Colapinto went on the radio to thank his team for repairing his car after a painful-looking crash. Just like him, Ferrari — who split the strategy with Leclerc on mediums and Hamilton on hards — and Antonelli as the home team and driver, were eager to make Italy proud after yesterday’s performance.
Verstappen didn’t have the best launch off the line, with Piastri initially leading, but the Dutch driver surprised everyone with a daring move into P1. Instead of fighting back, Piastri had to check his mirrors as Russell closed in.
Leclerc and Antonelli both gained a position, separated only by Hadjar, who impressively jumped two spots. In contrast, Hamilton slipped down to P13, due to his harder set of tyres.
Ocon pitted on lap 2, likely picking up damage after battling his teammate Bearman at the back of the grid. This allowed Tsunoda— starting from the pit lane — to gain at least one spot, though he still trailed far behind his teammate in the lead.
Leclerc seemed determined to lift the spirits of fans who, according to reports, started leaving the grandstands after Q2 yesterday. He made a bold move on Gasly for P9, forcing the Frenchman wide and into the gravel, allowing four other cars to pass. Colapinto also visited the gravel at Rivazza 1, but unlike his teammate, he rejoined without major issues.
Leclerc was the first of the front-runners to pit, dropping to the back of the grid. Norris overtook Russell before the Mercedes driver boxed to cover the Ferrari. Sainz and Alonso followed suit, though all three emerged behind Leclerc.
Piastri reacted to cover the undercut and, despite a slight issue in the pits, rejoined ahead of Leclerc. Surprisingly, Tsunoda in P10 was asked to play the team game and hold up Piastri to aid Verstappen in the lead. He tried to comply, pushing Piastri wide but ultimately lost out to the McLaren.
Piastri and Leclerc charged through the field, reaching P8 and P9. For a track known for limited overtaking, the mixed strategies were delivering the opposite.
In a calmer phase of the race, Ocon was asked to stop the car immediately. A yellow flag turned into a VSC, allowing the front-runners to pit. Both Piastri and Leclerc stopped again, with Ferrari executing a double stack, losing critical positions to Aston Martin. Sainz had a minor clash with Tsunoda while passing him for P13. Race Control noted the contact but took no further action.
It wasn’t just the Ferrari drivers making moves—Hulkenberg delivered some bold overtakes, clawing his way into the top 10, a strong showing considering his car’s limitations.
Drama struck on lap 47 when Antonelli’s car stopped with an issue. Verstappen, Norris, Hamilton, Hadjar, and Albon seized the Safety Car opportunity to pit.
With just over 10 laps to go, Norris sensed an opportunity and asked if he could pass his teammate on fresher tyres, but the positions remained unchanged after restart.
Using DRS and fresher rubber, Hamilton passed Russell, while Norris overtook Piastri. Albon chased Leclerc, whose 29-lap-old hards struggled for grip. Leclerc defended aggressively, pushing Albon into the gravel, which allowed Hamilton to pass both. To avoid a penalty, Ferrari asked Leclerc to give the place back, ruining his chance to fight forward.
Verstappen took his 4th straight win in Imola, followed by Norris and Piastri on the podium, with Hamilton, Albon, Leclerc, and Russell rounding out the top seven.