2025 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix – Imola Weekend Report by Tom Hislop

Pre-Race Build-Up

The 7th round of the 2025 F1 season at Imola came with McLaren firmly on the front foot. Oscar Piastri led the Drivers’ Championship on 131 points, with teammate Lando Norris second on 115, giving McLaren a 20-point buffer over Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in third. The previous race in Miami had seen Piastri win from Norris and George Russell, so McLaren arrived feeling strong. Expectations were that McLaren would again battle Red Bull and Mercedes on Imola’s fast, flowing layout.

Several technical upgrades and driver swaps added interest. Aston Martin introduced its first major update of 2025 – a new high-downforce floor and revised bodywork – hoping to boost downforce and consistency. McLaren brought aerodynamic tweaks (revised rear wing and suspension for more downforce) and a minor front-suspension mod. Red Bull evolved its RB21 with improvements to the radiator inlets, engine cover geometry, and rear suspension fairings. Mercedes also debuted new suspension fairings, front wing elements and engine cover tweaks for better stability. In short, nearly everyone arrived with upgrades as the first European race of the season.

Driver line-up changes added drama. Red Bull promoted Yuki Tsunoda into Max Verstappen’s team (replacing Liam Lawson), and Alpine drafted in rookie Franco Colapinto to replace Jack Doohan. Sauber (branded “Kick Sauber”) celebrated its 600th Grand Prix weekend, and Red Bull Racing its 400th. Notably, Tsunoda had struggled earlier in the year and then wrecked his car in Qualifying, but Dr. Helmut Marko later insisted Tsunoda’s seat was safe despite calling his Imola crash “really stupid”. Off-track, there was talk that Imola’s future on the calendar could be in doubt, prompting Piastri to warn F1 bosses that dropping historic tracks like Imola, Spa and Zandvoort would be unwise. Verstappen echoed the sentiment, praising Imola’s “fast corners” and danger margins compared to flat street circuits.

Free Practice Sessions

Friday’s two practice sessions confirmed McLaren’s pace and threw up some scares.

• FP1: Oscar Piastri was fastest (1:16.545s) with Lando Norris 0.032s behind. Carlos Sainz in the Williams was a surprising P3, just 0.052s back (McLaren’s 1-2 and Williams’ front-row surprise). The session was red-flagged when Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto crashed at Turn 18, bringing the session to an early end. Before that, Fernando Alonso nearly collided with Charles Leclerc in Turn 2, forcing Alonso to brake sharply and later remark he “nearly crashed”. Leclerc himself then slid into gravel at T15. Norris had briefly led early on a 1:17.125, and George Russell had topped the times at mid-session (1:16.599) as the track improved, but ultimately Piastri’s final soft-tyre effort stood. Hamilton complained of brake issues (“did not want to slow down”) and Leclerc grip troubles (“helmet lift is horrible”), underscoring Ferrari’s early grip deficit. Alex Albon gave a show at the end as his Williams bounced aggressively over the kerbs, and Max Verstappen spun once, venting frustration at the wheel. After Bortoleto’s shunt, the session ended with McLarens locked 1-2 (Piastri, Norris) within 0.06s, followed by Sainz and Russell.
• FP2: Oscar Piastri again led a McLaren one-two, topping the times at 1:15.293s. Norris was just +0.025s back, with Pierre Gasly’s Alpine an impressive P3 (+0.276s). George Russell (Mercedes) and Max Verstappen rounded out the top five. The one-hour session ran dry and sunny, but chaos hit late: with about six minutes to go, Isack Hadjar crashed at the exit of the Tamburello chicane, hitting the barrier and beaching his Racing Bulls car, triggering a red flag. Before that, Norris had led on mediums (1:16.074 early), setting a benchmark. Traffic management was difficult – Alonso told his team, “I nearly crashed” after plugging a gap as Franco Colapinto rejoined. After the restart, teams mostly ran race-distance stints on the mediums. Gasly praised his crew after FP2, calling it a “very, very good Friday” and noting the Alpine felt in a “much better place” than before, despite an earlier incident where he literally collected a rabbit on-track. Meanwhile, Ferrari continued to struggle: Leclerc complained of braking issues and heavy rear-end grip loss (eventually finishing P5 in FP2), and Hamilton – despite a big oversteer moment at the first chicane – ended only P11, having been caught in traffic. In the junior Red Bulls, Kimi Antonelli radioed that Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull move had been “super dangerous” down to Rivazza, hinting at tension. In the end, McLaren again went 1-2 (Piastri, Norris), Gasly P3, then Verstappen and Leclerc. Alex Albon was P7, Sainz P10, and Alonso P14 (focusing on data in new-spec car), Lance Stroll P17. Notably, AlphaTauri (Racing Bulls) had Liam Lawson 8th despite spinning on mediums, and Kick Sauber’s Hulkenberg P12, Ocon last.
• FP3: Lando Norris finally edged ahead, leading McLaren’s front-row lockout. Norris set 1:14.897s to top FP3; Piastri was +0.100s back, Verstappen +0.181s in the Red Bull. Rookie Kimi Antonelli delighted local fans by slotting his Mercedes into P4 (nearly half a second ahead of teammate Russell), while Leclerc was P5 despite Ferrari once again lacking ultimate pace. A brief surprise came from Isack Hadjar, who briefly went fastest on old tyres (1:15.508s) to lead this session for a moment. Lawson spun 360° in his Racing Bulls on mediums (ruining his tyres). Norris had a moment in the gravel late, but crucially held the top time. Tsunoda radioed that he had “absolutely zero pace” in Q3 trim, hinting at Red Bull’s dilemma; Hadjar quipped “sorry” on radio after nearly clipping Carlos Sainz in the pitlane. Finally, when the soft-tyre runs came, Norris’s 1:14.897 stayed unbeatable – the only non-McLaren driver within 0.2s was Verstappen. Sainz gave a great display in the Williams, putting it P6. Russell, Albon, Hamilton and Alonso (who ran long on hards) made up the next spots (P7-11). Bearman was P12, Stroll P13, Lawson P14, Gasly P15, and the FP1-crashing Bortoleto only P16. In summary, McLaren topped all three practice sessions, setting the stage for a tight qualifying.

