Verstappen party in Ferrari country - Leclerc only sixth

Created: 04/24/2022Updated: 04/24/2022 17:23

The Dutchman Max Verstappen from Team Red Bull wins the race in Imola.. © Guglielmo Mangiapane/Pool Reuters/AP/dpa

Max Verstappen dominates the race weekend at rival Ferrari's home round.

Sebastian Vettel gets the first points, Mick Schumacher misses them again after a mistake.

Nothing works with Lewis Hamilton.

Imola – Max Verstappen jumped into the arms of his crew and was celebrated, the almost 100,000 Tifosi the world champion completely spoiled the red festival of Imola.

The Dutchman won the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday and, after winning the sprint the day before, also scooped the point for the fastest lap of the race.

Second, Sergio Perez rounded off Red Bull's almost perfect performance in Formula 1.

"We did really well as a team," said Verstappen: "First and second place are well deserved."

Leclerc without a podium place

Rival Charles Leclerc was far from happy at Ferrari's home spectacle.

"There are no excuses, I made a mistake that I shouldn't have made," he said ruefully.

"It's a shame.

I went over the limit and paid the price for it.” In sixth place, the world championship leader in a Ferrari missed out on the podium for the first time this year.

Shortly before the end he spun while in third place with fresh tires and had to come into the pits again.

Third was Lando Norris in the McLaren.

After his crash, Carlos Sainz leaves the damaged racing car with his head bowed.

© Luca Bruno/AP/dpa

On a dreary day for the Scuderia at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Carlos Sainz was eliminated after just a few meters and slipped from second place overall behind Leclerc.

The new first pursuer of the two-time winner of the season from Monaco is the two-time winner of the season, Verstappen.

He got the maximum haul in Imola with 34 points and now has a total of 59 points despite two retirements this season.

Leclerc has 86 points.

Vettel gets first championship points

However, the record world champion Lewis Hamilton (28 points) continued to lose contact with the leaders: The seven-time champion dragged his Mercedes to the finish in 13th place, and was lapped by Verstappen after two thirds of the race distance.

Team boss Toto Wolff apologized via radio that the car was "undriveable".

Hamilton's new British team-mate George Russell did some considerable damage control in fourth.

Sebastian Vettel scored his first championship points this year in eighth place in the Aston Martin.

"Everything was fine," said Vettel on Sky: "It's great for the team to get the first points.

It's an eighth place, but for us it's like a win." Buddy Mick Schumacher, on the other hand, missed the first points in Formula 1 again in his 25th Grand Prix: after several mistakes, he was only 17th in a race, that's clear was more orderly than many had suspected.

Sainz ends up in the Kibett

The air temperature was almost 13 degrees, but in the crowded grandstands, on the hills, on the fences, the big Ferrari fever still prevailed.

The scenery for the European stopover after Melbourne and before Miami could hardly have been better.

And then that: Leclerc didn't get away well at the start from second place and didn't have a chance to attack Verstappen.

Instead, the Monegasse was overtaken by Perez and Norris.

Puffs of red smoke cleared the stands, and things got even worse for Ferrari.

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Sainz was already in the gravel after colliding with McLaren's Daniel Ricciardo.

In qualifying, the Spaniard was eliminated just one day after his contract extension due to a driving error.

Schumacher touches Alonso's racing car

Mick Schumacher also spun on the drying course.

From tenth on the grid, he fell far behind in the Haas.

En passant, the 23-year-old damaged Fernando Alonso's Alpine, so that the two-time champion had to park the car with a huge hole in the side box.

Schumacher later spun again and was shown the black and white flag for violating the track limits.

The race exclusion threatened.

Things went better for Schumacher's compatriot Vettel two weeks after his completely screwed up personal season debut in Australia.

The 34-year-old native of Hesse missed the first two Grand Prix's due to a corona infection and failed several times Down Under.

Vettel presented himself in good form in Imola.

Orange instead of red in Imola

Verstappen couldn't care less.

It was already orange instead of red in qualifying and in the sprint race after the Dutchman's victories.

Unlike over the short distance on Saturday, the Dutchman didn't mess up the start this time either.

In addition, Perez served as a perfect buffer after his advance from third to second after Leclerc again passed Norris to the cheers of the Italian fans.

Max Verstappen takes the lead at the start.

© Luca Bruno/AP/dpa

Russell also worked his way up, the Mercedes newcomer had to start from eleventh place.

Hamilton from 14, but again not much worked for the 37-year-old Brit, who also helped to improve performance by switching to dry tires.

And Leclerc, who started the Scuderia's home spectacle as a big favorite with two wins in three races, was not able to improve after the tire change.

He came out ahead of Perez, but with the cooler tires he couldn't counter the Mexican's attack.

Patience was now required.

Or full risk: Ferrari brought Leclerc into the pits again, he got the fastest tires on it, but a little later he slipped off the track and hit the side of the wall.

Leclerc was able to continue, but had to pit again and it was over even with a podium finish.

dpa