Red Bull's Max Verstappen secured a commanding victory at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, built on a brilliant first-lap overtaking manoeuvre.
The four-time champion made his decisive move around the outside of the first chicane immediately after the start, passing pole-sitter Oscar Piastri's McLaren.
From that point onwards, Verstappen controlled the race with characteristic authority. The victory marks his second win of the 2025 season.
The Dutchman's aggressive start proved to be the foundation for his dominance throughout the race, as he quickly established his authority over the McLaren drivers.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen secured a commanding victory at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, built on a brilliant first-lap overtaking manoeuvre
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A late safety car bunched up the field, putting the McLarens of Piastri and Norris directly behind Verstappen for the restart.
However, the Red Bull driver executed a flawless getaway, immediately breaking free from his pursuers.
Behind him, an intense battle unfolded between the McLaren team-mates. Norris, benefiting from much fresher tyres than Piastri, spent three determined laps trying to find a way past the Australian before finally succeeding.
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Further back, Lewis Hamilton delivered an impressive recovery drive for Ferrari.
Starting 12th on the grid, he utilised an offset strategy beginning on hard tyres and capitalised on the safety car periods to climb to fourth place.
The championship standings have tightened significantly following Verstappen's victory. Piastri's lead over his McLaren team-mate Norris has been reduced to just 13 points, down from 16 before the race.
Max Verstappen was too strong for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
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More significantly, Verstappen has now positioned himself firmly in the title hunt. The four-time champion sits just nine points behind Norris in the standings.
This result represents a crucial momentum shift in the championship battle. After a relatively slow start to the season by his standards, Verstappen appears to be finding the form that has made him so dominant in recent years.
The three-way battle between the McLaren drivers and Verstappen promises an exciting continuation to the season, especially with so many races left on the calendar.
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McLaren's strategy decisions will likely come under scrutiny following the race.
The team opted to pit Piastri early when he was running second behind Verstappen, despite the Australian only beginning to lose time.
This questionable call handed Verstappen a comfortable 10-second advantage over Norris, who found himself powerless against the Red Bull's pace.
Max Verstappen celebrates winning the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
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It also forced Piastri to battle through midfield traffic to reclaim his position.
A mid-race virtual safety car further complicated matters for McLaren, making Verstappen's life easier while effectively ending Piastri's hopes of securing second place.
By this point, however, Verstappen had already established firm control of the race.
