Max Verstappen resisted a late charge by Lando Norris to win the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix by just seven tenths of a second.
The championship leader took his fifth win of the season despite struggling with his tyres for the final part of the race.
Verstappen led the race from the start and appeared to be in control of matters out front until complaining about tyre wear on his hard compound tyres. Despite Norris having slightly older rubber than Verstappen, the McLaren driver was able to gradually reel in the leader ahead of him over the closing laps.
The McLaren driver got within two seconds of the Red Bull in the final three laps, but Norris was unable to get close enough to attempt a late move for the lead, allowing Verstappen to cling onto the lead to the chequered flag.
Verstappen had received an early black-and-white warning flag for three track limits strikes, but avoided a fourth infraction and a subsequent five second penalty that would have cost him victory.
Charles Leclerc completed the podium in third, six seconds behind the leading pair.
Oscar Piastri finished fourth having undercut Carlos Sainz Jnr in the pit stops, with the Ferrari driver finishing fifth. The two Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished in sixth and seventh after Russell made one stop more than the rest of the top ten.
Sergio Perez went off at Rivazza on his way to eighth. Lance Stroll and Yuki Tsunoda picked up the final points in ninth and tenth, respectively.
Alexander Albon was the only retirement from the race after a torrid afternoon where he hit with a ten second stop-and-go penalty for an unsafe release after being let out of his pit box with a loose wheel. However, Albon has been summoned to the stewards after the race for allegedly continuing to drive his car in an unsafe condition.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
2024 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at RaceFans…