Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Red Bull's Max Verstappen took a dominant victory in the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix founded on an audacious overtaking move on the first lap.

The four-time champion passed pole-sitter Oscar Piastri's McLaren around the outside of the first chicane after the start and controlled the race from there.

A late safety car closed the field up and put the McLarens of Piastri and Lando Norris on Verstappen's tail.

But a consummate restart from Verstappen allowed him to break free while Norris, on much fresher tyres than Piastri, fought for three laps before finally passing the Australian to take second.

Read the full race report here

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It's first strike to Max Verstappen in the opening part of this European triple-header but Oscar Piastri is still ahead in the drivers' championship. The first trio of back-to-back grands prix last month is where the McLaren driver made his moves in the title race, so what can he do in Monaco and Spain?

Thanks for joining us this weekend, folks. Let's meet up again in a few days' time and do it all over again. Oh, and special thanks to the 161 of you who said you also call it a lolly ice. Myself and Alan have been trounced in the thumb war but it's comforting to know there are more of you out there.

Any questions you have after Imola for the Fan Q&A, send them through to F1 correspondent Andrew Benson using the link here.

First practice in Monte Carlo - which is looking sunny for the full three days - starts at 12:30 BST on Friday, 23 May.

See you next week!

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This is the second triple-header of the season, so there's no rest for any of us.

Next weekend it's the jewel in the F1 crown, the Monaco Grand Prix, from 23-25 May. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took an emotional victory on home soil last year from pole position - another race were Saturday grid qualifying is king.

After that, we're heading to Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix from 30 May-1 June to close out the packed schedule and welcome in a new month.

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Ferrari team principal, Fred Vasseur speaking to Sky Sports on being so close to having a driver on the podium: "The positive side of this is that the pace was strong from beginning to end. The strategy was good and well executed. I'm a bit frustrated because if we started the race in a better position we could've done better."

On Charles Lecter giving up his position for his team-mate Lewis Hamilton: "We were under investigation, at this stage our understanding of the situation was that it was very on the edge. It made sense to give up one position."

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Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton started in P12 and finished in fourth. He said: "I'm so, so happy, the experience with the tifosi, wow, so thank you to everyone who came out.

"It was really special for me to see the sea of red but it looks like one of the biggest crowds we've had here. It felt vintage, it felt like back in the day when I was watching Michael [Schumacher] race here, it was a really great to see and experience.

"I definitely didn't expect us to finish fourth, I didn't know where we would be able to come given we were so far back.

"The car really felt great and the team did a fantastic job with strategy, they were faultless. We are slowly getting there and me and Riccardo [Adami] did a fantastic job with his communication with me.

"I was calm and I think he was calm and the team were calm in executing the strategy and the pit stops were awesome.

"Overall, mega! I was hoping for some extra laps and maybe we could have fought for a podium."

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who finished sixth, speaking on Sky Sports: "You've got to race with heart and put elbows out. You go to the limit and sometimes a bit over. When you start P11, as a driver, I cannot accept the situation we are in."

On his battle with Alex Albon: "With Alex, it was on the limit for sure, as the rules are written, I was on the limit. I don't regret what I have done. I knew when I didn't take a pit stop in the second safety car, it was going to be a difficult race."

On wanting DRS from team-mate Lewis Hamilton: "My dash was a lap or two over so I thought it was the last lap, the team explained [Lewis Hamilton was catching Oscar Piastri] and I understood the situation, and the team told me to let Alex by."

Charles Leclerc has come out and is standing on the barriers giving the Italian fans plenty of love. In the media pen, he says he had to race with heart today.

And fresh off the press, confirmation there will be no further action for the incident between Leclerc Alex Albon when the two were battling on track towards the end of the race, as the Ferrari man voluntarily gave the place back.

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'P-nowhere' is definitely get used again this season, so thanks Charles Leclerc. But at least the Monegasque driver and team-mate Lewis Hamilton rallied together to deliver the tifosi points on the board today. We did hear Leclerc vent on the radio about VSC stops and the battle with Alex Albon, so hopefully he'll give us his full thoughts on his Imola performance shortly.

As for Hamilton, he told Ferrari he was "so grateful and so proud" after going from P12 to P4. He added if the team can get qualifying sorted and grab a couple of race wins, they'll be on the right track.

"Those overtakes were explosive," his engineer said. "I was pushing, mate!" Hamilton replied.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has got his phone out and has taken to X to say: "Double podium in Imola. Awesome work from Lando, Oscar, and the team both trackside and back home. Full focus now on Monaco.

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The race was won for Max Verstappen once he'd made that outside overtake at the first chicane stick against polesitter Oscar Piastri. This victory, the 65th of his career, is also the 116th podium place with Red Bull.

