This wasn't the typical Max Verstappen victory we've seen time and again over the past couple of years in Formula One.
While Verstappen crossed the finish line Sunday at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Imola, Italy, to score his fifth win of the season, and 59th of his career, the McLaren of Lando Norris was right in the rearview mirrors of the Red Bull.
Yes, objects appear closer, but not by that much as Norris was only .725 seconds back of Verstappen.
That's a far cry from the 22-second cushion Verstappen held when he won the season opener in Bahrain while 12- and 13-second margins have also been the norm.
Verstappen started on pole position, as he has all season long, with his streak stretching back to last season, equalling icon Ayrton Senna's consecutive pole record of eight. The three-time reigning world champion got off to a clean break at the start, while Norris, starting beside him on the front row, dealt with the pair of Ferraris from Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz behind him.
As Verstappen held a seven-second advantage with a dozen laps to go, tire degredation began to play a factor and Norris was able to chip away at the deficit. Verstappen needed a practically perfect drive down the final stretch, especially since he had been shown the black-and-white flag for exceeding track limits earlier in the race so keeping all four wheels within the lines was crucial to avoid a potential penalty.
Norris charged like a literal red bull and closed within the one-second drag reduction system range on the final lap, but the Imola track only features one DRS zone with its activation point not until near the end of the circuit. If only there was another DRS zone — something this reporter wished while racing the track in F1 23 the night before — and we could have ended up with a shootout to the finish line.
Verstappen may prefer winning with a 20-second advantage, but with the pressure valve turned high, he delivered. He also somehow found time to compete in a couple of stints to help his team win a 24-hour iRacing event — for real, Verstappen is a machine who simply lives for racing and paddle tennis.
The Dutch driver remains unbeatable this year in qualifying, which will be key next week in Monaco where the narrow, unforgiving confines of the historic track makes it all the more likely the race will be won on the Saturday instead of the Sunday.
PUSH IT TO THE LIMIT
Compare this runner-up result to the Chinese GP last month where Norris finished a distant 13.773 seconds behind Verstappen. McLaren's upgrades couldn't have come at a better time, both for the team and for fan engagement in the series.
Norris' car received a makeover ahead of the Miami Grand Prix two weeks ago, where the British driver scored his first career victory in F1. You couldn't say Norris got lucky with a pit stop during a safety car this time, nor did Verstappen run into a bollard and sustain floor damage. The McLaren is looking like a legit threat to the Red Bull.
Norris' teammate Oscar Piastri was stuck in a Ferrari sandwich finishing fourth. Piastri was supposed to be the McLaren starting on the front row, however, the Australian driver received a three-spot grid penalty for impeding Kevin Magnussen during qualifying and was shuffled down to fifth. It's a shame too as Piastri was only .074 seconds off Verstappen's pace for pole in Saturday's final session (Norris was also less than a tenth back). Still, Piastri managed to split up the Ferraris and help McLaren take home 30 points, the most out of any team this weekend.
McLaren still has work to do, and must catch Ferrari in the constructors' championship first, but let's not forget we're only seven races into a 24-race season.
TIFOSI FRENZY
Ferrari fans haven't had much to cheer about in their backyard event, so bear with them as they rushed the circuit post-race and serenaded Leclerc with "ole, ole, ole" and the "Seven Nation Army" chant as he finished in third place. It was Ferrari's first podium at Imola since Michael Schumacher's victory in 2006. Mind you, the race went on a 13-year hiatus after that one and last season's event was cancelled due to severe flooding in the region, but still, it's been a while.
Leclerc leapfrogged Sergio Perez for second place in the championship with a six-point advantage over the Red Bull driver.
While Leclerc finished in his grid position, Sainz lost a place to Piastri. The Ferrari-McLaren rivalry is renewed once more ... like it's 2006 again! How about that?
PEREZ'S PROBLEMS
An all-too-familiar problem last year was Perez failing to reach Q3. It was something he had avoided this season until Saturday.
Starting 11th put Perez too far behind the eight-ball to have an impact on the podium. A lengthy opening stint helped Perez soar up the charts, but seeing him then get passed easily by the likes of Leclerc and Piastri on pure race pace (albeit with fresher tires as they had already made pit stops) is not a good look.
Perez managed to finish eighth, well behind not only the McLarens and Ferraris but also Lewis Hamilton and George Russell of Mercedes.
Ferrari and McLaren's consistency — plus the now-upgraded Mercedes — means any setbacks are that much more costly.
PIT STOPS
• We've been harsh on Lance Stroll lately, so credit where credit is due for the Aston Martin driver as he surged four spots to finish ninth and pick up a pair of points. Stroll easily outscored teammate Fernando Alonso, who had a disatrous weekend qualifying 19th — his worst start since joining Aston Martin last year. Alonso ended up starting from pit lane after his crew made some setup changes, but the only things that heated up during the race were his brakes. Alonso finished 19th, the first time he's missed out on points in a grand prix this season.
• RB had a fine Saturday with Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo qualifying seventh and ninth, respectively. Only Tsunoda finished in the points though, coming home 10th for a single while Ricciardo dropped to unlucky 13th. If Tsunoda is aiming for Perez's seat on the main Red Bull team, he didn't help his case late in the race. As Verstappen lapped Tsunoda, he said over the radio: "Can he let me by even more stupid?" Guess they're not paddle tennis partners.
• It was great to see Sebastian Vettel back at the track as the four-time world champion led tributes for Senna and Roland Ratzenberger on the 30th anniversary of their tragic deaths at Imola. Vettel is certainly missed not only on the track but off it as well, as he took the initiative raising awareness for social issues such as gender inequality and climate change. Hamilton can't carry that torch alone, and here's hoping for more Vettel appearances in the future.
• Alexander Albon had a weekend to forget if not for signing a multi-year contract extension. Albon experienced mechanical failure during practice Friday, and a poor pitstop Sunday where his front-right tire wasn't properly fitted, leading to a 10-second time penalty. The team ultimately decided to retire the car with 12 laps remaining. The Williams team's search for its first point of the season is one of the disappointing storylines to emerge after scoring 28 last year. Albon, who earned 27 of those points, is secure for the next little while, but 11 seats are still undecided for next year's grid. The silliest of silly seasons must continue.
• Did you know the official title of the race is the Formula 1 MSC Cruises Gran Premio del Made in Italy e dell'Emilia-Romagna 2024? It just rolls right off your tongue.
