Max Verstappen’s spectacular move to take the lead from McLaren’s Oscar Piastri at the first corner, and then by the pace to win the F1 Grand Prix at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola.

Verstappen never looked like losing the race once he was in the lead, true to Red Bull’s advert “Red Bull gives you wings”. McLaren were left to rue some of what Piastri described as “wrong calls” during the race.

The decision to pit early for fresh tyres cost Piastri in the context of the way of the race unfolded, with first a virtual safety car and then an actual one, as Norris and Piastri finished second and third respectively. Two weeks ago, in Miami, Verstappen also led the early laps, but then was unable to stop both Piastri and Norris in the first 20 laps of that race and then left far behind.

Piastri still leads the championship from Norris and Verstappen, but the gaps have compressed as the drivers head to Monaco this weekend, where forms may change.

On the run to the first corner Verstappen dropped to third with Mercedes’ George Russell edging ahead on his inside and Piastri comfortably in the lead.  But, in the middle of the track, Piastri braked earlier than he should have done, and it was the only invitation Verstappen needed. He passed Piastri around the outside clinically. On a high-speed track, the Red Bull and McLaren are a match for each other, but at a different speed range, the McLaren has a decisive advantage. Monaco’s slow speed range should favour McLaren, and the following weekend in Spain where the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is full of long, medium and high-speed corners, a Red Bull territory, although tyre degradation is high, which should help McLaren. Red Bull on current form, need McLaren to screw up on their favourite tracks to win those.

Lewis Hamilton recovered from 12^th on the grid to finish fourth.