Verstappen Holds Off McLaren Charge to Win Emilia Romagna GP

(The Post News)– Max Verstappen showed his grit once again as he steered his Red Bull to victory at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday. The reigning world champion made an early move on pole-sitter Oscar Piastri and spent the rest of the race fending off the relentless challenge from both McLaren cars.

Piastri, who started from pole, was immediately under pressure, with Verstappen muscling past on the opening lap. From there, the Dutchman led all 63 laps in a tense battle that saw Lando Norris and Piastri breathing down his neck until the chequered flag.

Further back, Lewis Hamilton thrilled the Italian crowd with a strong drive in his Ferrari. Starting 12th, the seven-time world champion powered through the field to finish fourth. His teammate, Charles Leclerc, gave the tifosi even more to cheer about by securing sixth place.

Alexander Albon continued his fine form, backing up his fifth-place finish in Miami with another P5 at Imola. Meanwhile, his Williams teammate Carlos Sainz brought the car home in eighth, rounding out a solid points haul for the team.

In the championship standings, Piastri has taken the lead with 146 points, maintaining a 13-point advantage over Norris and a 22-point gap to Verstappen.

It’s shaping up to be a fascinating title fight – and if this weekend was anything to go by, the McLarens aren’t going down without a serious scrap.