F1 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix Race Review

Matt Hylen
May 19
10 min read

Updated: Jun 9

A chaotic turn 2. C/O to grandprix247.com

In what could be the last time for a while, the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix gave us a race to remember. Overtaking was at an all-time high for the track, providing one of the more entertaining races so far this season. Strategy was extremely unpredictable, which also made it difficult for the teams to make the right decisions. Overall, it was a perfect way to cap off Imola's time on the calendar (if that becomes the case).

Before we get into what happened this weekend during the Grand Prix, a couple reminders:

Formula One has two main championship competitions. The first is the Drivers Championship, which is a competition between the drivers' individual performance. On a non-Sprint style weekend, the drivers who finish in the top 10 in each race will score points (the higher you place, the more points you get). These points are added up, and whichever driver finishes with the most points at the end of the season will win the Drivers' Championship.

The next is the Constructors' Championship, a competition between the teams. The number of points the drivers within a team get each race is combined, creating the total points for the team (e.g., Lando Norris has scored 133 points, and Oscar Piastri has scored 146 points, giving the McLaren team 279 points in the Constructors' Championship). The team whose drivers accumulate the most points combined for their team will win the Constructors' Championship.

Also, 21 drivers will be listed within the Drivers' Championship Standings, as Franco Colapinto replaced Jack Doohan this weekend and going forward at Alpine.

Now, here is a look at the standings for both Championships:

Drivers' Championship Standings:

Oscar Piastri 146 points
Lando Norris 133 points
Max Verstappen 124 points
George Russell 99 points
Charles Leclerc 61 points
Lewis Hamilton 53 points
Andrea Kimi Antonelli 48 points
Alexander Albon 40 points
Esteban Ocon 14 points
Lance Stroll 14 points
Carlos Sainz 11 points
Yuki Tsunoda 10 points
Pierre Gasly 7 points
Isak Hadjar 7 points
Nico Hulkenberg 6 points
Oliver Bearman 6 points
Fernando Alonso 0 points
Liam Lawson 0 points
Jack Doohan 0 points
Gabriel Bortoletto 0 points
Franco Colapinto 0 points

Constructors' Championship Standings:

McLaren 279 points
Mercedes 147 points
Red Bull 131 points
Ferrari 114 points
Williams 51 points
Haas 20 points
Aston Martin 14 points
Racing Bulls 10 points
Alpine 7 points
Kick Sauber 6 points

Standings were found at F1.com.

Alpine

Franco Colapinto with the media. C/O to express.co.uk

It was a tough weekend for Alpine. Though bad luck struck both drivers, the team just did not have it this weekend, ultimately finishing around where you would expect them to. Pierre Gasly qualified 10th and finished 13th, while Franco Colapinto started 15th after crashing in Q1 and finished 16th.

Tough weekend for Alpine. It just did not seem like anything went right for them as a whole. Though Gasly did find some success in qualifying, an incident with Charles Leclerc ruined his opportunity at points. On the other hand, Colapinto was far too aggressive in qualifying, causing the crash, and showed no true pace all race long.

What is most concerning for Alpine is the fact that weekends like this, where the potential is there but the execution is not, will occur time and time again until they get things sorted out internally. They cannot afford to keep playing roulette with Team Principals and with Gasly's teammates. I mean, they got beaten by both Aston Martins and a Sauber.

If Alpine can take away anything positive from Imola, it's that the qualifying pace is decent. They were only 3.5 tenths of a second off of Williams, who looks like the 5th-best car overall currently. Gasly has shown he can tap into that pace, the problem was he just got unlucky all race long. Also, the fact that Colapinto made it into Q2 even with the crash in Q1 is promising. Overall, what is concerning me is the internal culture of the team, and until that is figured out, it will be impossible to improve without some luck on their side.

Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso with the media after Qualifying. C/O to formula1.com

After an incredible start to the weekend, Aston Martin failed to translate their fortune when it mattered. Lance Stroll qualified 8th and finished 15th, while Fernando Alonso qualified 5th and finished 11th.

I think we were all a little shocked to see not only both Aston Martin drivers make Q3, but also perform well in it. Alonso looked quicker than he had all season long, while Stroll put up some consistent lap times. However, the race completely took that pace away, as we saw both drivers move down the ranks.

