Key Takeaways from the Imola GP:
Despite a lackluster race, a thrilling end reminded us how exciting this sport can be.
The Imola GP was beginning to look like yet another F1 race where Verstappen dominates and takes the win, however, the last few laps got us all on the edge of our seats. Norris finished less than a second behind the Dutch driver.
Here are a few takeaways:
1. McLaren's upgrades have yielded immediate results for the team:
Norris's second place finished confirmed the significant improvement by McLaren in the last couple of races. The British driver managed to secure a win on the previous race which took place in Miami, Florida.
His excellent performance during Imola made Ferrari's upgrade look lackluster and gave Red Bull a run for their money. The last few laps of the race were thrilling, and Verstappen was one mistake away from yielding the win. This is the kind of race the sport is so urgently in need of.
Piastri's good qualifying performance was marred by a penalty, but despite it, he managed to battle quite impressively against Sainz's Ferrari and finished a place ahead. Piastri 4th, Sainz 5th.
2. Ferrari missed a huge opportunity in front of its fans to display a convincing performance.
Ferrari's 3rd and 5th finish was mediocre to say the least. At Imola, in front of thousands of tifosi, you expected the team from Maranello to display a great performance. Finishing behind the McLaren's added insult to injury.
Neither Leclerc nor Sainz were able to challenge their McLaren equals during the race. Lando managed to build a substantial gap during the second half of the last stint; not only that, but he also went ahead and challenged Verstappen for the win.
A couple of places behind, Sainz could not get close enough to Piastri to make everyone excited, we saw very little of this battle on camera due to the lack of highlights.
Ferrari once again got into 'conservation mode' with many laps remaining in the race. It is painful for the fans when the team gets into this mode, just trying to survive and make consistent lap times until the race ends. The car behind is not a threat, but the drivers cannot challenge the car in front. The team was so deep in this mode that Leclerc did not entertain the idea of trying for the fastest lap.
3. Verstappen still won without being so dominant.
Miami and Imola have been reflective races for Red Bull. Their performances have not been as dominant as they were during the start of the season. Despite that, Verstappen managed to secure another win on Sunday.
It did not come without its share of trouble; Lando Norris managed to challenge Verstappen during the last few laps of the race. They finished less than a second apart. It was one of those races where you say: 'one more lap and he would have passed him.'
Red Bull is polishing things up with their upgrades, which scarcely made an impact at Imola. They are targeting more front wing downforce which Verstappen prefers. He has been complaining lately of understeer and lack of grip during cornering.
Red Bull's woes are not severe because they are first in the constructors' and drivers' championship. They have time to polish things up and increase yet again the gap in performance with the cars behind.
What are your thoughts on the Imola GP? What are your key takeaways? Let me know in the comments below.
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