Imola, the first of our triple header, was an interesting race with a lot of positives and also negatives. Tire degradation was brutal with the tremendous heat on the track, especially towards the first half. Nonetheless, many teams were aiming for a one-stop strategy, which is typically ideal for Imola’s circuit. Both Ferrari drivers gained quite a few positions, a nice positive on their home soil. They started the race right after the top 10, Leclerc P11 and Hamilton P12. Leclerc made it to P6, and Hamilton P4. 

Leclerc was quite unlucky during this race as towards the end his tires were wearing out tremendously. He initially planned a one-stop strategy, but due to Imola’s heat, he first pitted in lap 11, leading to a two-stop strategy. He pitted again during the virtual safety car after Ocon’s crash, and rode those mediums out till the end of the race. Despite being the tire whisperer, it was hard for him to work with the degradation at the end of the race. Leclerc tried very hard to stop Albon from getting through at the end, but Albon pushed through on his newer tires and was able to overtake Leclerc. If Leclerc had newer tires, he probably would have finished P5, if not higher, so it was an unfortunate day for him. 

Another unfortunate negative, the remaining ⅓ of our Italian representation had a tough race and ended up on the grass on lap 46. And on his home soil too! It was devastating to watch him walk away from the track after he was so excited to be on home soil. He even brought his school friends to the track. So far in just 2025, he became the youngest driver to ever lead a race and set the fastest lap in the Japanese Grand Prix. He also is the third driver, ever, to secure three consecutive top six finishes. He also got the Sprint pole in Miami, becoming the youngest F1 pole-sitter in history. Time and time again, he keeps proving himself and his capability in F1, especially as a rookie and the youngest driver on the current grid.

Albon also had an incredible drive today and came very close to the podium. He maintained P3 for a while, but on his way out from the pit, Piastri passed him by a fraction of a second. They were practically next to each other, but Mclaren is still the faster car, so Albon could not recover the lost time. At the end of the race, he was able to pass Leclerc from P6 and get P5, but Leclerc was also struggling on those tires. 

Mclaren still remains at the top, Piastri maintaining his lead in the WDC standings. Piastri lost P2 after Norris was able to overtake him, once again due to tire degradation. Piastri was driving on very old tires, while Norris had fresher and newer tires. Piastri also had an excellent drive today. After he pit the first time, he went all the way down to P12, and yet was able to gain back all of his positions.

Verstappen really pulled through today, gaining the first position in lap one and maintaining his lead throughout the race. His teammate also did a phenomenal job and ended in the points. He had quite an awful crash in quali and started P20 in the race, but successfully made it to P10.

So far we’ve had a pretty successful season, but what is coming next? Will Ferrari maintain the progress they made today or did they just get lucky? Are we looking at a second podium for the team in red? We might have seen one today from Hamilton if it wasn’t for the safety car was released just a few laps earlier, but nothing can be done about that. Will Piastri continue to lead the WDC standings? Is Albon coming on the podium any time soon? We will have to see in the next few races, especially the next two of the triple header! See you in Monaco!