Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix 2025

Race Highlights

• Max Verstappen took his fourth victory at Imola, leading 62 of the 63 laps
• McLaren achieved a double podium with Lando Norris (P2) and Oscar Piastri (P3), closing the gap in the Constructors’ standings
• Lewis Hamilton climbed from 12th on the grid to finish 4th, executing several key overtakes at Tamburello
• Alexander Albon matched his best result of the season with 5th place, benefitting from a well-timed pit stop under the Virtual Safety Car
• Charles Leclerc finished 6th after voluntarily yielding a position to Albon on the final lap to avoid a potential penalty
• Oscar Piastri maintained his lead in the Drivers’ Championship, though his advantage over Norris was reduced to 13 points
• Kimi Antonelli and Esteban Ocon were the race’s only retirements, suffering from throttle and engine issues respectively

Race Summary

Max Verstappen secured a dominant victory at the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, marking Red Bull Racing’s 400th Grand Prix appearance with a win. Although McLaren’s Oscar Piastri started from pole position, Verstappen capitalised on a late-braking move around the outside of Variante Tamburello on the opening lap to seize a lead he would not relinquish. Despite a late charge from Lando Norris, Verstappen crossed the finish line six seconds ahead to claim his 65th career victory.

The race was shaped by strategic pit stops and two key neutralisation periods. Piastri, who initially fell to second, lost further ground during a Virtual Safety Car period triggered by Esteban Ocon’s mechanical failure, which allowed Verstappen and several others to gain time with “cheap” pit stops. A later full Safety Car period bunched the field for a 10-lap sprint to the finish, during which Lando Norris utilised fresher tyres to overtake his teammate for second place.

Behind the podium finishers, Lewis Hamilton delivered a strong recovery to finish fourth, marking the first time in 2025 he finished as the highest-placed Ferrari driver. Alexander Albon secured a hard-fought fifth place for Williams after a late-race battle with Charles Leclerc, who eventually finished sixth. The event, held in front of a record 242,000 fans, served as the final Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola under its current contract.