According to RacingNews365 readers, Max Verstappen's victory last weekend in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was his greatest since 2022 when the current regulations were introduced.
Unexpectedly, Verstappen did not have the strongest package in Imola, with McLaren in particular having shown exceptional pace over one-lap and in race trim.
Red Bull's struggles were highlighted by Sergio Perez, who crashed in third practice and was then eliminated in Q2. The Mexican did recover a few places in the race to finish eighth, but was largely uncompetitive.
Even Verstappen looked all at sea during practice and was not a genuine contender for pole ahead of qualifying. However, the Dutchman stunned McLaren and Ferrari to claim pole position.
Incredibly, his pole at Imola was voted by RacingNews365's readers as the greatest of his F1 career.
In the race, the three-time world champion made an excellent start and built a gap of around eight seconds to Lando Norris.
It was looking like another typically dominant Verstappen display, until the closing stages when he suddenly encountered huge issues on his hard tyres.
The 26-year-old was visibly sliding, whilst Norris had managed his tyres superbly and quickly closed in on the Red Bull driver.
Verstappen was forced to defend like a lion and managed to hold on for victory, crossing the line just seven tenths of a second ahead of Norris.
For a driver that rarely demonstrates emotion, Verstappen was full of it after qualifying and the race, highlighting just how hard he had to work for the top spot.
His performance was clearly rated very highly by RacingNews365 readers, as the win was judged as his best under the current regulations.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and have a chance to win your favourite F1 car!
SUBCRIBE & WINMost read
In this article
Join the conversation!