F1 news LIVE: Christian Horner sends dig McLaren’s way after Max Verstappen victory
Follow reaction after Verstappen’s brilliant win ahead of both McLarens in Emilia Romagna
Max Verstappen’s brilliant opening-corner move on Oscar Piastri fired him to victory at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
The Dutchman clinched a fourth successive win at Imola in Red Bull’s 400th race to end championship leader Piastri’s three-race winning run after taking the lead at the first chicane.
Verstappen was in control of the race but had to see off a late challenge, after a safety car slashed his lead, to clinch his second win of the season.
McLaren opted not to order Piastri to allow Lando Norris past in a bid to challenge Verstappen but the British driver ultimately made a brave move on his team-mate with five laps to go to finish second. Piastri’s lead to Norris was cut to 13 points, with Verstappen now 22 points behind the Australian.
Follow live updates from the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix with The Independent
Virtual safety car! (Lap 29/63)
This is a dream for those yet to stop!
Esteban Ocon has stopped on the grass on the exit of turn 6!
Verstappen pits - 2.3 seconds - and comes out with a 21-second lead to Piastri!
Hamilton also pits...
Piastri passes Hadjar! (Lap 28/63)
The Australian up to P4 with a move down the main straight and into the first chicane!
Alex Albon, in third, is seven seconds down the road.
1-10: Verstappen, Norris, Albon, Piastri, Hadjar, Antonelli, Hamilton, Leclerc, Hulkenberg, Bearman
Oscar Piastri passes Lewis Hamilton! (Lap 27/63)
Piastri is slowly but surely making his way through the pack... but it’s killing his tyres and Verstappen has a 30-plus second lead to the Australian.
Piastri gets past Hamilton now... Antonelli soon follows.
Piastri up to P5.
Lewis Hamilton on team radio (Lap 23/63)
Hamilton: “Can we undercut these guys?”
Engineer: “We don’t think it’s worth it, not ruling out plan C.”
Hamilton: “Understood.”
Meanwhile, Piastri takes Hulkenberg for P7 - all of the top-six are yet to pit.
Top-10: Verstappen, Norris, Albon, Hadjar, Antonelli, Hamilton, Piastri, Hulkenberg, Leclerc, Bearman
Russell is down in P12... way behind Leclerc who started eight places behind him!
Piastri passes Tsunoda (Lap 18/63)
Super move from Piastri, around the outside of the first chicane to get ahead of Verstappen’s teammate!
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton is now sixth but is yet to pit.
Top-10: Verstappen, Norris, Albon, Hadjar, Antonelli, Hamilton, Hulkenberg, Piastri, Colapinto, Bearman
Leclerc P12; Russell P13.
Max Verstappen opting not to pit! (Lap 17/63)
Verstappen has decided not to cover Piastri and is staying out... for now!
Piastri is now looking to overtake Verstappen’s teammate Yuki Tsunoda for P10...
Oscar Piastri pits! (Lap 14/63)
A 3.6-second pit-stop for the pole-sitter, and he comes out in P12!
Max Verstappen now has a 10-second lead to Lando Norris in second, with Alex Albon up to third!
The order all over the place at the moment, given the pit-stops!
Charles Leclerc pits too! (Lap 12/63)
Leclerc pits from the top-10 and drops to P17... will this be a two-stop race?
Meanwhile, Piastri on team radio: “Plan A is very ambitious at the moment.”
Presumably that’s a one-stop...
Norris takes third place (Lap 11/63)
Norris gets is done for third place!
The McLaren has superior speed heading into the Villeneuve chicane and swoops into the top-3!
Russell pits a lap later... and drops to 16th.
Lando Norris eyeing a move on George Russell!
Norris has DRS and is on the gearbox of Russell in P3 - but it’s a tricky track to overtake at! Russell is defending well... for now.
“I’m not sure how I’m going to make the target lap time for the tyres pushing like this,” says Russell.
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