Max Verstappen secured maximum points from the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix weekend by dominating from pole as Charles Leclerc threw away third place with a spin.
Verstappen was never troubled out front during a race that started wet but dried out over the 63 laps. Sergio Perez secured a Red Bull one-two in second, with Lando Norris inheriting third place after Leclerc spun at the Variante Alta chicane in the closing laps.
Rain had fallen over the Imola circuit between the end of the Formula 2 feature race and the start of the formation lap, leaving the track damp by the time the field set off from the grid. But with no rain falling for at least an hour before the lights, all 20 drivers lined up for the start on intermediate tyres.
When the lights went out, Verstappen got a much better start than in the sprint and led on the run to Tamburello, as Perez out-dragged the Ferrari of Leclerc to take second by the time they reached the chicane, while Norris also moved ahead of Leclerc to go into third.
Behind, Carlos Sainz Jnr was side-by-side with Daniel Ricciardo’s McLaren through the chicane and the pair made contact, sending the Ferrari spinning into the gravel and out of the race, while Valtteri Bottas tagged the rear of the McLaren, caught out by Ricciardo slowing in front of him.
Gallery: 2022 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in picturesThe Safety Car was deployed while the Ferrari was recovered from the gravel, with the two Red Bulls leading Norris in the train. The race restarted at the start of the fifth lap, with Verstappen leading his team mate away.
Fernando Alonso had been hit lightly on the side of his Alpine by Mick Schumacher at the start of the race, but as the race restarted, Alonso’s lightly damaged sidepod suddenly ripped apart along the main straight, ripping a large whole in the side of the Alpine and forcing him into retirement.
On lap eight, Leclerc slipstreamed by Norris to take third place and began his pursuit of the two Red Bulls out front. Behind…