The three-time world champion, Dutchman Max Verstappen, is back! Despite a shaky start to the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix weekend in Imola, he emerged victorious once again. Verstappen had to put up a strong fight against McLaren’s Lando Norris, who was just 0.7 seconds behind him in the penultimate lap. Norris could’ve overtaken Verstappen to secure his career’s second win in a row, but Verstappen’s experience prevailed.
Lewis Hamilton was told that he was matching Max Verstappen's pace on the Hard tires.
Lewis: "Who won?"
Bono: "Verstappen won, but Norris gave him a good run for his money, just 0.7 at the line"pic.twitter.com/HXYhaLMgU5#F1 #Formula1 #ImolaGP
— Desi Racing Co. (@DesiRacingco) May 19, 2024
Lewis noted that he had matched trhe pace of Max Verstappen while he was running Hard Compund tires. In a post of ‘Desi Racing Co’, “Lewis Hamilton was told that he was matching Max Verstappen’s pace on the Hard tires. Lewis: “Who won?” Bono: “Verstappen won, but Norris gave him a good run for his money, just 0.7 at the line”
Verstappen’s win at Imola GP was significant not only for the race victory but also for breaking Lewis Hamilton’s record. Verstappen now holds a 30.73% win percentage compared to Hamilton’s 30.38%. This achievement marks a turning point in their rivalry.
Max Verstappen accepted the struggle
In the post-race interview, Verstappen revealed the challenges he faced during the race: “The whole race I had to push flat out to try and make it up initially. On the medium tires, we were quite strong. However, on the hard tires, it was more difficult to manage, especially in the last 10 to 15 laps. I had no grip anymore, and I was sliding a lot.” Despite these difficulties, Verstappen held his ground and secured his 59th Grand Prix victory.
Almost all teams introduced upgrades to their cars for this weekend’s race. While most teams struggled with flawed upgrades, Verstappen controlled the pace. Norris pushed hard but missed his second win by a mere 0.7 seconds. Verstappen’s determination and experience shone through, making him the standout performer at Imola.
READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton Apologizes to Max Verstappen After Collision Sparks Anger in 3-Time World Champion