McLaren keep their noses in front thanks to another double podium and they now lead second-placed Mercedes by 132 points. Red Bull and Ferrari stay in third and fourth and fifth-placed Williams pull further away from Haas in sixth. The gap between the two teams is now 31 points.

1. McLaren - 279

2. Mercedes - 147

3. Red Bull - 131

4. Ferrari - 114

5. Williams - 51

6. Haas - 20

7. Aston Martin - 14

8. Racing Bulls - 10

9. Alpine - 7

10. Sauber - 6

Finishing third hasn't dented Oscar Piastri's title charge too much. The Australian is leading McLaren team-mate Lando Norris by 13 points after seven races. Max Verstappen in third is 22 points off Piastri's tally.

What a season Alex Albon is having. The Williams man is eighth in the standings and only eight points off Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli in seventh.

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 146

2. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 133

3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 124

4. George Russell (Mercedes) - 99

5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 61

6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 53

7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 48

8. Alex Albon (Williams) - 40

9. Esteban Ocon (Haas) - 14

10. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) - 14

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McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who started on pole but finishes third: "[At the beginning], I just braked too early, it was a good move by Max [Verstappen]. It was disappointing, but we made a few wrong calls after that. It wasn't our best Sunday, there's a few things to look at and review. Well done to Max and Red Bull, they had pace today. We'll look back and see what we can do better."

On the virtual safety car: "It was tricky, the virtual safety car was perfectly timed for Verstappen and Lando [Norris] and I used both my hard tyres at that point, it made the last restart tricky. I tried my best to hold on to second, I had nowhere near enough grip, so third it is."

On the overtake by his team mate Lando Norris: "I tried my best, but I didn't have grip and it was inevitable that he was going to get past, but I wasn't going to give up without a fight."

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McLaren's Lando Norris, who finished second in Imola: "It was a long race, from that perspective it was not easy to overtake but we did what we could. Max drove a good race, they were quick today, probably a little quicker. We had a good little battle at the end between Oscar and myself which was tense, but always good fun.

"A good race. For us as a team, second and third is great. Of course you would love to be up there fighting against Max but they were too good for us today."

On the battle with George Russell: "I mean it was with George, and I could see he was struggling with his tyres, it's risky and you don't want to take too much risk. It's a situation you have to take advantage of. We are racing - but he is a good racer, a fair racer."

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Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who wins for the fourth time in a row in Imola: "The start itself wasn’t particularly great but I was still on the normal line and I thought I would try and send it round the outside and it worked really well.

"That then unleashed our pace because once we were in the lead, the car was good and I could look after my tyres, we had very good pace on today.

"It’s a massive improvement from Friday and I’m very pleased for that. That virtual safety car was quite handy to pit, even on the hard compound our pace was very strong, but then there was a safety car so the field was back together. Even on the restart we managed it really well and brought it home.

"I’m incredibly proud of everyone, it’s been a very important week for us and the car has performed really well and also I think the execution of the whole race was very good."

On the next race in Monaco: "I like driving and racing in Formula 1, next week it’s a completely different kind of track in Monaco and that’s also going to be very challenging but for the moment I just want to enjoy today and take it in."

On the fans: "It’s always fantastic to be in Italy, proper passion for motorsport so it’s fantastic to see all these fans out here the whole weekend, so thank you for coming."

Champagne momentpublished at 15:55 British Summer Time

15:55 BST

The cooldown room chat is done - all very pleasant between the top three - and now it's time for the podium celebrations. Max Verstappen takes his place on the number one as the Italian fans below chant loudly. This is Red Bull's 400th race in Formula 1, so to cap it off with a win in a car that had questions marks over its pace at the start of the weekend is an achievement only the Dutchman could deliver.

This is Verstappen's second win of the 2025 season and moves him to 124 points in the championship - 22 points behind leader Oscar Piastri. Lando Norris stays in second place on 133 points.

11. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

12. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)

13. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

14. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)

15. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

16. Franco Colapinto (Mercedes)

17. Oliver Bearman (Haas)

18. Gabriel Bortoleto (sauber)

DNF. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)

DNF. Esteban Ocon (Haas)

David Coulthard is doing the post-race interviews today and when Lando Norris steps up to chat, the former McLaren driver says Norris smells really nice. Not sure if he's taking the mick but after 63 laps in a hot car, I'd question his nostrils.

How would you rate that race? There were winners and losers up and down the grid, with the virtual safety car and full safety car playing a big part in the final order. Aston Martin, after starting in the points, come away from this first race of the triple-header empty handed. Fernando Alonso in particular felt he had zero luck with safety cars today.

Marc Priestley
Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

That race exceeded all of my expectations, I loved every single second of it. I thought we got some brilliant executions up and down the field.

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

2. Lando Norris (McLaren)

3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)

5. Alex Albon (Williams)

6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

7. George Russell (Mercedes)

8. Carlos Sainz (Williams)

9. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)

10. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)