Red Bull impresses in Imola: 'It did practically everything better'

Ferrari seemed to be the favourite for victory prior to the race weekend in Imola. However, Red Bull Racing was keen to close the gap on its competitor in Italy. With a first and second place for Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez respectively, the team could be satisfied. Michael Schmidt was impressed with the result, he writes at Auto, Motor und Sport.

As the leader of the world championship, all eyes were on Charles Leclerc in Italy. Although the Monegasque hit a good level and came close to Verstappen's times, he failed to keep the Dutchman from a victory. Moreover, he also made a mistake in the race, unnecessarily losing many points.

"The challenger did practically everything better than the host. The Red Bull was the faster car, was better balanced and a tad better for the tyres," analyzed Schmidt, who saw Red Bull's drivers perform excellently. "Verstappen and Perez made fewer mistakes than their Ferrari colleagues. At the start, in the race and on the fastest lap."

Carlos Sainz had little luck in Italy. On the first lap he suffered a crash, forcing him to watch the rest of the race from the pit lane. After the race, Daniel Ricciardo apologized for the incident.