Qualifying (Saturday)

Qualifying lived up to Imola’s reputation for surprises.

• Q1: The session was delayed by yellow flags after Tsunoda crashed into the barriers at Turn 6 and rolled his car. When green, Max Verstappen topped the timing sheets (on new soft tyres) ahead of Piastri and Alonso. Franco Colapinto’s Alpine then spun at Turn 4, triggering another yellow. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) aborted his fast lap on the first red flag and couldn’t recover. After a frantic final minutes, Oliver Bearman (Haas) thought he was safe, but his hot lap was deleted for circulating on the track during a red flag, tossing him out. The eliminated drivers were Colapinto, Bearman (no time), Alexander Albon, Liam Lawson, and Fernando Alonso, plus Tsunoda (who set no time). Tsunoda was later permitted to race at stewards’ discretion, but had to start from the pit lane due to car repairs. This knock-out left Alpine’s Gasly and Mercedes’ Antonelli safely through, by contrast.
• Q2: Carlos Sainz (Williams) surprised everyone by going fastest in Q2, just 0.038s ahead of Piastri. McLaren’s Lando Norris was next, followed by Albon, Stroll and Alonso – all progressing to Q3 in their quickest order. In a shock, both Ferraris flamed out: Leclerc ended 11th and Hamilton 12th (one place short of the drop), making an early end to their home fans’ hopes. Mercedes rookie Antonelli also missed Q3 in P13. The Red Bulls of Verstappen and Tsunoda safely advanced. Alpine comfortably made Q3 (Gasly 10th). Franco Colapinto, due to his crash, would technically start P15 after a one-place penalty for impeding (he’d set no time anyway).
• Q3: The final shootout was tight. Oscar Piastri nailed pole with a 1:14.670, just 0.034s faster than Verstappen’s 1:14.704. A delighted Piastri said it was “always a great feeling to be on Pole” after a “really good session”. George Russell (Mercedes) claimed P3, while Norris in P4 was a bit disappointed to “not qualify higher” despite a quick lap. Carlos Sainz had used a new medium tyre to squeeze into the session and ended up P6. Alex Albon (P7) and Lance Stroll (P8, on mediums) held their places after differing strategies. The final spots were Hadjar P9 and Gasly P10. The full top 10 grid was: P1 Piastri (McLaren), 2 Verstappen (Red Bull), 3 Russell (Mercedes), 4 Norris (McLaren), 5 Alonso (Aston Martin), 6 Sainz (Williams), 7 Albon (Williams), 8 Stroll (Aston Martin), 9 Hadjar (Racing Bulls), 10 Gasly (Alpine). Notably, Leclerc’s 11th became 6th on the grid (due to penalties) and Hamilton started 12th. The session underscored that qualifying, not race pace, would likely decide the podium – track position at Imola is crucial.

