Formula One 2025: Max Verstappen conquers Imola in Red Bull’s 400th race

If there’s anyone in Formula One who understands the art of maintaining incredible streaks, it’s reigning world champion Max Verstappen. From having the most wins and points in a row to winning four consecutive drivers’ titles, he is an expert in the subject. However, 2025 brought a change in fortune. Heading into Imola, the seventh race of the season, Verstappen had only one win under his belt — a stark contrast to previous years, where he had already claimed four victories by this point.

But write off Verstappen at your own peril. At the iconic Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari — better known as Imola — the Red Bull driver sent a powerful message.

With a bold overtake at Turn 1, Verstappen surged into the lead and never looked back. His victory at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix marked his fourth consecutive win at the circuit, adding yet another record to his already glittering resume.

A monumental occasion

The 2025 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix was not just another stop on the calendar — it marked a historic milestone. This race commemorated the 75th anniversary of Formula One, aligning closely with the date of the sport’s inaugural championship race, held at Silverstone on May 13, 1950.

The track itself is steeped in rich history, experiencing three rebirths – it held the Italian GP in 1980, the San Marino GP from 1981–2006, and the Emilia-Romagna GP from 2020. This year’s event also marked Red Bull Racing’s 400th Grand Prix start, a milestone achieved 20 years after its debut in Australia.

With its narrow layout, limited overtaking zones, and a notoriously tricky pit window, Imola promised an old-school test of strategy, skill and patience over 63 laps.

The Saturday show

Earlier, McLaren looked poised for another strong weekend after dominating all practice sessions. And sure enough, it was Oscar Piastri who once again outpaced teammate Lando Norris to snatch his third career pole position.

Piastri, McLaren’s rising star, had taken over the reins. The young Australian delivered a breakthrough performance with one win and then three more in succession, launching himself to the top of the standings as the second quarter of the 24-race calendar began.

Verstappen had to settle for second on the grid, missing out on a hat-trick of poles. Yet, starting behind Piastri offered an opportunity for payback — after all, the pole-sitter had denied him wins in the two recent races.

Norris could only manage fourth, while it was George Russell who sneaked into the top three, adding to Mercedes’ impressive progress. Local favourite Kimi Antonelli had a disappointing run, exiting in Q2 along with both Ferrari drivers, much to the dismay of the home crowd.

With a mixed starting grid for the main race, and tyre strategies and degradation management being the talk of the town, the stage was set, and a silent comeback was in the reckoning.

THE move

Starting from second on the grid allowed Verstappen a potentially cleaner overtake in the first braking zone — the Tamburello chicane — though it comes with its risks. But to Verstappen, any opportunity to pounce on the leader was welcome.

In a move that will be replayed for years, he braked late, swept around the outside of Piastri, and seized the lead with precision. It was daring yet calculated, and pure Verstappen — an overtake of the highest order.

Piastri likely expected pressure, but not such a bold lunge that early. Caught off guard, the Australian had no choice but to yield. While he stuck close in the following laps, the leader never put a wheel wrong thereafter and commanded the race in a vastly improved Red Bull.

Verstappen was further aided by pit stop strategies. What was expected to be a routine one-stop became anything but, thanks to the appearance of the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) and later, a full Safety Car (SC).

To pit or not to pit

The slowed-down periods reshaped the race, especially for McLaren and a resurging Ferrari. When the VSC was triggered by Esteban Ocon parking trackside, Red Bull immediately pitted Verstappen, gaining an edge.

While Piastri opted for the otherwise advantageous undercut, the VSC came right after, forcing him to charge through the backmarkers  and lose out. Ferrari, which seemed to have found some rhythm to enter the top 10, saw Leclerc‘s momentum also take a hit.

Both drivers made their way quickly, but had to slam the brakes again when Kimi Antonelli’s race came to a heartbreaking end. The SC was deployed, and it was another cheap stop to change tyres. But it was their teammates— Norris and Lewis Hamilton— who swapped to fresher rubber with a handful of laps remaining.

At the restart, Piastri and Leclerc were left fending for their positions rather than attacking for more points, eventually losing out to their partners. Norris finished as the leading McLaren in second with Piastri in third. Fourth-placed Hamilton benefitted from the scuffle between Albon, who secured a second consecutive fifth-place finish, and Leclerc, who came sixth.

Away from all the chaos, Verstappen stormed to the chequered flag for his second win this season — a crucial fightback after a rocky start to 2025. It also commemorated Red Bull’s 400th Grand Prix start, a landmark achievement on a track where it has seen success thanks to its trailblazer.

The triumph also marked Red Bull’s 124th win in the 21st century, pushing it past Ferrari (123) to become the most successful team in terms of race wins this millennium. A 65th career win for Verstappen couldn’t have come at a better time, as he now heads into the double-header with renewed confidence.

MotoGP

From an unbeaten sprint winner to a French hero after decades, the French Grand Prix witnessed MotoGP history.

Heading into the weekend with a one-point deficit to his younger brother, Marc Marquez (in red) was dealt a blow when home rider Fabio Quartararo secured his second successive pole by smashing the Le Mans lap record and starting ahead for both events.

The 26-year-old former world champion had crashed out at the last sprint, handing the place over to Marquez. This time, the Frenchman could not compete with the sheer pace of the Ducati, having to watch the Spaniard make it a sixth sprint win in a row, maintaining a perfect record.

The main race, however, saw fortunes favour another hometown talent — Johann Zarco (front). The LCR Honda rider became the first Frenchman in 71 years to win the French Grand Prix.

Zarco won by a huge margin of nearly 20 seconds ahead of Ducati’s Marquez, who hasn’t won a Sunday race in the last two events. But the latter still enjoys a 22-point lead atop the standings as the riding contingent travels to the Silverstone Circuit for the British Grand Prix.