Formula 1

Imola, Verstappen wins but Ferrari puts its heart into it: fourth and sixth position

'One in a thousand makes it,' joked Gianni Morandi about Ferrari, who was present at the Imola paddock for the first time: he visited the rosse's hospitality, encouraged Antonelli, signed the tyre donated to the driver in pole. He was partly right

by Alex D'Agosta

18 May 2025

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5' min read

Key points

Rhythm and overtaking beyond expectations
Ferrari, better than dreamed last night
Imola and the risk of non-renewal

5' min read

Even though the young Bolognese Kimi retired his car with a mechanical failure a quarter of an hour from the end, on the other hand the Ferraris, who on Saturday, as the national Gianni sang, had 'bared their souls' in a very negative way, all in all in the Grand Prix finished even better than expected.

Much better, indeed, considering a terrible qualifying that saw them start eleventh and twelfth, just ahead of the young rookie in Mercedes. A fourth and sixth place, although they deserved fourth and fifth but an excess of caution, to avoid penalties, led the race wall to invite Leclerc to give back one position to Albon, rather than risk five seconds. Surprise within surprise, Hamilton, for the first time this year, finished ahead of the Monegasque. For once, the wheel turned in his favour, thanks in part to the Virtual Safety Car's better timing than his pit-mate and many of his colleagues who had already changed their tyres: a strategy of the race wall that, even with so many risks, paid off.

The podium with the reigning Dutch champion at the top, for the sixty-fifth time in his career, interrupted Piastri's streak of three successes, but did not reflect the values in the field, except for the winner himself: Verstappen was the first to pass under the chequered flag waved by none other than Federica Brigone, after a truly 'giant' performance also sealed by the fastest lap. But Norris objectively took second because of better tyre management, only at the end, to the detriment of a Piastri who, chronometrically, has been much better than him for several races now.

As predicted, the race began with an all out start, because Verstappen, starting from second place, had just that one chance to get in front of Piastri and try to plug the rest of the race. And so it went: without committing any infringements, the reigning champion gave everyone a masterful lesson, overtaking Piastri after two corners when he seemed to have given up. But now Max stands out more and more for his courage and driving skills. He did not miss the opportunity to try to distinguish himself on the track most iconic for his idol, Senna: Imola took him away but he, in his memory, did not hesitate to honour him with a truly masterful drive, from the first to the last kilometre.

On the contrary, the lack of difficulty of Verstappen's Red Bull, at least on today's day, has gone inversely to the forecasts, starting above all with the observation that qualifying was certainly not one of the best. However, if the single-seater from Milton Keynes has experienced growth, the credit must always be given exclusively to the first driver. Tsunoda, yesterday, was in fact the protagonist of a very hard and dangerous exit from the track. Today he was hardly seen and the single point of the flag does not do honour to a team that deserves to be second in the constructors' championship: despite the meagre six points conquered at the grand prix, the first time in 2025 with only a single figure as the sum of the two drivers, Mercedes in fact thanks for the little trouble.

The one-stop strategy for the 63 laps on a sunny Sunday in Emilia Romagna seemed the safest course for almost, yet Pirelli opted for softer sets than last year. The track temperature was higher than expected, causing the tyres to degrade and overheat more than expected. The starting tyres were medium for most of the drivers, with Alonso, Stroll and Russell on a used set. Hamilton, Antonelli, Hulkenberg, Bearman and Tsunoda, coming from the pit lane, started on hard tyres. It was a brave choice, because a safety car at the wrong time would have seen them lose more than they should have: but at least for Antonelli and Hamilton, the ten seconds of 'less delay' compared to a standard change took them in the right way.

Rhythm and overtaking beyond expectations

Despite stable weather and the absence of any incidents, the Imola race, despite giving the best of itself with Verstappen's unforgettable start, goes beyond promises given the hunger for positions and pride of the top men. Norris managed to gain third place on lap 11 over Russell, taking advantage of the McLaren's great form. If at first Russell had managed to defend himself, this time the Papaya driver got the better of him, overtaking his compatriot in a fair but decisive duel.

Shortly afterwards Russell pitted on medium tyres and switched to hard, a strategy that could have alluded to the risk of a race of great consumption, for some even two stops.

On lap 29, a twist: Ocon parks his Haas on the grass at the legendary Tosa corner, causing a Virtual Safety Car that forces everyone to slow down and changes the game. Several drivers take the opportunity to pit, including Antonelli, Leclerc and Hamilton.

The middle phase of the race is animated by a long and intense battle between Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton. The young Italian in the Mercedes, who was born just a few kilometres from the Autodromo del Santerno, defended his position with grit, but in the end he had to give way to the seven-time world champion, who managed to pass him on medium tyres and move into sixth position. Soon after, Antonelli was attacked by Leclerc, who had handled his hard tyres well. Although the Italian was the local favourite, the crowd applauded Hamilton, recognising his class and sportsmanship in his overtaking move.

In those positions, however, it seemed as if the Aston Martins had to be: after one of the best qualifying sessions of the year, they soon found themselves finishing eleventh and fifteenth instead, burning the eve's expectations. Alonso, over the radio, described himself as "the unluckiest guy in the world" for losing his pace in the race.

Ferrari, better than dreamed last night

Before turning the page, it must be remembered that the combination of rear suspension and ground clearance problems with the drivers' blame also going to the tyres, designed primarily for Monaco, presaged a potentially even worse Sunday than yesterday. Frustration remains in Leclerc for the two safety cars at times less than ideal for him, while Hamilton can breathe a sigh of relief. Monaco, as always, will be history in itself. From Barcelona, on the other hand, the Maranello stable should introduce the expected novelties. The controversy over Vasseur's management will continue, as he admits responsibility but sometimes justifies it with the fact that some key figures were only redefined at the end of last season.

Imola and the risk of non-renewal

The one of 2025 could be the last in Formula One of this management, at least on an annual basis. In fact, there are rumours of patricinators in Asian or African countries ready to pay several tens of millions of dollars, which would wipe out the possibility of seeing not only Imola, but also other historic stages such as Spa and even the iconic and very rich Monaco still regularly on the calendar.