Verstappen closes gap to Leclerc after easing to Emilia Romagna F1 GP victory

Max Verstappen won the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix with a commanding drive for Red Bull from pole position, with his teammate Sergio Pérez in second. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc made a costly mistake in the final stages dropping him from third to a sixth-placed finish and allowing Verstappen to take a huge chunk out of his championship lead. McLaren’s Lando Norris took third.

The race was one to forget in difficult circumstances for Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes. The seven-time champion started in 14th and finished in the same position in a car that has been an absolute handful to drive all weekend, but his teammate George Russell will take heart in a gutsy fourth. Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas was in fifth.

Verstappen led the way at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, untroubled out front in a flawless run that reaffirmed his place as absolutely still in the title fight with Leclerc. Ferrari could not match the pace of Red Bull and much as Leclerc pushed he was held back with relative ease by Verstappen and Pérez.

The win has tightened up the fight for the championship after four rounds with a planned 19 still to go. Leclerc remains leading but Verstappen is in second, now only 27 points back, having been 46 in arrears going into this weekend.

On Saturday, after a difficult sprint race in which they made no headway through the field Hamilton conceded any chance they had of fighting for the title had gone. He also intimated that at best Mercedes had to hope there was a solution to the issues plaguing their car. Hamilton is the only F1 driver to have won a race in every season he has competed, since his debut in 2007. After Imola it is a remarkable achievement that is under real threat of coming to an ignominious