunday’s race.

The 20-year-old Frenchmen continues to shine at Crimson Bull’s sister squad and beat his former teammate Yuki Tsunoda within the course of. Hadjar is making a stable case to be the rookie of 2025 up to now.

Loser – Charles Leclerc

Leclerc’s putting within the ‘losers’ class is extra a mirrored image of his misfortune, reasonably than his efficiency.

The Monegasque had a robust begin to Sunday’s race at Imola and seemed heading in the right direction to complete because the lead Ferrari with a combative drive, just for the timing of the Digital and full Security Vehicles to throw a spanner within the works.

Ferrari opted in opposition to pitting Leclerc throughout the late Security Automobile which meant he was unable to maintain Hamilton and Albon, each outfitted with a lot brisker tyres, at bay regardless of his finest efforts.

Winner – Yuki Tsunoda

Tsunoda could have been crushed by Hadjar’s sister Racing Bulls automotive however he nonetheless produced a robust restoration drive from the pitlane after his terrifying qualifying crash to take the ultimate level on provide in tenth.

The Japanese driver’s battling efficiency earned him reward from Crimson Bull bosses Christian Horner and Helmet Marko and finally noticed him salvage a stable end result from what was shaping as much as be a nightmare weekend.

Loser – Haas

A tricky weekend for Haas and Esteban Ocon specifically. The Frenchman was slowest in all three follow classes, 18th in qualifying and his race got here to a untimely conclusion on Lap 29 attributable to a technical subject.

Oliver Bearman fared little higher as he took seventeenth after an issue attaching certainly one of his wheels throughout his pit cease ruined his race.

That got here after a irritating qualifying and Haas demanding a evaluate of the FIA’s determination to disallow Bearman’s remaining lap of Q1, which resulted within the Briton being eradicated with a time solely adequate for nineteenth.