Race Report (Sunday)

The 63-lap Grand Prix on Sunday was a strategic chess match with pivotal virtual/full safety cars.

• Start to Lap 11: Oscar Piastri, on pole, got a slightly better launch than Verstappen, but in battling George Russell he left the outside of Tamburello open. Verstappen pounced, braking late and diving around the outside to take the lead into the first corner. From the outset, Verstappen’s pace was superior. George Russell briefly challenged Norris for third, but Norris eventually made the pass on Russell around the outside at Variante Villeneuve on lap 11. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc, starting 12th, had climbed impressively: on lap 3 he swept around the outside of Piratella to pass Gasly, who ran wide, moving the Ferrari into the points. By lap 11 the order was roughly Verstappen–Piastri–Norris–Russell–Leclerc–Alonso–Sainz–Albon–Stroll–Hadjar. Verstappen already led by ~3 seconds.
• Lap 12-31 (First Stops and VSC): Mercedes called Russell in early (lap 12) to switch to hards. Norris led until pitting on lap 14 for hards, undercutting those ahead. Piastri followed on the same lap, but a slow 3.6s stop saw him emerge around 10th, having undercut Russell, Sainz and Alonso. Piastri then carved through traffic, gaining several places on used tyres, but the risk was losing time. Back in the lead, Verstappen stretched his advantage. Then on lap 29 Esteban Ocon’s Haas suffered a sudden mechanical issue exiting Tosa, causing him to stop off-track. The Virtual Safety Car (VSC) came out. This was a massive swing moment: Verstappen and others pitted under VSC ‘for free’ – Verstappen changed to hard tyres and kept the lead. Norris had just pitted one lap earlier (lap 28) and rejoined still in second. Piastri dove in under VSC on lap 30 for a second stop (switching to mediums), but this cost him track position. At the VSC restart, Verstappen led by ~12s over Norris, with Piastri now shuffled back to fourth behind Norris and a charging Albon (who had yet to stop).
• Lap 32-45 (Mid-Race): With Verstappen out front on fresher hards, Norris and Piastri both on mediums, the McLaren boys tried to make up ground. Norris told his engineer to find “free air” and to “go long” – effectively one-stopping – which paid dividends. By lap 34, Hamilton (on new tyres after VSC stops) passed Antonelli and Hadjar to move up to 6th. Piastri had a slow first stint on hards but finally overtook Albon on lap 40 for P3. Verstappen’s lead grew to ~20s by lap 33. The race looked under control for the leader, but more drama loomed: Lance Stroll, who had plummeted to 15th, stopped on lap 46 with a loss of power at the same spot as Ocon earlier. This time the Race Director called a full Safety Car.
• Lap 46-52 (Safety Car): Under the full SC, many took “cheap” pit stops. Verstappen boxed for fresh hard tyres and remained first, Schumacher-style. Crucially, Norris pitted to put on mediums (switching from the long stint), but Piastri stayed out on old hards, gambling track position. The field bunched up. After the stops, the order was Verstappen–Piastri–Norris, but Norris had 15-lap fresher mediums, whereas Piastri’s hards were worn. The restart was set for lap 53.
• Lap 53-63 (Final Stint): Racing resumed and Verstappen immediately began extending his lead on the new rubber. By lap 58 he was up ~5s. Norris flew past Piastri around the outside of Tamburello on lap 58, taking second. At that point the McLarens’ last hope of victory faded: Verstappen’s pace was too strong to reel in even with newer tyres. Behind them, Leclerc (who had stayed out under SC in hopes of a charge) was under fire. Alex Albon attempted an outside pass at Tamburello on lap 60 and ran wide into gravel while trying to overtake Leclerc. Hamilton, meanwhile, made a textbook pass on Leclerc around Tamburello on lap 61, grabbing fourth. Leclerc, slowing to avoid a penalty after the Albon incident, waved Albon through into 5th at the final lap’s start. The race finished under green with Max Verstappen comfortably first, Lando Norris second, and Oscar Piastri

Overtakes & Pit Strategies: Key moves were Verstappen’s Lap 1 overtake on Piastri, Norris’s lap 11 pass on Russell, Norris on Piastri at lap 58, Hamilton on Antonelli/Hadjar (mid-race) and on Leclerc (lap 61), and Leclerc’s brief lap 60 defense against Albon. The crucial strategy swings came with Piastri’s early second stop, and the VSC/SC phases: Ocon’s VSC lap 29 allowed Verstappen to pit with no loss, whereas the full SC on lap 46 neutralized McLaren’s one-stop that Norris was exploiting. In hindsight, Piastri’s two-stop approach was aggressive but backfired slightly – he said post-race “we deviated to a two-stop strategy…Had the Hard tyres behaved just a little bit better, [it] would have been a strong strategy”.

Final Classification (Top 6): 1) Max Verstappen (Red Bull) in 1:31:33.199, 2) Lando Norris (McLaren) +6.109s, 3) Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +12.956s, 4) Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +14.356s, 5) Alex Albon (Williams) +17.945s, 6) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +20.774s. Points also to George Russell 7th, Carlos Sainz 8th, Isack Hadjar 9th (scoring for Racing Bulls), and Lance Stroll 10th. Points-thirsty runners like Fernando Alonso (11th) and Pierre Gasly (11th) ended just shy of the top 10.

Post-Race Reactions

After the race, drivers were understandably emotional.

