Cold shower for the Italian tifosi. While Charles Leclerc got off to the best start, it was finally Max Verstappen who won the first sprint race of the season, at Imola, on Saturday 23 April. The Dutchman came back to the Ferrari at the end of the race and will start from first position in the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday. He also pocketed 8 precious points in the drivers’ standings.
Max Verstappen wins the first #F1Sprint of the season!
The Dutchman put in an incredible stint to take the lead from Leclerc in the final lapse #ImolaGP #F1 @redbullracing pic.twitter.com/CjTx84fLdX
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 23, 2022
The duel between Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen continues and should last all weekend at Imola. The winners of the first Grand Prix of the season once again fought a great battle on the track in the first sprint race of the 2022 edition. The Monegasque, who started second on Saturday, first took advantage of the poor synchronization of the gearbox from the Dutchman when the lights went out to overtake him from the start. In the lead for 19 laps, the Ferrari driver finally suffered the degradation of his tires and saw the Red Bull approaching in his mirrors, then passing him.
Behind the two men, Sergio Perez took advantage of the intervention of the safety car at the start of the race, after a collision between Guanyu Zhou and Pierre Gasly, to finally move up to third position. Carlos Sainz will start alongside the Mexican from the second row.
The top eight drivers pocket 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 points respectively, allowing Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Sergio Perez, Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris, Daniel Ricciardo, Valtteri Bottas and Kevin Magnussen to grab a few units in the standings. On the Mercedes side, the lack of rhythm at the start of the season is confirmed: George Russell takes 11th place while Lewis Hamilton has to settle for a modest 14th position. The French Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly finished respectively 16th and 17th in the sprint race.