With that said, there is a lot to be proud of if you're an Aston Martin fan. They outqualified the likes of Ferrari and Williams, while the gap between the two drivers was kept to a minimum (1.5 tenths of a second). The upgrades clearly worked in terms of improving their qualifying pace; now it is just a matter of how they can translate that newfound pace into race pace.

Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton waving to fans post-race. C/O to italpassion.fr

Finally, a sign of life!

A nightmare became a dream in the span of 24 hours for Ferrari, as they ultimately gave their home fans what they were hoping to see: a step in the right direction. Charles Leclerc qualified 11th and finished 6th, while Lewis Hamilton qualified 11th and finished 4th.

Yes, luck was on Ferrari's side this weekend, but most of their success in the race came from the unexpected pace the team had in the straights. This allowed both Charles and Lewis to overtake their opponents with ease to begin the race and gain time on the cars behind quicker than usual. Hamilton looked comfortable with the car in a way we have yet to see this weekend, which is a great sign. Despite a couple of good results, such as the Sprint win in China or the top 5 finish in Bahrain, Lewis had little to complain about in terms of the performance in the race.

Leclerc, on the other hand, made the best of the situation he was in. Like his teammate, he gained a couple of places rather quickly to start. However, when the Safety Car hit, he was unable to pit due to not having a tire that would last until the end of the race. This put him in a defensive mode, which caused his incident with Gasly. I do think Leclerc was in the wrong, and I agreed that he should have given the position back, and he did; but it does not take away from the fact that he got unlucky.

Qualifying was a concern, and something the team needs to look into, but honestly, they should just be relieved this weekend was salvaged. It could have been so much worse.

Haas

Oliver Bearman after a controversial qualifying. C/O to motorsportweek.com

Haas, what happened!?

Haas as a whole were extremely poor this weekend, performing exceedingly far under expectations. Ollie Bearman qualified 19th and finished 17th, while Esteban Ocon qualified 18th and did not finish the race due to a mechanical failure.

To start, Bearman's qualifying was not as bad as the result made it seem. The Haas driver seemed poised to easily advance into Q2, completing a lap time that placed him in 10th position. However, race control determined that red flags were waved after Franco Colapinto’s Alpine crashed just before the Brit crossed the line. Replays suggested no red flags were waved, only a single red light on the five-light start line display. Ultimately, it was decided that Bearman’s lap would not count, and his spot in Q2 was given to Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto. This situation is extremely tough because even though the red flag may have been raised before Ollie crossed the line, he had no indication that a red flag had been waved until after his lap. So, Bearman was penalized for a mistake the FIA made. With that said, the rules are the rules, and though it may be harsh, the lap deletion makes sense.

Even with that qualifying debacle, Haas was still horrific. Ocon was terrible in qualifying again, and neither driver could find any pace in the race. The car has been far too inconsistent, which will get them nowhere if they want to compete with their midfield contenders in VCARB.

Kick Sauber

Nico Hulkenberg (left) and Gabriel Bortoletto (right). C/O to sports.yahoo.com

Kick Sauber killed it this weekend, that is, for their standards. Nico Hulkenberg qualified 17th and finished 12th, while Gabriel Bortoletto qualified 14th and finished 18th.

Kick Sauber, for the first time this season (I am not counting their performance in Australia, since a lot of luck went their way), showed a sign of legitimate pace in both qualifying and the Grand Prix. Bortoletto was pretty impressive to get that car into Q2, while Hulkenberg drove otherworldly just to get the car into the top 12. He even drove it within the points, and had it not been for the safety car, could have kept it there.

Though it would take a lot to have this kind of weekend be a normality for Kick Sauber, it would be nice to see this from the team every once in a while. Last season, and most of this season, has been atrocious, so seeing signs of life in a team leaving the sport at the end of the year might make things a little interesting going forward.

McLaren

Oscar Piastri (left) and Lando Norris (right). C/O to sportingnews.com

I feel as though every time McLaren gets legitimately challenged in a race, they find a way to crack under the pressure; this weekend was no different. Oscar Piastri qualified 1st and finished 3rd, while Lando Norris qualified 4th and finished 2nd.

It is hard to get an understanding as to why McLaren cannot figure things out when both their drivers are 2nd and 3rd with a win in reach. Granted, the reason they lost the lead was not their fault but rather a brilliant move by Max Verstappen, but the safety car should have helped them. McLaren let Norris and Piastri race, rather than letting Lando (who was on younger tires) go through and try to catch Verstappen.