• Max Verstappen (Red Bull, Winner): The Dutch champion was jubilant. “I am really happy with this result…and to have the win here is fantastic,” he said. Explaining the start, he grinned: “The start itself wasn’t great, but I was on the outside line…so I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try and send it around the outside.’ It worked really well!” Once in front, Verstappen managed his tyres expertly and pulled away. He praised the team’s execution: “Good strategy, good pit stops and really calm communication everywhere… I’m incredibly proud of everyone.” The upgrades he inherited also helped: “The car has performed really well… good to see that the upgrades worked.” Verstappen also noted the 400th GP milestone: “This makes our 400th race even more special.”.
• Lando Norris (McLaren, P2): “A good race – I’m really pleased with the P2 finish,” Norris beamed. He admitted that overtaking was tough once Verstappen had clear air: “It wasn’t easy to overtake but we did what we could. Max was quick… he had a bit more pace than we did.” Norris had his own mini battle with teammate Piastri (which he described as “fun” even though they raced cleanly) and felt McLaren maximized the result: “For us as a team, second and third is great.” He looked ahead: “We go again next week,” highlighting his confidence.
• Oscar Piastri (McLaren, P3): Oscar remained upbeat despite starting from pole. “A double podium is a good result for the team,” he said. On a personal note he admitted it was “a bit disappointing to start on Pole and then not win the race”. He reflected on strategy: McLaren’s call for him to pit early (to do two stops) seemed logical given tyre wear, but ultimately he conceded it didn’t pay off due to unfortunate timing with the VSC/SC: “We weren’t able to maximize it after, and were then unlucky with the VSC and Safety Car.” Nonetheless, he was proud of the points haul and ready to move on: “A few things to review, but we’ve got a solid chunk of points. We’ll debrief and then turn our attention to Monaco.”.
• McLaren Team (Andrea Stella, Principal): Stella praised the team’s overall performance: “We leave Imola with a good haul of points as a team.” He admitted Red Bull was stronger than expected: “Coming into the weekend, we knew this track would make things closer, but we were a little surprised by how strong Red Bull was today – congratulations to Max.” He concurred that Verstappen’s first-lap pass set the tone: “The race was decided on the first lap with Max’s overtake on Oscar.” He lauded Norris’s mature drive on the mediums and explained Piastri’s strategy attempt: “With Oscar, we deviated to a two-stop strategy… Going for victory always involves some risk, and sometimes when you take a risk, there’s a downside.” Ultimately Stella was proud McLaren had both cars reliable and on the podium, calling it “a positive weekend for McLaren” heading to Monaco.
• Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari, P4): Hamilton had his best weekend of 2025 so far. “Today I felt much more at one with the car,” he said. After a mediocre Saturday, everything “came together” – strategy, pit stops, and car balance – allowing him to recover to P4 from his poor qualifying slot. Hamilton thanked the tifosi and noted progress: “We made a step forward in qualifying… if we can keep building on days like this, we’ll be in the mix for podiums.” 
• Charles Leclerc (Ferrari, P6): Leclerc was more downbeat. “In some races, things just don’t align and today that was the case for me,” he said. He felt very unlucky: the Virtual and real Safety Cars ruined his strategy (he was stuck on old hards when others pitted). He defended the team’s choice: “I’ve got no regrets… P6 is not that bad considering how difficult a weekend it has been.” He was keen to stress Ferrari’s race pace was good but qualifying needed work: “Our real focus has to be on improving our qualifying performance, because in the race, the car is fast.” Leclerc is usually strong at Monaco (next round), but he warned: “We expect it to be challenging… it will expose our car’s weaknesses.”.
• Ferrari Team (Frédéric Vasseur, Principal): Vasseur agreed the race pace was solid, but lamented the bad qualifying: “If we had qualified better, we could have finished higher up.” He credited Ferrari’s strategy (sticking on hards for a long first stint) but admitted it cost Leclerc under the late Safety Car: they asked him to give positions back to Albon to avoid penalties. He defended leaving Leclerc out and praised Lewis’s performance: “Lewis drove a very solid race.” Overall he felt P6 was “the best we could hope for” from the weekend’s misfortune.
• Alex Albon (Williams, P5): Albon was “very happy” with P5. He felt P4 might have been possible without the late Safety Car or with different timing of events, but wasn’t disappointed. Racing Leclerc was tricky – Albon tried to overtake him but was held off in the tricky final laps (which led to Leclerc handing the position back). Albon praised Williams’ pace, saying they were legitimately running 4th/5th earlier. He even considered going after Piastri if he could: “I was thinking: ‘Oscar is up ahead on worn tyres, maybe I could go after him!’” Williams’ strong race pace and one-stop strategy impressed him, and he looked forward to building on it.
• Carlos Sainz (Williams, P8): Sainz was less pleased despite the team’s double-points finish. He noted he had good pace all weekend and felt faster than Mercedes and Ferrari at times, but “for one reason or the other, we don’t seem to catch a break on Sundays.” An earlier stop strategy combined with the VSC had compromised his race, and he lamented losing a chance at the lead Williams result. He vowed the team would keep improving communication and strategy decisions.
• Williams Team (James Vowles, Principal): Vowles was delighted with a double points haul but admitted a bit of frustration. He credited the team’s competitiveness: “We’ve been fast all year long”. Alex Albon had driven “absolutely mega” fights against the Ferraris (only just missing out), which made Vowles proud. Carlos’s result was a “tricky call” that didn’t pan out, but he promised they would “get him up into the right positions” in future. Overall, a very strong weekend.
• Nico Hulkenberg (Kick Sauber, P12): Despite finishing out of the points, Hulkenberg felt it was one of his best weekends of 2025. He had better car feel and pace, and even briefly was on a points-scoring position. He admitted luck was against him: the late Safety Car shuffled faster cars (Alonso, Tsunoda, Russell) ahead of him on newer tyres. “We were lucky with the timing of the virtual safety car… Unfortunately, the safety car towards the end was of no help for us,” he said. He left encouraged by the small step forward but noted Sauber still needs to improve to consistently fight in the points.
• Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber, P18): Bortoleto too saw progress despite the result. He noted their race pace on hards looked better than Friday. The Virtual Safety Car on lap 29 had gone against them and dropped them behind, so “from that point on it was difficult.” He admitted he was in the “wrong place at the wrong time” through both VSCs. Still, he was a bit upbeat: “I am happy about this small improvement in terms of pace.” The team would learn from it and push on.
• Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin, P11): Alonso, who started P5, was floored by bad luck. He was “just unlucky” to see so many rivals pit for free under the late Safety Car, ending his chances. He was candid: “The final result is just extreme bad luck.” The Spaniard noted the AMR25 was “super” in race trim – he had even followed the McLarens and Russell early on with ease – and at the end he overtook several cars on old mediums, saying it was “definitely a step forward” for the upgrade package. Alonso’s P11 was agonizingly close to points, but he remained optimistic that the upgrades really worked (Stroll was P15). He will head to Monaco hoping the same pace translates to the tight street circuit.
• Lance Stroll (Aston Martin, P15): Stroll collected the team’s only point (for P10), but in the race he finished P15. He admitted he got stuck in traffic after his early stop and couldn’t clear the cars ahead. Despite the lack of points, Stroll was quietly encouraged by how competitive the car had looked with the upgrade package, and said he wanted more data (from hard vs medium comparisons) to fully judge it.

