At the Santerno circuit, Ferrari was a protagonist on Sunday, despite not achieving great results. Max Verstappen did, climbing to the top step of the podium after a race won on the first lap thanks to the overtake on Piastri.
Just days before the next GP, in Monaco, the Dutchman revealed an interesting behind-the-scenes detail about the first lap in Imola, where he gained the race lead with a move that changed the minds even of Max Verstappen’s most persistent critics.
The reigning world champion’s account concerns his reaction to the overtake on the McLaren. Max Verstappen first pointed out that he had rewatched his move once he got home after the weekend. “Of course, I already knew how I felt, but it’s nice to look back and see how close to the limit that overtake was.”
Then came Max’s revelation, as he explained how he reacted to the move on Oscar. “I had to laugh. No, not behind the television. I did it briefly at Turn 3. I thought: ‘That was a good one!’”
The Dutchman was surprised by himself, and already during the race he realized he had pulled off an exceptional maneuver. He then went on to analyze the start of the Imola GP overall, also from the Australian’s perspective. Max Verstappen didn’t get off to a great start in the very first moments of the race, so much so that George Russell, who started behind him, was slightly ahead. But by the time they reached Turn 1, the Dutchman had regained ground with a unique late braking move, which allowed him to get ahead of both the Mercedes and the McLaren and take the lead.
As Max explains, Oscar Piastri was focused on defending against George Russell at the start. This opened up a gap, into which the Red Bull driver quickly dove, completing a move right on the edge. “Piastri was very worried about George, who was actually in second. And I understand that. Then he couldn’t react to my attack anymore, because I had already gained some momentum.”
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