Max Verstappen wins sprint race in Imola: 'Very happy with a clean sprint race'

Published on 23 April 2022 by Kees-Jan Koster

Max Verstappen won the sprint race prior to the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. The Dutchman started from pole position but had a poor start and was overtaken by Charles Leclerc. Max kept the gap small and was able to overtake Leclerc in the penultimate lap using DRS. By winning the sprint race Max takes 8 points and will start the Grand Prix tomorrow from pole. Behind Leclerc it was Sergio Pérez for Oracle Red Bull Racing who completed the top three. The team from Milton Keynes will have a good starting position for the race tomorrow.

“The start was bad, and we had a lot of wheelspin”, says Verstappen after the sprint race. “We tried to stay calm. Initially it looked like Charles had a bit more pace, but then he ran out of tyres. We could close the gap and go for the move in turn two.”

About the Grand Prix tomorrow Max says: “Maybe tomorrow it will be a bit different again, but today it worked out for us to be on the soft compound. I am very happy to have a clean sprint race.”

A little over 16:30 the lights go out for the first sprint race of the season. Max Verstappen has a poor start from pole and Charles Leclerc takes the lead. The Monegasque is the first to enter the Variante Tamburello, with behind him Verstappen, Lando Norris, Kevin Magnussen, Daniel Ricciardo and Sergio Pérez. Pierre Gasly and Zhou Guanyu collide in turn nine, and the latter ends up in the tyre barrier. The young Chinese driver can get out of the car unharmed but will have to start the race tomorrow from the back. Gasly’s car is also damaged, and he has a punctured right front tyre, but the AlphaTauri driver can get back to the pits. Race control decides to bring out the Safety Car.

At the end of lap four the field is released again. Leclerc keeps the lead in front of Verstappen, but the Dutchman stays close, keping the gap just over a second. Sergio Pérez (P4) and Carlos Sainz (P7) are making up for their disappointing qualifying.

Halfway the sprint race the top six is formed by Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, Sergio Pérez, Lando Norris, Daniel Ricciardo and Kevin Magnussen. The Danish driver has a hard time on medium tyres and is overtaken by Carlos Sainz. Not much later he Ferrari driver also overtakes Daniel Ricciardo for fifth place.

With five laps to go gets Max within DRS range of Leclerc, but the reigning world champion comes a little bit short to take the lead. Leclerc suffers from tyre degradation a lot more than Verstappen. In the penultimate lap the gap is small enough to overtake the Ferrari driver just ahead of turn two. Max stays in the lead for the rest of the race and will start tomorrow’s Grand Prix form pole position. Charles Leclerc finishes second, behind him Sergio Pérez who recovered will from his disappointing qualifying.

Contest GP Emilia Romagna: win a 1:43 Max Verstappen Imola 2021 scale model

Results sprint qualifying Emilia-romagna: