laid the foundations for his fourth consecutive victory at Formulation 1’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix within the first chicane.
Though the Crimson Bull driver suffered a comparatively poor begin, with even momentarily passing him, Verstappen was first by the top of Flip 3 after an excellent overtake on .
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“At one level, I used to be in third on the straight. That wasn’t supreme in fact, however then I simply braked a bit later than all of the others!” Verstappen laughed when he regarded again at his personal overtake.
He outbraked Piastri heading into the Tamburello chicane to maneuver across the exterior of the , squeezing his well beyond right into a lead that Verstappen subsequently by no means misplaced.
So, what’s the knowledge behind it?
Verstappen’s automobile positioning: giving Norris and Russell no chanceMax Verstappen, Crimson Bull Racing, Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Max Verstappen, Crimson Bull Racing, Oscar Piastri, McLarenRed Bull Content material Pool
Crimson Bull Content material Pool
It’s simpler stated than executed. Verstappen’s transfer, in actuality, was much more complicated than his phrases recommend.
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The world champion emphasised that it was essential to remain on the racing line, which was grippier and fewer bumpy than the within line. It was step one in his profitable try and, curiously, mirrors one other memorable Verstappen overtaking manoeuvre throughout a primary lap: Mexico 2021.
Again then, Verstappen was on the skin as effectively, as he took benefit of the additional grip on the racing line, and managed to brake later than and, most crucially, his fierce title rival .
At Imola, Russell concluded post-race that Piastri had merely left the door open on the skin. It’s true, however solely tells one a part of the story.
The opposite half is how Verstappen positioned his automobile, because the reigning world champion did it cleverly. After the gradual begin, he instantly regarded each proper and left in his mirrors to see the place Russell and have been.
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Verstappen positioned the automobile in such a approach that Russell couldn’t come throughout, making certain that the driver couldn’t block the skin line for the Dutchman. On the identical time, he left just below a automobile’s width of area on the best aspect of the monitor, stopping Norris from diving into that hole.
This fashion, Verstappen maintained management of his personal racing line and saved the skin line – primarily the perfect racing line – solely for himself, permitting him to provoke his late braking manoeuvre.
The numbers align with Piastri’s phrases: a 10-meter differenceMax Verstappen, Crimson Bull Racing, Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Max Verstappen, Crimson Bull Racing, Oscar Piastri, McLarenRed Bull Content material Pool
Crimson Bull Content material Pool
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Relating to that late-braking transfer, the highest speeds that Verstappen and Piastri reached on the finish of the straight have been almost equivalent. The Crimson Bull driver hit 289 km/h throughout the acceleration part after the beginning, whereas Piastri reached 288 km/h.
Nonetheless, the driver lifted off the throttle sooner than Verstappen. The information and telemetry present that Verstappen saved his proper foot totally pressed to the ground for 10 metres longer than Piastri.
The championship chief additionally slowed down extra step by step, as Piastri lifted off a lot sooner than his Crimson Bull rival, however Verstappen, after that, slammed on the brakes sooner.
Because of this, Verstappen entered the braking zone almost 30 km/h quicker than Piastri. In the meanwhile Verstappen started braking from his highest recorded velocity (289 km/h), Piastri’s velocity was already at 260 km/h because of the earlier raise.
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It’s this almost 30 km/h distinction when coming into the braking zone – seen within the picture beneath, with Verstappen being the yellow line and Piastri the orange – that Verstappen was in a position to carry into the nook.
Or, as he put it: “Once I braked late after which launched the brake pedal, I assumed ‘okay, perhaps this transfer is on’. So, I made a decision to hold that further velocity, and with that, you clearly get the momentum.”
Max Verstappen Oscar Piastri Imola Flip 1 Knowledge
Max Verstappen Oscar Piastri Imola Flip 1 DataTracing Insights
Tracing Insights
Though Verstappen slowed down faster as a consequence of his aggressive braking, the velocity distinction was nonetheless greater than 15 km/h when he totally positioned his RB21 subsequent to Piastri – 184 vs 168 km/h.
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On the slowest level of the primary chicane, the velocity of the Crimson Bull driver was nonetheless barely larger than Piastri’s. Verstappen’s velocity on the slowest level of Tamburello was 140 km/h, whereas Piastri’s was 136 km/h.
After that, each drivers accelerated roughly concurrently, however Piastri had to take action in two phases. The Australian, in keeping with telemetry, needed to raise off a bit greater than Verstappen once more – logically as a result of Verstappen had claimed the nook by then and was on what was initially the skin line, however later grew to become the within.
The numbers completely align with what Piastri himself defined afterwards. The McLaren driver took the primary chicane in a reasonably normal, cautious approach by lifting off early – he thought it could do as he had the within line lined.
When requested if he was stunned by Verstappen’s transfer across the exterior, Piastri replied within the post-race press convention: “Yeah. I assumed I had it fairly underneath management, and it was transfer from Max. So, I’ll study for subsequent time, clearly.”
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His response to the query about what he would do otherwise, additionally matches the information and telemetry: “After all, I’d do one thing totally different. I believe I’d brake about 10 metres later.” This corresponds to the ten metres he lifted off the throttle earlier and is strictly what led to the 30 km/h velocity distinction that Verstappen carried into the nook.
Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri, Imola Flip 1 Telemetry
Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri, Imola Flip 1 TelemetryTracing Insights
Tracing Insights
Along with the perfect racing line with extra grip, primarily the results of how Verstappen positioned his automobile on the straight, gave him the momentum to finish what .
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It’s precisely what, mixed with Crimson Bull’s surprisingly good race tempo, has earned Verstappen his second victory of the 2025 season. Or because the four-time world champion summed it up himself: “A transfer like that is by no means straightforward, however fortunately, every thing went effectively.”
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