MONDAY MORNING DEBRIEF: Cat and mouse between Verstappen and Norris, but how did Red Bull sneak the victory?

/mmd-imola-2024.webp)
It was all looking quite routine for Max Verstappen until about three-quarters of the way through the race. He’d built his lead over Lando Norris’ McLaren to around 6s in the first stint on his medium compound tyres and now in the second stint of this one-stop race on the hard tyres, he was just maintaining that gap.
He had grabbed pole, led from the start, pulled out of undercut reach, routinely ticked the boxes of victory in a way he’s done countless times before. But around 20 laps into the second stint, his hold on the race began to loosen.

Unlock exclusive F1 content and more with F1 Unlocked. Totally free.
Membership gets you closer with:
Curated insider content
Live like an F1 insider with exclusive access and VIP experiences
Member benefits, rewards and offers
Next Up
Related Articles
Our writers share predictions for the final three races of 2025
A look into Michael Schumacher’s fashion eras
F1 AcademyPayton Westcott confirmed as Las Vegas Wild Card
10 of the most memorable pit lane drives in F1 history
F1 ExplainsJames Hinchcliffe and Laura Winter answer your questions
Vowles ‘proud’ of Colapinto for earning Alpine 2026 seat