Max Verstappen took a superb fourth straight win in Imola, overtaking Oscar Piastri with a brilliant move at the start to take the lead and then controlling the race from the front despite a Safety Car narrowing the gap at the front. Second place went to Lando Norris who used fresher tyres to pass McLaren team-mate Piastri in the closing stages of the race. 

When the lights went out, Piastri made the best getaway, and it looked like the Australian would comfortably hold his advantage. But as they went into Tamburello, the McLaren driver braked slightly early, Verstappen held his line on the outside and in a super move he squeezed past the McLaren to steal the lead. 

Behind them, Mercedes’ George Russell held third ahead of Norris and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso. Meanwhile, at the edge of the top 10, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was pressuring Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and when the Frenchman went wide under braking, Leclerc swept through to move into the points. 

At the front, Verstappen began to build a gap and by lap 10 the Red Bull driver was almost two seconds clear of Piastri. Behind them Russell was coming under heavy pressure from Norris, and on lap 11, the McLaren driver barged past in the Villeneuve chicane. 

Russell then took the decision to shed his starting Mediums and moved to the Hard tyre. Leclerc also made the switch and when Williams Carlos Sainz also pitted, it seemed to push McLaren into action and on lap 14, they brough Piastri in for the undercut. However, the Australian had a slow stop and rejoined in in P12. Verstappen chose to stay out, however, and on lap 15 he had 10 seconds in hand over Norris who also held firm. 

Piastri began to claw his way back through the field and lap 21 the Australian was up to P8. However, he was now 33s behind Verstappen, who was looking more and more comfortable on his starting Mediums. 

Norris made his stop for Hards on lap 29, but seconds later Haas’ Esteban Ocon pulled over and halted at the side of the track just after Tosa. The VSC was deployed and that sparked a rush towards the pit lane. Verstappen took on Hards and when the order shook out, he led Norris by 20 seconds, with Williams’ Alex Albon in third place. Meanwhile, Piastri, who made a second stop under the caution, was in fourth ahead of Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli. 

On lap 46, however, Antonelli suddenly slowed and like Ocon he ground to a halt just after Tosa. This time the physical Safety Car was deployed and with his lead erased, Verstappen pitted for another set of Hard tyres. Norris mirrored the move, but Piastri stayed out, rising to second place, ahead of his team-mate. Leclerc also stayed out and took fourth ahead of Albon and Russell. 

The Safety Car peeled off track at the end of lap 53 and Verstappen controlled the restart well to hold his lead. Behind him the McLarens squabbled for second place, and they settled the battle with Norris, on fresher tyres, muscling his way past his team-mate to take second place, Verstappen was too far ahead and after 63 laps the Dutchman crossed the line to take his fourth straight Imola win and to Red Bull’s 400th race in F1. 

With Norris and Piastri taking the remaining podium places, fourth place went to Lewis Hamilton. The Ferrari driver made the most of new tyres after the Safety Car and passed both Albon and team-mate Leclerc to grab 10 points. Albon took fifth, passing Leclerc, who had stuck with old tyres during the SC. The Monegasque driver was left with sixth place ahead of Russell, Sainz and Hadjar, while Yuki Tsunoda took 10thplace and the final point after a pit lane start. 

2025 FIA Formula 1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix – Race 
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 63 1:31'33.199 
2 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 63 1:31'39.308 6.109
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 63 1:31'46.155 12.956
4 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 63 1:31'47.555 14.356
5 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 63 1:31'51.144 17.945
6 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 63 1:31'53.973 20.774
7 George Russell Mercedes 63 1:31'55.233 22.034
8 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 63 1:31'56.097 22.898
9 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 63 1:31'56.785 23.586
10 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull/Honda RBPT 63 1:31'59.645 26.446
11 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 63 1:32'00.449 27.250
12 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 63 1:32'03.495 30.296
13 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 63 1:32'04.623 31.424
14 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 63 1:32'05.710 32.511
15 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 63 1:32'06.192 32.993
16 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Renault 63 1:32'06.610 33.411
17 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 63 1:32'07.007 33.808
18 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 63 1:32'11.771 38.572
     Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 44 1:01'29.744 Retirement
     Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 27 37'42.335 Retirement