How the Emilia Romagna GP result hinged on three crucial saves
Rain before the start of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix promised to spice up the action, and the race certainly delivered on that. Max Verstappen got the best launch to win from Lewis Hamilton, but both got away with mistakes that could have had serious consequences
The 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix stage was set for a chess match – tense, slow-burning, unlively. The race's final bow was a result that came via a war zone scene – dramatic, thrilling, controversial.
The teams had been aware of possible Sunday rain showers but, as ever in Formula 1, this particular crowd-pleaser wasn't guaranteed. Yet the rain did arrive, 45 minutes before the start – falling in such a manner around the elongated Imola layout that it created an interesting challenge, with the lap's first half soaking and the rest slippery-to-dry.
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Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.
A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.
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