May 20th 2024.
Max Verstappen secured his victory at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola, with Lando Norris coming in second and Charles Leclerc in third. However, the Red Bull driver has now revealed that his win almost didn't happen as he came dangerously close to crashing during the race. Despite his victory extending his lead in the championship, Verstappen admitted to feeling "broken" after the grueling event.
Starting on pole, the three-time champion seemed to have an easy win in his grasp. But as the race progressed, his tires began to lose performance and Lando Norris closed in on him. Verstappen managed to hold off the pressure and crossed the finish line just 0.7 seconds ahead of the McLaren driver. However, in the post-race press conference, Verstappen confessed that he struggled with his tires and almost lost the race because of it.
"I just couldn't get the tires to work. It felt like they weren't in the right temperature window and it only got worse as the race went on," the 26-year-old explained. "The last 15 laps were like driving on ice, they just weren't responding. We'll have to analyze what happened there. When I switched to the hard tires, there was some improvement, but after a few laps, I wasn't sure if I could make it to the end as the tires were falling out of the operating window."
Verstappen also described the challenges he faced in the final laps of the race, saying, "It was like driving on ice, very snappy and I had to take some weird lines. I almost ended up in the grandstand at Turn 7. It was very difficult and I could feel the tires losing grip." Despite the difficulties, Verstappen managed to hold off Norris and secure his fifth win in seven races in 2024.
The Imola track is known for being one of the toughest and most strenuous on the F1 calendar. Verstappen, who also took part in the virtual Nurburgring 24 Hours race the night before the grand prix, was left extra exhausted after the physically demanding race. "I'm just broken from the bumps, to be honest. My back and everything is hurting," he shared. "It's not just the physical side of things, but the track was so bumpy. After about 20 laps, I could really feel it in my back."
Despite his exhaustion, Verstappen doesn't have much time to recover as the next race in Monaco is taking place this weekend. With a 48-point lead in the championship, he is now the favorite to take the title, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc currently in second place and Red Bull's Sergio Perez in third. However, Verstappen is taking nothing for granted and is focused on maintaining his performance in the upcoming races.
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