F1 LIVE: Emilia Romagna Grand Prix sprint race after second practice

Summary

Verstappen passes Leclerc on penultimate lap to win sprint race at Imola
P3 Perez, P4 Sainz, P5 Norris, P6 Ricciardo, P7 Bottas, P8 Magnussen
Both Mercedes finish outside top 10
Top 8 finishers receive points: 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Verstappen to start Sunday's main race from pole position
First of three sprint race weekends in 2022 season

Live Reporting

Gary Rose

Postpublished at 17:03 British Summer Time 23 April 2022
Up for another tussle between these two?⏬
We will be back for build up to tomorrow's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at 12:45 BST, with lights out at 14:00.
Join us then!
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Verstappen wins first sprint of seasonpublished at 16:57 British Summer Time 23 April 2022
Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer
Image source, Getty Images
Red Bull's Max Verstappen caught and passed Ferrari's Charles Leclerc with two laps to go to win the sprint race at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
The result gives the world champion pole position for the start of the main race on Sunday, and reduces his deficit in the championship to 45 points.
Verstappen started the sprint from pole but lost the lead at the start.
But he bided his time before coming back at Leclerc and passing around the outside on the penultimate lap.
Red Bull's Sergio Perez fought up from seventh on the grid at Imola to finish third, while Ferrari's Carlos Sainz moved up from 10th to take fourth.
With more points awarded for the sprint event this year, Sainz's fourth place moves him ahead of Mercedes' George Russell into third place in the championship.
Read Andrew Benson's full report here.
'We haven't got it right this year'published at 16:53 British Summer Time 23 April 2022
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, who finished 14th: "It is what it is and it is what we have. We haven't got it right this year but everyone is working hard to correct it.
"It wasn't the greatest of years in 2013 but we've had great years since then. We stick together and try to motivate everyone.
"We are obviously not fighting for the championship but we are fighting to improve the car and progress through the year."
'A difficult weekend'published at 16:49 British Summer Time 23 April 2022
Mercedes' George Russell, who finished 11th: "It is tricky in these sprint races. It felt processional from where we were. We have work to do.
"Strategy will be key tomorrow and we will have to do something different from others and give us the opportunity to fight and move up the grid.
"It has been a difficult weekend for us. We probably overachieved in the first three races and this weekend we are probably behind where we want to be."
Super Sainzpublished at 16:46 British Summer Time 23 April 2022
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Carlos Sainz moves up to second in the standings after that superb recovery drive, going from 10th to fourth to score four points.
Drivers' championship - how it standspublished at 16:43 British Summer Time 23 April 2022
Some movement on the drivers' standings after that sprint race with Carlos Sainz moving above George Russell into second while Max Verstappen nudged ahead of Lewis Hamilton into fifth.
1. Charles Leclerc - 78 points
2. Carlos Sainz - 38
2. George Russell - 37
4. Sergio Perez - 36
5. Max Verstappen - 33
6. Lewis Hamilton - 28
Postpublished at 16:35 British Summer Time 23 April 2022
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'A great position for tomorrow'published at 16:33 British Summer Time 23 April 2022
Sergio Perez, who finished third: "It was important to minimise qualifying from yesterday. Today we managed to recover and I think we are in a great position tomorrow.
"It would be ideal to get a one-two tomorrow. That will be great for us but probably not for the Tifosi!"
'Struggled with the tyres'published at 16:28 British Summer Time 23 April 2022
Charles Leclerc, who finished second: "We struggled with the tyres at the end so we need to analyse that for tomorrow and make sure we are ready.
"The pace was good until then but we started to have some graining and lost it at the end."
On the home support: "It is incredible. Every time we are in Italy we have so much support and it is amazing to see so many people in the stands."
Happy, but tomorrow will be different'published at 16:23 British Summer Time 23 April 2022
Image source, Getty Images
Sprint race winner Max Verstappen: "The start was very bad. I don't know exactly what happened but after that we had to stay calm. Initially it looked like Charles had more pace but I think he ran out of tyres and I was able to close the gap. I know tomorrow will be different. Happy to have a clean sprint race in the end.
"I am happy about today but I know tomorrow - with other tyre compounds coming in - it will be different."
Get involvedpublished at 16:20 British Summer Time 23 April 2022
#bbcf1 or text 81111 (UK only - standard message rates apply)
Johan V Steffensen: Hm... If not for that safety car, that could've gotten a bit hairy for all the soft runners. Interesting to see that for tomorrow.
Andrew Priestley: An excellent recovery drive from Carlos Sainz this afternoon to put himself back in the mix for tomorrow afternoon’s Grand Prix. Hugely important for Ferrari’s strategic battle with Red Bull as well.
Niamh: I think that's the dullest race I've ever watched. And they think this will bring in new fans.
Sprint race - the restpublished at 16:14 British Summer Time 23 April 2022
11) Russell
12) Tsunoda
13) Vettel
14) Hamilton
15) Stroll
16) Ocon
17) Gasly
18) Albon
19) Latifi
20) Zhou
Postpublished at 16:10 British Summer Time 23 April 2022
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'Better on our tyres by the end'published at 16:09 British Summer Time 23 April 2022
Sprint race winner Max Verstappen: "My start was not very good. It took a while to try to put the pressure on but I think we were a bit better on our tyres by the end of the race.
"It was fast, pushing quite a bit."
Sprint race top 10published at 16:07 British Summer Time 23 April 2022
1) Verstappen
2) Leclerc
3) Perez
4) Sainz
5) Norris
6) Ricciardo
7) Bottas
8) Magnussen
9) Alonso
10) Schumacher
Postpublished at 16:06 British Summer Time 23 April 2022
Brilliant battle between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. We've seen some great tussles between the two already this season and it bodes well for the rest of 2022.
Postpublished at 16:05 British Summer Time 23 April 2022
And with this victory Max Verstappen will start on pole position for tomorrow's grand prix.
Charles Leclerc finishes second while Sergio Perez is third.
Chequered flagpublished at 16:05 British Summer Time 23 April 2022
Max Verstappen wins the sprint race at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix!
Postpublished at Lap 21/21
Max Verstappen is storming away now and Charles Leclerc can do little but to watch his rival get smaller and smaller. Verstappen is two seconds ahead now approaching the finish...
Verstappen passes Leclerc for the lead!published at Lap 20/21
Max Verstappen was right to ask to be left to focus as he continues to hunt down Charles Leclerc before sweeping round the outside of the Ferrari into Tamburello.
Great move and Verstappen leads approaching the final lap.