Emilia Romagna GP quotes as Dutchman triumphs at Imola and Gasly eighth.
Max Verstappen banked his first victory of the 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship season at Imola with a calculated, cool drive as Red Bull Racing Honda delivered on their impressive off-season.
The Dutchman managed to hold his nerve in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday that was red-flagged half way through after a a high-speed crash involving Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas and Briton George Russell.
Rain fell in Italy to complicate the race with Verstappen taking advantage of Lewis Hamilton’s spin in his Mercedes to win by 22 seconds with new teammate Sergio Pérez back in 12th after he spun off.
Verstappen is on 43 points after two races, just one point behind reigning champion Hamilton ahead of the Portuguese Grand Prix on May 2.
Frenchman Pierre Gasly kept out of trouble to finish in the points with eighth place, while Japanese rookie Yuki Tsunoda came home just behind Mexican Pérez in 13th place for Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda.
Red Bull Racing Honda
MAX VERSTAPPEN – 1st
“I am of course very happy with this win for everyone in the Team and Honda. I think the key was of course the start as we had a great launch. I surprised myself as it was always hard to get off the line in the wet last year but we worked hard to try and improve that and it worked. The conditions were challenging out there, especially in the beginning and it was very hard to stay on track but we stayed out of trouble. I wouldn’t call it a dominant performance as Lewis was following me quite well and for him to come back to second after his incident means they have a lot of pace in that car. We won because we made the right calls with tyres at the right time and the Team managed everything well in these conditions. With the tyres degrading, choosing the right moment to go onto slicks wasn’t easy but we got it right. I had a little moment at the re-start trying to warm up the tyres with some throttle but luckily we didn’t spin. We still have to work hard to improve because it’s very close, but for now I’m very happy with the result. I’m looking forward to Portimão because it’s an amazing track and then we go to a track we all know well in Barcelona. We’ll see what we can do but so far, it’s been a good start to the year.”
SERGIO PEREZ – 12th
“The conditions out there were really difficult today and I made quite a few mistakes that were very costly. I struggled to retain any temperature in the tyres, so I lost it under the safety car and I got a 10-second penalty. It is of course important that I get used to the car and that I learn these lessons, but I messed up, I’m very disappointed in myself and really sorry to the Team. I think at the re-start the podium was ours and the pace of the car was good today, we should have finished one and two on the podium. Let’s focus on the next race now, we will work really hard as a Team and come back stronger.”
CHRISTIAN HORNER – Team Principal
“It is fantastic for us to get the victory here today, particularly after losing such a close race in Bahrain. Max drove impeccably all afternoon with no mistakes and the Team made some perfectly timed pit stop calls, making this a thoroughly deserved victory and an important one for us. Max was pumped up for the race, with a great start giving him momentum down into Turn 1 where we saw two tough drivers pushing to the limit for track position which is what everyone wants to see. Lewis was still very quick today which could be seen particularly towards the end of the race when they seemed to have very low tyre degradation. I think they maybe had a quicker car than us today but it’s great to get that first victory of the season under our belts. It was a real shame for Sergio after such a brilliant day yesterday and nothing went his way which is frustrating for him, but he’s becoming more and more comfortable with the car and you can guarantee that he will come back strong. Now we need to build on this momentum for the remainder of the season and we are going to have to go some way to keep Mercedes under pressure.”
Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda
PIERRE GASLY – 8th
“For sure, it’s been a very difficult day – we started from P5 but we made a different call with tyres at the start of the race and quickly ended up at the back. Obviously, I was very disappointed, but from there we kept fighting and after the red flag we managed to make our way forward again to eighth position and get ourselves a couple of points for the weekend, which is good. It wasn’t an easy one, so to finish in the points is positive, but I think there was more to be had, given where we started from on the grid this afternoon. We showed the potential of the car on Saturday and next time out we just need to put it all together across the weekend.”
YUKI TSUNODA – 13th
“I think it was a fantastic race for the viewers at home but I’m very disappointed with myself and I just want to say sorry to the team. It’s a real shame that I spun after the red flag, up until that point I think the race was going pretty well and the pace was really good. This was the first time I’ve been in a Formula 1 car in the wet and I learnt you have to be so careful, especially with acceleration. Starting on the intermediate tyre during the rainy conditions made it even more difficult but it was a great opportunity for me to understand more how the compounds work in different conditions. I think points could have been on the table for me here today but it’s all a learning curve and I’ll take this experience with me to the next race.”
JODY EGGINTON – Technical Director
“Today’s race was certainly eventful and – although we have scored a few points with Pierre – we have to be honest and say we have made our lives more difficult than they needed to be and have not scored the points that the package was capable of this weekend. Obviously, the entire team is disappointed but together we will review today’s race, in an open and pragmatic way, and address various topics that will allow us to deliver a stronger performance at the next Grand Prix.”