Imola GP 2022: Max Verstappen pips Charles Leclerc in an enthralling sprint

Imola GP 2022: Max Verstappen pips Charles Leclerc in an enthralling sprint

Imola Sprint podium

The sprint race in Italy started off with Max Verstappen on the pole followed by Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris. The sequence was decided after a chaotic qualifying of 5 red flags on Friday thanks to the rain, which had earlier postponed the qualifying session of F2.

The track appeared visibly wet after heavy rains in Imola and needed the extra grip. All drivers barring the two Haas and Nicholas Latifi, started on soft compound tires, whereas the aforementioned ones started on the mediums, which proved costly. Fernando Alonso and Kevin Magnussen were warned for weaving on the straight, as a black and white flag was shown to both the drivers.

The defending world champion finished P1, followed by P2 of Charles Leclerc and P3 of teammate Sergio Perez, who made up 4 places having started P7. Carlos Sainz too made up good places as he finished P4 after starting P10. Disappointment continues for Mercedes and McLaren bags more points as it improves.

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Max had a slow start to the race, with nearly a second slow reaction to his rival Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque took an early lead. But the race was brought under the control of a safety car as early as the second sector, where Pierre Gasly took out Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu. Guanyu’s race came to an end, but Gasly continued after a pit stop changing his tire and front wing.

Max Verstappen’s strategic triumph over Charles Leclerc

Max Verstappen's overtake on Charles Leclerc in the 20th lap
Max Verstappen’s overtake on Charles Leclerc in the 20th lap

Verstappen went into the race with only one objective in mind- cut the gap between himself and Leclerc to bag that extra point in the sprint. After a terrible start, the gap between the two increased and sustained around 1.5 seconds.

The Dutch driver started to push after two-thirds of the race and gradually brought down the gap. In the 20th lap, after using DRS for a few laps, he finally overtook Leclerc into turn 1 to take the P1 and 8 points as well.

After taking the lead, the reigning champion ran away with the lead and finished comfortably with nearly 3 seconds of advantage. This has also decided the grid for the main race, i.e., the Imola GP.

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