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
Permane praises Lawson for how he has bounced back at Racing Bulls
QuizWhich teams gave these drivers their F1 debut?
Stella surprised by level of McLaren's dominance in 2025
Half Term Reports 2025How Sauber's 2025 season has played out so far
Lifestyle & CultureWhat the F1 drivers have done during the summer break
Half Term Reports 2025How Racing Bulls' 2025 season has played out so far