Max Verstappen Shines Again as Red Bull Demonstrates Resilience
After a “depressing” gap to McLaren in the Miami GP, Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, expressed concerns. However, just two weeks later at Imola, Red Bull proved it is still a formidable force in this F1 season, particularly with Max Verstappen behind the wheel of the RB21.
Verstappen’s Decisive Move Secures Victory
Despite Oscar Piastri’s better launch and George Russell passing Verstappen on the straight, the Dutch driver demonstrated bravery on the brakes, seizing the opportunity to overtake Piastri on Turn 1. Even though he left the door open slightly, Verstappen’s move was decisive, and he managed to pull away and preserve his tyres better than McLaren.
While free air may have helped Red Bull’s race pace, it exceeded expectations, proving that the team is still a force to be reckoned with in this F1 season. This win doesn’t erase all of Red Bull’s problems, but it does serve as a reminder that Verstappen can never be ruled out when he has a competitive car.
Alex Albon Continues Strong Form for Williams
Despite the end result in Imola not being ideal and Alex Albon showing some impatience while attacking Charles Leclerc in the closing laps, the Thai-Brit scored valuable points for Williams and continued his strong run of form.
Williams has been one of the season’s biggest surprises, and Albon’s ability to fight with Ferrari on merit is remarkable. He’s consistently delivering for the team, making a convincing case for himself as a key player in this F1 season.
Yuki Tsunoda Struggles After Qualifying Crash
Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda was brutally honest after his qualifying crash, admitting it was a “stupid” mistake. He wasn’t trying to make excuses, and it’s hard to argue with his assessment.
Crashing at the start of Q1 is a serious mistake, and any driver in a top team should feel ashamed after ruining their own shot at a decent result, creating extra work for the mechanics, and adding unnecessary costs for a team still fighting for the championship with Verstappen.
Aston Martin Shows Signs of Progress
After a long wait, Aston Martin finally introduced a significant upgrade package to the AMR25, which delivered promising results. Both drivers made it into Q3, although neither was overly enthusiastic about their performance.
The car looked competitive on the medium tyres used in qualifying, but the race proved more difficult due to strategy issues and a weak spot in stint management on hard tyres. While the update has moved the team forward, it’s still not enough to change the picture significantly.
Franco Colapinto Shows Promise Despite Falling Short
Argentine driver Franco Colapino didn’t meet Flavio Briatore’s targets in Imola, but neither did his more experienced teammate, Pierre Gasly. Gasly showed strong pace throughout the weekend and reached Q3 for the fourth time this season. However, a costly mistake while defending ninth from Leclerc on lap three ended his chances of scoring points.
Colapinto’s weekend was marked by a high-profile crash in qualifying – exactly the kind of error he can’t afford, especially given how last season ended. Until that moment, though, he was edging closer to Gasly’s one-lap pace and made it into Q2. On Sunday, a 22-lap stint on mediums highlighted solid tyre management. There’s still a long way to go to meet Briatore’s standards – but some encouraging signs are already there.
