F1 Imola: 3 Big Things
The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was largely defined by the action in and out of pit lane until late drama erupted thanks to a storming drive from Lando Norris. In the end, it was Max Verstappen’s mastery of his car that saved Red Bull from a second consecutive loss to McLaren but there’s plenty to unpack.
McLaren Awakens Late
It didn’t ever look like there would be any significant challenge to Verstappen for the vast majority of the race; he was reliably a couple tenths a lap quicker over Norris. Something significant shifted after Charles Leclerc closed to within a second of Norris. Whether it was the tires switching back on or the balance of the car improving under a lower fuel load, the McLaren came alive and roared up to Verstappen.
Norris’ surge was blunted by two things - a couple dips into the gravel and Verstappen’s capacity to find pace under adverse conditions. More so than many of his recent winning drives, this one highlighted the very best the Dutchman has to offer.
Simple, Undramatic Decisions
Ferrari didn’t have the race they would have wanted given the glimpses of top-end pace we saw this weekend and McLaren has affirmed their place as a team that will take many, many points on offer at the sharp end of a Grand Prix weekend.
Mercedes ended the race where they expected, in sixth and seventh, though I’m sure we can look forward to a reasonable and measured conversation online about the decision to pit George Russell and hand sixth place to Lewis Hamilton.
It’s not complicated, nor is it dramatic.
There was a point on offer for fastest lap.
If Hamilton had pitted, he would have given up a position to Sergio Perez, requiring an overtake at some point during an effort for fastest lap just to reclaim his original points haul.
By pitting Russell, Mercedes ensured he came out ahead of Perez in clean air and that all available points stayed with the team for the duration of the final stint.
Yuki Tsunoda’s Ascent Continues
Perez needs strong performances and this wasn’t one. Overtaking is difficult at Imola so part of a good weekend is qualifying well and Perez didn’t get it done on Saturday. If he’s racing for his seat, this isn’t good enough as we look ahead to a potentially tight 2025 battle.
Yuki Tsunoda is becoming a regular topic of conversation now, from great pace in qualifying that his teammate can’t match to gutsy overtakes and mistake-free driving on Sunday. I’ve held the opinion that Red Bull has no reason to move on from Perez as long as he serves as a capable rear gunner, but the issues he faced last season stick long in the memory.
This wasn’t a capable rear gunner performance. While Red Bull should set their sights on Carlos Sainz if this continues, I am increasingly of the belief that Tsunoda himself is the in-house solution that isn’t being spoken of enough.
While we’ve generally relied on the chasing pack to provide the drama in recent years, Imola gave it to us right at the front. Long may it continue. See you in Monaco.