F1 Imola GP: Max Verstappen Beats Lando Norris in Intense Showdown at Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

At Imola, Max Verstappen claimed his fifth win of the season, fending off a late charge from Lando Norris, who closed the gap to just one second on the final lap, making for a thrilling finish. Ultimately, Verstappen crossed the line with a slim 0.7-second lead over Norris. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc secured third place after exhibiting a consistent performance. During the pit stops, Oscar Piastri overtook Carlos Sainz to finish fourth, while Lewis Hamilton passed George Russell after his second stop. Lance Stroll and Yuki Tsunoda completed the top ten, with Sergio Perez finishing in eighth after a disappointing weekend.

Following his narrow victory in Imola, Max Verstappen has extended his lead in the F1 drivers' standings. Charles Leclerc secured another top-three finish, moving ahead of Sergio Perez in the rankings.

With that victory, Verstappen's start-to-win ratio is now 30.7% ????

That makes him the best on the current grid, edging ahead of Hamilton's 30.4% ????#F1 #ImolaGP pic.twitter.com/hLMQZFJaZ0

— Formula 1 (@F1) May 19, 2024

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F1 Imola Grand Prix: Race Result

As difficult as it is to overtake on the tight Imola track, this year's addition of gravel traps at crucial corners – replacing asphalt run-off areas – made passing even more challenging. After making a mistake and sprinting across the grass, Charles Leclerc lost time and was unable to catch up to Lando Norris in the middle of the race.

Following a penalty for blocking Kevin Magnussen's Haas, Oscar Piastri – who had qualified second for McLaren – was demoted to fifth. While Carlos Sainz was in the pits, the Australian passed him and finished fourth. George Russell and seven-time winner Lewis Hamilton had a rough weekend for Mercedes, with Russell finishing eighth and Hamilton sixth.

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Leclerc jumped up to second place, passing Perez, while Verstappen expanded his lead to 48 points with this victory.