— Max Verstappen continues to assert his dominance both on and off the track. The reigning Formula 1 champion fended off a strong challenge from McLaren’s Lando Norris to secure victory at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday, further extending his lead in the championship standings. Verstappen’s impressive weekend included a win in an online 24-hour race, which he participated in from a simulator set up in the Imola paddock.
This double triumph marked his second victory of the day, reinforcing his status as the driver to beat. Starting from pole position, Verstappen maintained his lead at the start and successfully held off Norris’s advances, particularly during the closing laps. He clinched his 59th career win by a margin of less than a second.
“Especially the last 10, 15 laps, I had no grip anymore. I was really sliding a lot. I saw Lando closing in,” Verstappen said.
“It’s very difficult when the tires are not working anymore and you have to go flat out, so I couldn’t afford to make too many mistakes. Luckily, we didn’t and super happy, of course, to win here today.” This weekend’s race also carried emotional weight as Formula 1 commemorated the late Ayrton Senna, a three-time champion who tragically died at Imola 30 years ago.
Verstappen’s victory was his fifth in seven races this season, coming on the heels of a narrow defeat to Norris in Miami two weeks prior. Norris’s second-place finish underscored McLaren’s growing competitiveness as.