Summary

  • Max Verstappen wins Emilia-Romagna GP

  • Lando Norris passes Oscar Piastri to take second

  • Piastri third, Hamilton fourth and Albon fifth

  • Antonelli retirement brought out late safety car

  • Verstappen overtook pole-sitter Piastri at start

  • Get involved: #bbcf1

Live Reporting

Lorraine McKenna

  1. Lap 8/63

    Lando Norris still isn't close enough to pounce on George Russell, the Mercedes driver defending the imminent attack from the McLaren. Will Norris fancy his chances on lap nine? Probably...

  2. Lap 7/63

    Lando Norris has DRS in the McLaren but he can't get close enough to make it stick on George Russell for that final podium place. Lewis Hamilton is being patient in his pursuit of Kimi Antonelli for the Italian teenager's P11 spot.

  3. 'Piastri had no choice but to let him go'

    Andrew Benson
    BBC F1 correspondent

    The problem was Oscar Piastri defended on the inside and had to brake earlier because he had a shallower entry to the corner. Max [Verstappen] took advantage of that in absolute spectacular style to go round the outside. He was cleanly alongside him and was a tiny bit ahead as they turned into the second apex and Piastri had no choice but to let him go.

  4. Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    There is a slight mix of tyre strategies, a few people have started on the harder tyre including Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli.

    They will be hoping to go longer and much deeper into this race before making what we expect to be their one and only pit stop.

  5. Lap 6/63

    Max Verstappen has clocked a fastest lap as he continues to pull an advantage out over the Mclaren of Oscar Piastri. The gap between the pair is 1.5 seconds - on a track the overtakes mid-race or few and far between

  6. Lap 5/63

    Isack Hadjar, meanwhile is. staying on the points in 10th place but he has fellow rookie Kimi Antonelli hunting his Racing Bulls car down, in between trying to keep Lewis Hamilton at bay.

  7. Lap 4/63

    Max Verstappen leads in Imola from Oscar Piastri and the Mercedes of George Russell. Lando Norris is holding in fourth and Fernando Alonso is keeping his powder dry in his fifth place. Lewis Hamilton is chasing down young pup Kimi Antonelli.

    A replay of the start shows Russell not happy with Piastri's defending. "What was he doing?" said the Mercedes man.

    Max Verstappen leads in Imolareu

  8. Get Involved

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    I don't understand why other drivers give Max so much room. Oscar basically ushered him through.

    Micki

  9. 'Perfect from Verstappen'

    Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    It was perfect from Max Verstappen, it wasn't messy and it wasn't overly aggressive, it was just great.

  10. Lap 3/63

    Charles Leclerc is battling his best mate Pierre Gasly at Piratella but the Alpine man finds the challenge rough and he ends up running wide through the gravel. The Frenchman has dropped to 14th place and out of the points; Leclerc has climbed to ninth spot.

  11. Lap 2/63

    Max Verstappen took Oscar Piastri on the outside as the pair navigated the opening chicane. It was clean racing between the pair and the Dutchman is now pulling away.

    Charles Leclerc has moved up a place to P10 and Kimi Antonelli is now P12 - taking the spot of Lewis Hamilton, who drops down to 13th place.

  12. 'You don't need to open the door much for Verstappen'

    Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    You can probably argue that it was a little bit too cautious for Oscar Piastri, he opened the door and you don't need to open it much for Max Verstappen to go through.

  13. Go! Go! Go!

    Lap 1/63

    The European leg of the season starts now!

    Oscar Piastri gets a good getaway but Max Verstappen is following closely in the Red Bull. George Russell has a sniff of challenging the Dutchman but Verstappen's eyes are firmly fixed on Oscar Piastri's P1 place - and he's got it! Verstappen is brave and by the exit of the Tamburello chicane, he's leading at Imola.

    Max Verstappen leads in ImolaReuters

  14. Here we go...

  15. 'Opening lap is going to set the tone'

    Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    The opening lap of this race is really going to set the tone for the remainder of the race because whoever gets through the first couple of corners in the lead has the ability to control the pace and that's going to be critical.

  16. Team radio - Colapinto to Alpine

    "Thank you for getting the car back together."

  17. Formation lap

    Franco Colapinto gives his Alpine team a huge thank you for getting him back on track following his qualifying crash yesterday. The Argentine has fans who have flown over to support him in Italy, so what type of recovery driver can he do from P16 on the hard tyre on his first day back at F1 big school?

  18. 'The race might be quite static'

    Andrew Benson
    BBC F1 correspondent

    The race might be quite static because overtaking is so difficult here. The question is if you're behind someone and you feel quicker, how do you get past them?

    Do you under-cut them, so stopping first and then use the grip from the fresh tyres to build a lead? Or do you run longer here? The running longer, also known as over-cut, will be less appealing.

  19. Formation lap

    Oscar Piastri can claim his fourth win a row if he keeps Max Verstappen at bay today. Who leads out of the Tamburello chicane? Left thumb for Oscar, right thumb for Max.

    Top 11 are starting on the medium C5 tyre. Ferrari have split their strategy: Charles Leclerc is on the yellows, Lewis Hamilton is a hard C4 runner.

    Kimi Antonelli in P13 is also making his way round on the hards.

  20. 'If anyone can take on Verstappen in that first corner, it's Piastri'

    Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    It's going to be an intriguing opener, Turn One itself is quite narrow and it's not really wide enough to get two cars side by side through it.

    Oscar Piastri is very young but seemingly an experienced head on his shoulders, he remains calm under pressure and if anyone can take on Max Verstappen in that first corner, it's him.