F1: Verstappen wins Imola sprint – Gulf Digital News

F1: Verstappen wins Imola sprint – Gulf Digital News

IMOLA: Formula One champion Max Verstappen won a sprint for pole position at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix yesterday as Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc stretched his overall lead to 40 points.

Verstappen had already secured the official pole for the record books in a wet Friday qualifying for the sprint but yesterday’s result made that concrete as well as bagging him eight points.

Leclerc seized the lead at the start, and held it through an initial safety car period, before Verstappen made up for his poor getaway and passed the Monegasque – whose tyres were fading fast – with a late move around the outside.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz moved up to second in the championship standings after racing from 10th place to fourth, behind Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, in the 100km race over 21 laps at Imola.

Verstappen, who retired in the first two races of the season, is now 45 points behind Leclerc.

The first sprint of the season saw points awarded to the top eight, rather than podium places as was the case last year.

McLaren’s Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo finished fifth and sixth with Valtteri Bottas seventh for Alfa Romeo and Kevin Magnussen banking the final point for Haas after starting in fourth