Max Verstappen secured another victory in Imola, adding to his wins in 2021 and 2022. However, it wasn’t an easy race for the Dutchman, as he had to fend off a rapid Lando Norris in the latter stages. Both drivers were joined on the podium by Charles Leclerc, much to the delight of the home fans. Here are the standout facts and stats from the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix:
- Verstappen’s Imola Hat-Trick: Max Verstappen matched Michael Schumacher’s record of winning three consecutive races at Imola. This marks Verstappen’s 59th Grand Prix victory and his 49th since the start of 2021.
- Podium Milestone: The Dutchman achieved his 104th career podium, surpassing Kimi Raikkonen for sixth place on the all-time list.
- Winning Percentage: Verstappen’s career win percentage has risen to 30.7%, overtaking Lewis Hamilton’s 30.4% for the best percentage among current drivers.
- Dominant Margins: Prior to Miami, Verstappen’s victories this year have come with an average winning margin of 14.352 seconds.
- Top Two Consistency: This is the third consecutive race where Verstappen and Norris have finished in the top two spots.
- Norris’ Podium Streak: Lando Norris secured his third straight Imola podium, marking his 17th career podium finish. He also received his third consecutive ‘Driver of the Day’ award.
- McLaren’s Best Imola Finish in Years: This was McLaren’s best result at Imola since Kimi Raikkonen finished second in the 2003 San Marino Grand Prix.
- Ferrari’s Imola Podium: Charles Leclerc’s third place was Ferrari’s first podium at Imola since Michael Schumacher’s win in 2006.
- Leclerc’s Season: This was Leclerc’s fourth podium of the season, moving him into second place in the drivers’ championship.
- Piastri’s Solid Finish: Oscar Piastri finished fourth, despite starting lower on the grid due to a penalty. He has finished fourth in three Grands Prix this season without making it to the podium yet.
- Sainz’s Consistency: Carlos Sainz finished fifth for the third consecutive race and has yet to finish outside the top five this season, matching his best-ever finish at Imola.
- Hamilton’s Best Result: Lewis Hamilton finished sixth, matching his best results of the year, including his finish in Miami.
- Russell’s Steady Performance: George Russell finished seventh, marking the first time Mercedes has had both cars in the top seven since the season opener in Bahrain.
- Perez’s Tough Race: Sergio Perez finished eighth, his worst result of the year.
- Stroll’s Milestone: Lance Stroll scored points in his 150th Grand Prix start.
- Tsunoda’s Points Run: Yuki Tsunoda scored points for the fourth time in the last five races.
- Hulkenberg’s Consistency: Nico Hulkenberg finished 11th, maintaining a record of not finishing below that position since the season’s first race.
- Magnussen’s Improvement: Kevin Magnussen’s 12th-place finish was his best result since he scored a point in Australia.