It is these kinds of situations that cost them a chance at a Drivers' Championship last year and could cost them this year. If they are not dominating a race, it is hard for them to find ways to win. The team needs to realize that though Norris and Piastri are both fighting for a Drivers' Championship, and ordering Norris to pass the current leader is a controversial task, it is one that should have been made for the betterment of the team.

Now, do I think this weekend has any major impact on the team's chances of winning both Championships? No, they are the favorites currently and have every right to be, but it is only race 7 of 24. There is still a lot of racing to be done; McLaren cannot keep allowing their opponents to take advantage of their poor strategy.

Mercedes

George Russell (left) and Kimi Antonelli (right). C/O to grandprix247.com

Mercedes, unfortunately, had their toughest weekend to date, as their stellar start to 2025 came back down to earth a little. Kimi Antonelli qualified 13th and did not finish the race after an engine failure, while George Russell qualified 3rd and finished 7th.

Mercedes struggled to find pace all weekend long; however, this time, the drivers could not overcome it. George's streak of top-5 finishes ended in Imola, while Antonelli had arguably his worst overall weekend as an F1 driver. Russell did a great job of securing a 2nd-row start in the race, yet his inability to preserve his tires forced the team to pit him early, causing him to drive behind traffic he had difficulty getting through. Antonelli had a nice start to the race, as he gained a few positions and preserved his medium tires longer than most, until an issue out of his control ruined his first home race.

Considering how good Mercedes has looked this season, this can be seen as a one-off for the team for the time being. They should be able to rebound around Monaco, a track that better suits the strengths of their car and where George has performed extremely well in the past.

Racing Bulls

Though VCARB was able to secure some points in Imola, they may have another driver problem on their hands. Isak Hadjar qualified and finished in 9th, while Liam Lawson qualified 16th and finished 14th.

The car looked very solid this weekend. Hadjar was able to make it into Q3 without much of a problem, while also being able to sustain that position and score some points. The biggest thing I feel needs to be talked about after VCARB's performance in Imola is the gap between their drivers. Liam Lawson really has not been near the pace of Hadjar. Yes, Isak has had more time inside this version of the VCARB car than Liam has; however, at this point, it is becoming less of an excuse. There is a line between aggressiveness and recklessness, and right now, Lawson is on the side of recklessness. It is because of this that he cannot find a way to match Hadjar's pace.

If this trend continues, it creates an issue that neither VCARB nor Red Bull wants to deal with. One thing is for sure, though, and it is that Lawson is not living up to the level of performance we know he can drive at, and it looks worse compared to the expectations Hadjar is exceeding.

Red Bull

Max Verstappen hoisting the 1st place trophy. C/O to arstechnica.com

Red Bull reminded us once again that it is possible for a good strategy to outweigh car performance. Yuki Tsunoda did not qualify after crashing in Q1, started from the pit lane, and finished 10th, while Max Verstappen qualified 2nd and finished 1st.

Max Verstappen is just incredible. The skill it takes to pull off the move he did to take the lead in lap 1 is something really only he could have done at this current time. Not only that, he also managed to pull away from both McLarens despite the Virtual Safety Car and Safety Car. Did those two safety cars come at optimal points in the race for Max? Sure, but it was the strategy from the team that helped him be in that position.

Red Bull really aced their strategy this weekend. They did not follow the strategy changes everyone else made mid-race (one-stop to a two-stop), but rather bided their time and got rewarded for it.

Tsunoda also had arguably his best race as a Red Bull driver. He managed to overtake multiple cars, make his way through heavy traffic, and score a point for the team. Though he suffered a nasty crash in qualifying, he salvaged what he could, which is a positive sign moving forward.

Overall, Red Bull, all around, executed at the highest level this weekend, and have a lot to build off of when they race this weekend in Monaco.

Williams

Alex Albon post-practice session. C/O to autogear.pt

Another race weekend, another great performance for Williams as a whole. Alex Albon qualified 7th and finished 5th, while Carlos Sainz qualified 6th and finished 8th.

Williams came away with a great haul of points once again. Albon continues to impress, scoring more points than he has, to this point, ever in his Williams tenure. Sainz has also matched his pace, despite the bad luck he saw in the race.

The improvement Williams has made this season has become more and more evident as the races go on. Though they are in a world of their own in the Constructors' Standings, both drivers have a great opportunity to make waves in the Drivers' Standings. If they keep progressing at this pace, Williams can build off of their amazing start and start to compete with the big dogs of the sport quite soon.