Other teams/drivers either failed to score or were lower down. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly crossed 11th, admitting strategy costs hurt him. Haas’s Esteban Ocon retired (mechanical), and rookie Bearman was out in Q1. Overall, the post-race quotes showed satisfaction for McLaren and Red Bull, pride but frustration for Williams, relief for Mercedes, and a mix of disappointment and hope from the rest.

Strategy & Performance Analysis

Imola’s layout and a couple of lucky safety cars heavily influenced team strategies. McLaren and Red Bull both executed well, but McLaren’s one car gamble contrasted with their usual plan. Norris used a long first stint and a one-stop, which nearly paid off – the VSC on lap 29 actually helped him by covering his second stop. Piastri’s two-stopper was riskier: “Going for victory always involves some risk,” admitted Stella, and indeed Piastri had fresher tyres at the end but too much ground to make up after the stops and VSC. Red Bull’s decision to keep Verstappen out until lap 29 turned out perfectly; he capitalized on the VSC to pit without losing position and control the race after. Ferrari’s tire call looked good at first, but as Leclerc noted, the late SC meant keeping him on worn hards was the best they could do. In short, McLaren’s strategy maximized points (2 & 3) but fell just short of victory, Red Bull’s conservative play netted the win, Williams’ steady pace paid off, and Aston Martin’s splits on practice (one AMR25 still on old spec in FP1/2) mostly didn’t come into play as hoped.

Expectations vs Reality (Major Teams)

• McLaren: Expected to be strong and they were, locking out Practice and Quali, and getting a double podium. They slightly underperformed relative to hopes by not converting pole into a win – P2 and P3 are solid, but starting from P1 and finishing P3 felt “disappointing” to Piastri. Still, team principal Stella viewed it as “positive overall”.
• Red Bull: Coming off reliability hiccups, they executed nearly perfectly. Verstappen did what was expected: win. Tsunoda’s flip was embarrassing, but Marko swore his seat was safe. The “upgrades worked” as Verstappen said, and he extended the win streak to four Imola victories. Reality matched their status as contenders.
• Ferrari: Hopes were high for a home win, but reality was harsh. Both cars barely made Q3 and ended up 4th and 6th. Race pace was decent (Hamilton said car was “super” in parts), but starting so low on the grid doomed any podium chances. Clearly, they struggled with set-up all weekend, showing that expectation (Ferrari strong here) vs reality (they weren’t) was a stark mismatch.
• Mercedes: An improving weekend. Russell and rookie Antonelli locked out Q3 with strong pace, and Hamilton ran P4 despite Q12. However, they fell off compared to McLaren/Red Bull’s dominance. Russell summed it up: he “struggled with the rear end” in the race, and Mercedes was still chasing consistent lap-1 performance. They’ll head to Monaco hoping to sharpen the qualifying advantage Mercedes historically enjoys.
• Williams: This team outperformed many previews. Their expectation was to fight for Q3, and they achieved that (both in Q2 for the first time in ages) and turned it into P5 and P8 finishes. Albon’s fight with the Ferraris showed genuine race pace. Given they’re still solidly 4th in the constructors, a “too good to be true” result (nearly a podium) was a welcome one. Williams exceeded expectations this weekend.
• Aston Martin: Predicted to at least come away with points if their upgrades were effective. Upgrades did help in speed, but luck did not – both cars fell victim to unlucky SC timing. Alonso summed it as “extreme bad luck”. Reality: competitive performance but bad breaks meant P11/P15 instead of hopes of P7+/P8. A bittersweet weekend for Stroll and Alonso.
• Alpine: One might have expected Gasly to scrape into points with the new car and unhappy rivals, but he missed out. Colapinto made a mistake in Q1 and never recovered. The team is in “a much better place” per Gasly, but results still lag ambitions.
• Others: Haas and Kick Sauber were not expected to score, and didn’t. Racing Bulls’ Hadjar (fifth-year F1) broke into the top 10 and scored in P9, a mild surprise.

