{"id":992385,"date":"2022-04-24T16:06:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-24T15:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.motorsportmagazine.com\/?p=992385"},"modified":"2022-04-25T10:38:12","modified_gmt":"2022-04-25T09:38:12","slug":"ferrari-woes-make-it-easy-for-max-verstappen-2022-emilia-romagna-gp-lap-by-lap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.motorsportmagazine.com\/articles\/single-seaters\/f1\/ferrari-woes-make-it-easy-for-max-verstappen-2022-emilia-romagna-gp-lap-by-lap\/","title":{"rendered":"Ferrari woes make it easy for Max Verstappen: 2022 Emilia Romagna GP lap-by-lap"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n

The road to victory was paved for Max Verstappen<\/a> in Imola, as Carlos Sainz<\/a> crashed out on the first lap and Charles Leclerc’s<\/a> challenge evaporated when the Ferrari<\/a> driver pushed too hard and spun into a wall.<\/p>\n

It left Verstappen to cross the finish line with a 16.5sec advantage over team-mate Sergio Perez<\/a>, having set the fastest lap and won Saturday’s sprint race. “It was a very lonely Sunday,” chuckled the Dutchman over the radio.<\/p>\n

It earned him the maximum 34 championship points, and he also lapped Lewis Hamilton<\/a> who ended the race 13th. His miserable day, in a Mercedes<\/a> that team boss Toto Wolff described as “undriveable” can be summed up by an unsuccessful battle to pass Pierre Gasly<\/a> which lasted for most of the race.<\/p>\n

Ferrari’s woes promoted Lando Norris<\/a> to third; the McLaren<\/a> driver best of the rest and on the podium at Imola for the second year running.<\/p>\n

His team-mate Daniel Ricciardo<\/a> was out of contention at the start, having sent Sainz into retirement with a tap at the Tamburello chicane, just after the start.<\/p>\n

All cars began the race on intermediate tyres after rain earlier in the day, but the red smoke of the\u00a0tifosi\u00a0<\/em>couldn’t be dampened as the grid lined up.<\/p>\n

\n \"Verstappen\n
\n

Verstappen leads Perez at the start<\/p>\n

\n Mark Thompson\/Getty Images\n <\/p>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n

There was no repeat of the sprint race, where Leclerc stormed into the lead: the Ferrari driver appeared to be on the wrong side of the grid as Verstappen maintained his lead and third-placed Perez moved in front.<\/p>\n

Sainz started behind him on the left-hand side of the grid and also lost out to Norris, who started fifth. The McLaren drew alongside the Ferrari and moved in front at Tamburello<\/p>\n

Ricciardo tried to follow suit and had the inside line into the chicane’s first left-hand corner. But he drifted wide from the apex and clipped Sainz\u2019s left rear tyre, sending the Ferrari spinning into the gravel and beached \u2014 out early for the second race in a row.<\/p>\n

Bottas was also affected, losing position as he bumped into the Riccardo\/Sainz tangle.<\/p>\n

Stewards decided there was no investigation necessary but Sainz was clear on who he thought was to blame: \u201cDaniel hit me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\n \"Daniel\n
\n

Ricciardo and Sainz exit the asphalt<\/p>\n

\n Florent Gooden \/ DPPI\n <\/p>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n

As the safety car was deployed, both Red Bulls led from Norris and Leclerc. Kevin Magnussen<\/a> found himself in fifth after starting eighth, while George Russell<\/a> had climbed from 11th to sixth, having splashed through the puddles and over the kerbs on the inside while exiting Tamburello.<\/p>\n

That tactic didn\u2019t pay off for Mick Schumacher<\/a>, who followed the same line and span, his rear wheel denting the sidepod of Fernando Alonso\u2019s<\/a> Alpine<\/a> as he swung round.<\/p>\n

He was dropped to the back, just ahead of Ricciardo, who pitted after escaping the gravel.<\/p>\n

As the cars ran behind the safety car, Leclerc radioed in to say that the track was drying up but nobody was ready to brave slicks.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

Related article<\/h2>\n \n\t\n
\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"The\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tF1<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe grid spot that made Red Bull invincible at Imola \u2014 F1 race analysis\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t

Red Bull hit back hard after its disappointing performance in Melbourne \u2013 with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez delivering a resounding 1-2 in Ferrari\u2019s backyard of Imola. A disastrous weekend…<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
By\n\t\t\t\t\t\tMark Hughes<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n<\/article>\n <\/div>\n
\n

Lap 5<\/strong> brought the restart and no major position changes at the front \u2014 not from a lack of effort on Leclerc\u2019s front. He was harrying Norris from the off, as the Red Bulls began disappearing onto the distance; Verstappen more than 3sec ahead of Norris by the start of lap 6<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fernando Alonso was slipping back through the field with sidepod damage from the Schumacher impact. He lost eighth position to Sebastian Vettel and bodywork flew off as he was being passed by Lewis Hamilton. He pitted into retirement on lap 7<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Charles Leclerc made the move on Norris, going into Tamburello on lap 8<\/strong>, already 3sec behind Perez and 6sec ahead of Verstappen.<\/p>\n

George Russell was looking to move up further on lap 11<\/strong>, looming large in fifth-placed Magnussen\u2019s mirrors. After a lap of ducking and weaving, the Mercedes raced ahead in the Tamburello braking zone on lap 12, but overshot the left-hander and Magnussen reclaimed the lead. But there was no response in the run-up to Variante Alta later in the lap: Russell pulled alongside, on the inside and was past.<\/p>\n

Magnussen\u2019s slide down the rankings continued on lap 14<\/strong>, as Bottas overhauled him on the run to Rivazza, claiming the inside line and sixth place.<\/p>\n

Lap 15<\/strong>, Verstappen complained of sliding, but was now 6.5sec ahead of Perez, who was slowly being caught by Leclerc \u2014 now 1.2sec behind.<\/p>\n

Yuki Tsunoda\u2019s ninth place was being eyed by the following Lance Stroll and Lewis Hamilton on lap 16<\/strong>, the trio running on behind the other but with apparently little prospect of getting past.<\/p>\n

Daniel Ricciardo was the first to jump to slicks on lap 17<\/strong>, despite more light rain being predicted.<\/p>\n

Asked his thoughts on changing to slicks, Hamilton said: \u201cIt\u2019s still too early\u201d.<\/p>\n

But as Ricciardo started setting personal best times on medium tyres, the cars flooded in. Gasly switched on lap 18<\/strong>, as did Vettel and Albon.<\/p>\n

Lap 19<\/strong> brought Perez in from second, along with the majority of the grid \u2014 Verstappen and Leclerc were among those who remained out for a further lap.<\/p>\n

Amid the hubbub, Esteban Ocon was released into the path of Lewis Hamilton and the pair made slight contact, with Ocon retaining the advantage, although a 5sec penalty imposed by the stewards would later be imposed on the Alpine driver.<\/p>\n

\n

Esteban Ocon has been handed a five-second time penalty for an unsafe release \ud83d\udc47 https:\/\/t.co\/C5ilFnlpIA<\/a><\/p>\n

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 24, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n