Verstappen beat McLaren’s Lando Norris and the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc within the 63-lap race on the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari.
2024 F1 Imola Grand Prix outcomes
2024 F1 Imola Grand Prix report
Polesitter Verstappen led the cost to Flip 1, forward of Norris and the Ferraris, with Leclerc forward of Carlos Sainz. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri stayed fifth, after his three-place grid penalty had dropped him off the entrance row.
Lewis Hamilton moved his Mercedes as much as seventh on the opening lap, because the slow-starting Yuki Tsunoda (RB) fell from seventh to ninth, additionally dropping a spot to Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas.
Verstappen pulled 2.5s away from Norris by lap 10, which grew to over 5.5s by lap 20.
George Russell (Mercedes) was the primary of the highest six to pit, with second-placed Norris pitting on lap 23, switching from mediums to hards like nearly all of runners. However, annoyingly for McLaren, he rejoined proper behind Sergio Perez (Crimson Bull), who’d began on onerous tyres after his disastrous qualifying however suffered an early journey by the gravel at Rivazza.
Norris needed to DRS previous Perez, as team-mate Piastri stopped a lap later. Verstappen pitted on lap 25, which promoted Leclerc and Sainz into a short Ferrari 1-2, rejoining in fourth, 4.4s forward of Norris, who was now free to set quickest lap.
Leclerc stopped a lap later, rejoining behind Perez and with Piastri closing quick. Leclerc DRS-ed previous Perez on lap 27 for fifth, however Piastri was in a position to comply with him previous him earlier than the Villeneuve chicane.
Sainz led till lap 28, when he pitted, rejoining sixth and having given a spot as much as Piastri by the pitstop cycle. He handed Perez for fifth at Tamburello on lap 30, a transfer repeated by Russell a lap later.
At half distance, Verstappen’s lead was as much as 6.6s over Norris, with Leclerc an extra 3s again – and Piastri, who set quickest lap at this level, was chasing him onerous.
Leclerc then closed on Norris, as they approached the battling Kevin Magnussen (Haas) and Zhou Guanyu (Sauber). However Leclerc took a fast journey throughout the grass at Variante Alta on lap 47 and fell away once more.
Verstappen’s lead dwindled within the closing levels, as he complained of worn tyres, and Norris pushed to get inside 2s with six laps remaining. However as quickly as he bought inside 1.5s, he began to run broad on nook exits, and Verstappen was in a position to handle the hole regardless of some battery administration considerations.
On the end, Verstappen gained by 0.7s from a hard-charging Norris, Leclerc, Piastri and Sainz.
Hamilton suffered a visit by the gravel at Aqua Minerale on his technique to sixth, as team-mate Russell successfully handed him that spot by stopping once more on lap 53, setting the quickest lap on his technique to seventh.
Perez positioned eighth on his different technique, forward of a late-stopping Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) and Tsunoda.