Max Verstappen won the Emilia Romagna Grand-Prix, with his teammate Sergio Perez behind him making it a 1-2 for RedBull for the first time since 2016.
Starting Grid:
VER | LEC | PER | SAI | NOR | RIC | BOT | MAG | ALO| SCH | RUS | TSU | VET | HAM | STR | OCO | GAS | ALB | LAT | ZHO |
Zhou started from pitlane.
“It’s lights out and away we go!”
Not long in the opening lap and the safety car is emerged after Daniel Ricciardo pushed Carlos Sainz into the gravel at Tamburello and out of the race. There was no further investigation.
Leclerc drops down in 4th place behind Norris.
Safety Car ended in lap 4. Russell got up to 6 behind Magnussen, Schumacher down in P17 after going off-track.
LAP 7- Alonso is out of the race after a big damage on his sidepod that came from the contact with Schumacher on the opening lap.
In LAP 12 we had an amazing duel between Russell and Haas’ Magnussen, the Mercedes got passed into the Gresini chicane. LAP 14 Bottas gets passed Magnussen too.
First change on slicks was from Ricciardo who took the risk on Mediums in lap 18.
LAP 18-19 most of the cars are pitting leaving only VER, LEC and NOR on track. In LAP 20 everyone is on mediums.
Ocon and Hamilton were under investigation after an unsafe release which resulted into a five-seconds time penalty for Ocon.
LAP 23- SCH goes off track but returns.
Ricciardo pits for the third time and changes on Hards.
DRS enabled in LAP 35.
If last year, we were used to see Hamilton battling in front with Verstappen…today we saw a battle with Gasly for P13 and in LAP 41 Verstappen laps the 7-times WDC.
LAP 49- Zhou passes Latifi for P15 and Tsunoda past Magnussen in P8 while his teammate was out of the points in P13.
LAP 51, Leclerc pits and Lando gets passed him at the pit exit.
PER, VER and LEC on softs.
LAP 54, Leclerc out of the track at Variante Alta and he falls in P9. In LAP 60 he moves past in P7.
FINAL LAP and Verstappen wins the EMILIA ROMAGNA GP, Perez makes it a 1-2 for RedBull and McLaren’s Norris in P3 meanwhile his teammate is at the back in P18. Russell in P4 ahead of ex-Mercedes driver Bottas with 0.6s and Hamilton P13, Gasly ahead of him in P12. Leclerc finishes in P6 ahead of Tsunoda, Vettel, Magnussen and Stroll last one in the points and the last driver to get lapped. The Williams’ Albon in P11 and Latifi in P16 behind Zhou. Ocon was the only one from Alpine to finish the race as Alonso DNF in lap 7. Schumacher in P17 ahead of Ricciardo. Sainz DNF.
Verstappen took the Grand-Slam taking Pole Position, lead every lap and set the fastest lap of the Grand-Prix.
NEXT: MIAMI GRAND PRIX brand-new circuit debut on 6-8 May!