The winners and losers from F1’s 2025 Imola ...

Whereas followers of old style venues could have wished to see Imola keep on the calendar, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix hasn’t at all times delivered since its trendy F1 return. However Pirelli’s move towards softer compounds, in addition to a race impacted by two neutralisations, gave us the strategic variance we craved for thus lengthy at F1’s Imola GP.

The reigning world champion struck once more with a superb lap one assault, whereas McLaren can be questioning why Crimson Bull was capable of preserve tempo two weeks after a really completely different image over the last race.

Winner: Max Verstappen

Following a run of Oscar Piastri victories and a miserable Miami Grand Prix through which Max Verstappen completed 40 seconds adrift, Crimson Bull might use a little bit of a lift – and Verstappen’s emphatic Imola win delivered simply that.

This time there weren’t any explicit heroics in qualifying as Verstappen needed to cede pole to Piastri by the thinnest of margins. That was all quickly redundant because of a superb launch off the road and a late braking transfer across the outdoors into Tamburello. Sure, Piastri might have achieved extra to make life tough for the world champion, but it surely was one other fantastic transfer that underlined how Verstappen nonetheless makes the distinction at Crimson Bull.

However Verstappen led the early laps in Miami as properly, so what was actually pivotal was how a lot Crimson Bull might preserve its rear tyres alive and at last defeat McLaren at face worth – on a circuit the place degradation performed a key function. Imola shouldn’t be McLaren’s favorite playground, however this weekend might nonetheless be essential to Crimson Bull’s story arc this season.

Losers: McLaren

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Picture by: Lars Baron / Motorsport Photographs through Getty Photographs

Having mentioned all that, McLaren’s race efficiency was nonetheless not as sturdy as anticipated. Piastri was unfortunate with the timing of the primary (digital) security automobile, however neither he nor team-mate Lando Norris might take vital chunks of day out of Verstappen’s lead on both the medium or exhausting tyres.

There’s clearly no cause to panic both – simply two weeks after a crushingly dominant Miami show – and additional upgrades are forthcoming, however there’s a feeling that the 2025 season simply acquired a shot within the arm. Has Crimson Bull discovered the solutions to take the battle to McLaren at a variety of circuits? McLaren continues to be extending its championship lead, nevertheless, because it has two drivers up on the podium – which is one thing Crimson Bull can nonetheless solely dream of.

Loser: Yuki Tsunoda

Yuki Tsunoda, Crimson Bull Racing, Max Verstappen, Crimson Bull Racing

Picture by: Crimson Bull Content material Pool

And that is as a result of Yuki Tsunoda hasn’t actually been capable of kick on but at Crimson Bull, as evidenced by his large qualifying accident, which the Japanese driver took responsibility for and mentioned it highlighted how he would not perceive the Crimson Bull RB21 when driving it on the restrict.

What’s annoying for Tsunoda is that he appeared fairly comfy with the automobile in Friday apply. However when the engine modes are turned up and each final ounce of velocity counts, Tsunoda continues to be removed from the place he needs and must be.

It was nice to see the likeable Japanese driver step out unharmed and there was little improper along with his tenacious one-stop restoration drive from the pitlane to some extent in tenth. However writing off the complete automobile, simply as he bought on par with Verstappen concerning Crimson Bull’s newest ground specification, goes to place him on the again foot on spare components and engine elements down the road. Tsunoda actually wants a number of clear weekends now.

Winner: Alex Albon

Alex Albon, Williams

Picture by: Peter Fox / Getty Photographs

The Williams felt so fast that at one level Alex Albon was daydreaming about having a go on the McLaren of Piastri. It was a bit fanciful maybe, however the Anglo-Thai driver retains delivering the products for his workforce and stays comfortably eighth within the standings, nipping on the heels of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

The excellent news for Williams is that Carlos Sainz is true there with Albon too, though it pitted the Spaniard too early, which led to him ending in eighth as an alternative. That slight misstep apart – if Williams’ intention is to maximise its potential earlier than its rivals convey extra upgrades, then it is definitely working. For a workforce that has been so targeted on 2026, it certain has improved its short-term fortunes rather a lot.

Loser: Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing

Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Photographs through Getty Photographs

Aston Martin was the massive winner of Saturday qualifying with Fernando Alonso putting fifth and Lance Stroll eighth. That got here after a raffle to maintain an additional set of mediums on the expense of a second set of exhausting tyres for the race. It was a calculated danger within the information that Sunday’s race could be a nailed on two-stopper, but it surely got here again to chew the Silverstone workforce as two security automobile durations impacted the technique.

The workforce’s fortunes weren’t helped by very early stops to the exhausting tyre, which left each Alonso and Stroll uncovered when Aston determined towards bringing the pair in beneath the second security automobile. Alonso was finally overwhelmed to the ultimate level by the recovering Tsunoda, which meant Aston leaves Imola with out a simply reward for its complete improve package deal.

The excellent news is the brand new elements lastly appear to be a step ahead in most areas, giving Aston some a lot wanted perspective for the rest for 2025 – reasonably than simply having to attend for a brand new daybreak in 2026.

Winner: Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Picture by: Ferrari

We now have not been capable of put Hamilton on this bracket all an excessive amount of this season, and the seven-time world champion definitely nonetheless has work on his plate. However his flawless drive from twelfth to fourth, aided by how the race unfolded but in addition backed up by real tempo, was soothing balm for a scratched soul after a debut Ferrari season that hasn’t precisely gone to plan.

The importance of his restoration drive going down on his first race in entrance of the tifosi was not misplaced on Hamilton, saying it gave him flashbacks of watching Michael Schumacher take in the adulation of the scarlet-clad hordes some 25 years in the past.

Time will inform if that is one other unicorn weekend or if it is the actual begin of Hamilton’s Ferrari period. However having lower a despondent determine in latest weeks, the seven-time champ appeared reinvigorated on Sunday afternoon. That is already a win in and of itself.

Loser: Mercedes

George Russell, Mercedes

Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photographs through Getty Photographs

Alpine and Haas might have earned a spot right here after a tough weekend, however ultimately we went with Mercedes due to its clear step backwards in race efficiency. George Russell certified properly – as he has achieved all yr – however on his used mediums from qualifying he quickly misplaced contact with Verstappen and Piastri, and rear axle overheating kept impacting the team’s pace and technique, which means it needed to pit early and convert to a two-stopper.

That issue of optimising the tyres appears to be a transparent development that has carried over from final yr, when the workforce’s type additionally fluctuated from circuit to circuit. The excellent news, nevertheless, is that its baseline efficiency is increased this yr.

On the opposite aspect of the storage, Andrea Kimi Antonelli had a difficult weekend that ended along with his first grand prix retirement because of what the workforce defined was a throttle failure. Having certified thirteenth, Antonelli admitted that his first residence race in Imola wasn’t his most interesting weekend but and given the eye on the 19-year-old Bologna native, maybe that’s comprehensible too.

Very similar to how a high-profile Monza crash on his rookie FP1 outing was an vital studying alternative final yr, so too was the way in which he and Mercedes dealt with the thrill round his homecoming beneath the watchful eye of followers, household and pals.