In summary, the weekend largely played out as predicted: McLarens fast, Red Bull triumphant, Mercedes second-tier, and most surprises came from small team bumps (Williams) or bad luck (Ferrari/Aston). The biggest eyebrow-raiser was Ferrari’s underperformance at home.

Post-Race Standings & Outlook

The championship picture tightened at the front. Piastri now leads with 146 points, only 13 ahead of Norris’s 133 – Verstappen is third on 124, just 9 behind Norris. In one weekend, Verstappen cut Piastri’s lead from 32 to 22. McLaren leads the Constructors’ Championship comfortably (approx McLaren ~279, Mercedes ~159, Red Bull ~131 after this round).

Next up is the Monaco Grand Prix (May 23–25). This street circuit will demand a very different set-up (low downforce, high mechanical grip). It traditionally hurts cars that rely on straight-line speed and helps those with low-speed balance – Ferrari will hope to bounce back there. Norris and Piastri, brimming with confidence, will aim to extend McLaren’s momentum. Verstappen and Red Bull will want to keep pressure on – Verstappen already has strong Monaco form, so the fight is on. Alonso will look to capitalize on Imola’s lessons to finally score, and young drivers like Antonelli and Colapinto will get their first taste of Monaco. The next few days will be about recouping, debriefing strategies, and fine-tuning for the most famous street race of all.

Team Strategy & Performance Overview

Every squad left Imola with clear lessons. McLaren learned that their race pace was strong (Andrea Stella called it “a strong position”), but fine-tuning two-stop vs one-stop strategy in future is crucial. Red Bull reinforced their tyre management expertise (Verstappen praised how well he “looked after my tyres”) and learned that pitting on lap 29 was perfectly timed. Ferrari confirmed that understanding tyre degradation at Imola is key – running Leclerc as long as they did cost them when the Safety Car came. Williams validated their tyres’ durability (Albon called their pace “consistent”) and will build on that. Aston Martin saw that their upgrade package did what it should (both cars into Q3); now they’ll work on reliability and maybe diversify strategies to avoid the VSC trap they fell into. Alpine still needs cohesion on track; Gasly’s praise of Friday was a start, but translating that to race is next step. Mercedes noted rear-axle temperature issues this hot weekend (as noted in their debrief) and will chase solutions. In essence, strengths and weaknesses were underlined for each team, setting the stage for hot-weather tweaks and the peculiar demands of Monaco.

Off-Track Stories

A few storylines bubbled beneath the surface. Post-race talk turned to the F1 calendar – F1 CEO Domenicali had hinted Imola might struggle to stay on the schedule, so Piastri and Verstappen quickly voiced their support for historic tracks. McLaren CEO Zak Brown joined in, suggesting rotation rather than dropping these classics. The community clearly doesn’t want Imola to disappear, especially after thrilling grands prix like this.

Another subplot was Tsunoda’s tenure at Red Bull. After Qualifying he was shaken but not hurt, and Marko later insisted his seat was secure despite the “huge setback”. Former Red Bull driver Timo Glock lamented how Verstappen’s success has left teammates feeling “devastated” under pressure. In parallel, the Racing Bulls team (Red Bull’s junior outfit) is gaining attention: Hadjar scored again and Lawson (after being bumped out of Red Bull) showed promising pace in FP3. Both teams have a lot of internal talk about who will partner Verstappen beyond 2025.

Media buzz also circled Alpine’s changes: team boss Oliver Oakes had left the week prior (Gasly’s article noted it), and fans will watch how Colapinto adapts. Finally, there was chatter about the 2025 regulations looming, but nothing overshadowed the on-track drama this weekend.

Championship Update: Piastri leads 146–133–124 (he, Norris, Verstappen). McLaren has pulled ahead of Mercedes and Red Bull in the team race. With Monaco next, every point matters, and after Imola it’s clear the title fight is very much alive.

Looking Ahead: Every major team left Imola with lessons. McLaren’s bar is set high (“I’m excited for tomorrow,” Piastri had said optimistically after Qualifying), while Red Bull will celebrate but also refine consistency. Ferrari knows they need a big rebound in qualifying. Williams will keep believing in their progress. The street circuit of Monaco awaits, promising a whole new set of challenges. But if Imola has taught us anything, it’s that F1 in 2025 is fiercely close – and full of surprises.