F1 Results Today: McLaren beaten as double retirement causes ch….read more
The 2025 Imola Grand Prix saw an action-packed race with Max Verstappen emerging victorious, while McLaren’s hopes were dashed due to strategic missteps and a chaotic series of events. The Red Bull driver displayed his racing prowess from the opening lap, overtaking McLaren’s Oscar Piastri with a bold move at the Tamburello chicane. That maneuver gave Verstappen the early advantage, allowing him to establish a commanding lead over the pursuing McLaren drivers.
Despite losing track position, McLaren still had plans to challenge Verstappen strategically. During the first round of pit stops, Piastri attempted an undercut in a bid to leapfrog the reigning world champion. However, the plan unraveled when McLaren encountered a slow pit stop, which cost Piastri crucial seconds and undermined his chance to regain the lead. This pit stop issue proved pivotal, allowing Verstappen to maintain his position at the front of the pack.
McLaren’s struggles were further compounded when Esteban Ocon, driving for Haas, suffered a retirement and parked his car off the track, triggering a Virtual Safety Car (VSC). The timing of the VSC couldn’t have worked out better for Verstappen, who had yet to make his pit stop. By pitting under VSC conditions, he lost significantly less time compared to his rivals and rejoined the race still in the lead. As a result, he stretched his advantage to an astonishing 18 seconds by Lap 45, with Piastri and Lando Norris trailing in second and third.
But the drama at Imola was far from over. On Lap 46, young Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli brought the race to another turning point when he suffered an engine issue and stopped on the grass at Turn 7. This incident forced race control to deploy the full safety car, instantly neutralizing Verstappen’s hard-earned lead and bunching up the entire field for a final sprint to the finish.
The safety car period set the stage for an intense 10-lap shootout as the drivers prepared for a dramatic conclusion to the race. Although Verstappen had dominated much of the race, the closing laps were filled with tension due to the compressed field. McLaren, despite showing strong pace early on, had been hampered by operational misfortune and missed opportunities, which left them unable to truly capitalize on the late restart.
In the end, Verstappen held his nerve to secure yet another victory, while McLaren were left reflecting on what might have been. The Imola GP underscored the fine margins in Formula 1, where race pace, strategy, and timing can turn triumph into disappointment in a matter of seconds.
