F1 Pundit Applauds Max Verstappen’s ‘World Class’ Move on Oscar Piastri at Imola

GPDA chief Alexander Wurz was impressed to see Max Verstappen's calculated move on Oscar Piastri at the Emilia Romagna GP.

F1 Pundit Applauds Max Verstappen’s ‘World Class’ Move on Oscar Piastri at Imola

Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri (via XPB images)

Max Verstappen faces a stiff challenge from Oscar Piastri and McLaren for the 2025 world title. The reigning world champion is being given a run for his money for the first time in quite a while. However, the Dutchman remains at the top of his game as seen at the Emilia Romagna GP. Now GPDA chief Alexander Wurz has praised Verstappen’s driving at Imola.

The Red Bull star started the race from second place right behind pole-sitter Piastri. Max Verstappen got a better getaway at the start and was soon almost side-by-side with the McLaren. The 27-year-old went for an ambitious move at Turn 1 and clinched the lead of the race. From that point on, Verstappen’s victory became imminent.

Alexander Wurz reckoned that Oscar Piastri would not have thought Verstappen would’ve made the move at the first corner. However, the reigning world champion simply took the opportunity with an incredible overtake. Wurz insisted that this was just another example of ‘world class’ driving by the Dutch driver. The Red Bull star figured out the possible way he could take the lead in a matter of split seconds, once again, showing off his brilliance.

Piastri probably glanced in the mirror and thought: ‘Max is still too far away’. But Verstappen perfectly sensed the moment and pulled off an insane move. That is world class. He analysed his opponent’s weak spot in a flash and acted immediately.

Alexander Wurz told ORF.

Oscar Piastri remained ‘smart’ against Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri are no strangers to on-track incidents. The two drivers have had a few incidents while racing in Formula 1. At the Saudi Arabian GP, Verstappen was handed a penalty for going off-track while defending his position against the McLaren driver.

Oscar Piastri (via Alamy)
Oscar Piastri (via Alamy)

Things at Imola were different. Both drivers made the corner cleanly without any controversial moves. Alexander Wurz pointed out that Piastri could’ve taken away all room on the corner entry and forced Verstappen off the track. However, the Australian driver decided to be wise and not take any risks that could’ve made things uglier. This could be crucial as the 24-year-old leads the championship.

He could have given Verstappen a ‘bodycheck’ according to the rules and pushed him off the track. But he chose to secure the points and not take any risks. That’s smart when you’re racing for the championship.

Alexander Wurz noted.

The rest of the race became a dominant affair for Max Verstappen. The reigning world champion extended his lead to as much as 25 seconds to second place at one stage. Even a late Safety Car, that bunched up the pack, did not create trouble for the Red Bull star. Verstappen yet again managed to create a gap to the two McLarens behind and take his second victory of the season.

Certainly, the four-time world champion still has the pace to create an upset for McLaren. Max Verstappen understands how to make clever overtakes on-track against someone like Oscar Piastri. However, this is not enough.

The 27-year-old still has a long way to go to really have a shot at defeating Piastri and McLaren, who seem to be the current favorites for the championship. As such, it remains to be seen how things pan out for Verstappen in the coming races and whether Red Bull can really give him a car that can match McLaren at every circuit.

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