Max Verstappen Survives a Late Charge to Claim his Fifth Victory of the Season

Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 takes the chequered flag during the F1 Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari Circuit on May 19, 2024 in Imola, Italy. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

IMOLA, Italy – Ferrari’s pace during the Friday practices was impressive, but the surprise pole position from Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen in a weekend return to form still proved that teams like Ferrari and McLaren still have a lot of work to do to take the fight against the reigning World Champions ahead of the 2024 Formula 1 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, otherwise known as the Imola Circuit.

The grid had been shaken up a small amount compared to the results from qualifying the day before. The expected three-place grid penalty to McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was handed down, demoting the sophomore driver from second to fifth after a stellar lap in the final round. Furthermore, Aston Martin elected to make changes to Fernando Alonso’s suspension after qualifying, regulating him to pit lane for the race start.

Soon, the tire covers were removed from the cars, and the expected one-stop pit strategy choices were laid out. Most of the grid had elected to start on the Medium compound tires, while Alonso and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly began on the Soft compound tires. Meanwhile, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, Williams’ Logan Sargeant and Kick Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu elected to start on the Hard compound tires.

The pit lane cleared, and Verstappen led the field on their formation lap. Soon, the grid was refilled, the five lights on the start line shut off and the 2024 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix was on.

A good getaway for Verstappen and the McLaren of Lando Norris put them side-by-side in the opening stages of the front stretch. Still, by the time the field made their way to the first chicane, the Red Bull had started to pull away as the Ferraris were now waiting on the rear wing of Norris.

Further back in the field, Lewis Hamilton had brought his Mercedes up to seventh while Perez had broken his way into the Top 10 while a DRS train was forming behind the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg. Up ahead, Charles Leclerc was trying to keep his Ferrari up with Norris while the other Ferrari of Carlos Sainz was under attack by Piastri as the field started to spread out.

The first pit stop of the day also caused the first bit of trouble for the race. Williams called in Alex Albon, who quickly reported a problem with the car, a potential loose wheel. He slowly made his way back to the pits.

Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 and Lando Norris of Great Britain driving the (4) McLaren MCL38 Mercedes line up on the front row of the grid for the start during the F1 Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari Circuit on May 19, 2024 in Imola, Italy. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

In the mid-pack, a quick Visa Cash App RB of Yuki Tsunoda was clawing through the field, making up multiple positions following his pit stop. But on the other side of the Red Bull family, Perez, while trying to conserve his tires, had gone off into the gravel, though he was able to hold onto eighth place.

Meanwhile, as Verstappen was starting to get into his rhythm, the front runners were starting to think about when their first pit stop would be. Mercedes was the first to blink as they called in George Russell to be the first of the leaders to pit. Shortly afterward came Norris, who slotted in behind Perez.

Ferrari, looking to overcut Norris, was hoping for some help from Perez holding off Norris, but it was not long before the McLaren got around the second Red Bull. Piastri soon pitted as well in an attempt to get around Sainz.

Red Bull soon followed suit, calling in Verstappen, who got him out ahead of both Norris and Perez. A lap later, Ferrari called in Leclerc, which released Sainz and Hamilton up front. It was not long, though, as both Sainz and Hamilton pitted, putting Verstappen back out in front, ahead of Norris and Leclerc as Perez attempted to run as long as possible.

As the race started to shake out, Verstappen was working on maintaining his gap to Norris, who had called his pit wall wondering why he felt so slow compared to those he was racing. He was soon told that it was by design, as everyone else was using up their tires at the beginning of the stint, something that would help the previous race winner in the latter stages of this race.

Hamilton soon made his way to the second Red Bull on much fresher tires, but not much of a fight was put on as he swept past Perez through Tamburello. Perez did pit a short time later, rejoining the track back where he started in 11th and got to work to make his way back up the order, first passing the Visa Cash App RB of Daniel Ricciardo and then Hulkenberg.

Up the track, a battle for second was heating up as Leclerc was the fastest man on track right at the rear of Norris. While the fight for position looked promising, a trip through the grass would mean the end of the battle for position as Leclerc fell back off of Norris, subsiding his challenge.

Perez had made his way past Tsunoda for eighth and set his sights on seventh but with Hamilton 30 seconds up the track from where he was, there wasn’t much of an expectation that he would make up the ground needed.

After Leclerc fell back from Norris, and Verstappen seemingly started to lose grip from his Hard compound tires, Norris looked as strong as ever as he began to claw back time from the leader, hoping to go back-to-back for his first two victories. Timing and scoring showed the gap go from six seconds down to four in just a matter of laps.

Meanwhile, Mercedes had decided to call Russell back down the pit lane for another set of Medium tires, which was not the most expected move. However, all eyes were turning to the leaders as Norris was closing in on Verstappen at a rapid rate.

Navigating through lapped traffic, and Verstappen seemingly getting annoyed at Tsunoda for not adhering to Blue Flags, Norris was now two seconds behind as the Papaya McLaren was getting more prominent in the mirrors of Verstappen’s Red Bull. Meanwhile, Williams had called Albon to have him retire the car—the race’s first retirement.

Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari Circuit on May 19, 2024 in Imola, Italy. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

With the laps winding down even more and Norris giving everything he could, Verstappen was now playing defensive as the McLaren was getting ever closer to DRS range. The saving grace for Verstappen was when Norris had a slight moment of oversteer, giving the Red Bull driver some extra breathing room in the final laps.

And even with a last-lap charge that brought Norris within a second of the lead, Max Verstappen grabbed his fifth victory of the season, lucky that the race ended at lap 63. It was also his second victory of the day, as he had also been part of his sim-racing team’s victory in the iRacing 24 Hours of the Nürburgring, which ended just hours before.

Lando Norris’ late charge to victory was close but not enough. He secured second, ahead of Charles Leclerc, who secured Ferrari’s first Imola podium since Michael Schumacher’s 2006 San Marino Grand Prix victory. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz rounded out the Top 5.

The Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell secured a quiet sixth and seventh, respectively, as they finished ahead of Sergio Perez. Meanwhile, Lance Stroll and Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the points-paying positions for ninth and 10th, gaining valuable points for Aston Martin and Visa Cash App RB.

The Haas pair of Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen finished outside the Top 10 in 11th and 12th, ahead of Daniel Ricciardo. Esteban Ocon brought his Alpine home 14th, ahead of Zhou Guanyu’s Kick Sauber. Pierre Gasly brought his Alpine home 16th, ahead of Logan Sargeant and his Williams, while the remaining driver running at the finish was Kick Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas in 18th.

Fernando Alonso retired his Aston Martin in the closing stages of the race to end a very forgettable weekend. He joined Alex Albon as the only car that did not finish.

Formula 1 now prepares to take to the famed Monaco streets for the Monaco Grand Prix. Max Verstappen looks to defend his 2023 victory. However, Lando Norris and McLaren look like they could make sure it is a close battle in what is shaping up to be a classic major motorsports weekend, with the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 happening on the same day.