Max Verstappen stunned by unexpected Red Bull pace and tyre management in Emilia Romagna GP victory

Max Verstappen was surprised by the performance of his Red Bull car during the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, where he secured his second victory of the season.

Starting from second place, Verstappen executed a remarkable overtake on Oscar Piastri at the first corner to take the lead, and then extended his advantage.

A late safety car brought the pack closer, but Verstappen quickly re-established his lead after the restart. McLaren was unable to match his pace, a level of dominance not seen from Red Bull earlier in the year.

Verstappen's Reaction:

"I am very happy with it," Verstappen told Viaplay. "I actually did not expect this speed at all. That's obviously very positive then. I didn't get away very well, which was obviously not ideal."

The Overtake on Piastri:

Explaining his bold move at the first corner, he said: "We just braked a little later than everyone else. And the fact that we were up front there, that was fine."

"But if you don't have the speed, you're going to get caught anyway. We did have the speed now and that was a very positive thing then."

Tyre Management Improvement:

Beyond outright pace, the RB21 also showed better tyre management, an area where McLaren had held an advantage.

"I think we had it pretty well under control, and maybe with them [McLaren] it went a little bit less than normal," he added. "So it's a bit of a combination of the two. But it's very positive."

"The car also felt a little better. The tyres were still going at it per se, but it went a little bit better than most around us."