Verstappen explained why he laughed after overtaking Oscar Piastri at Imola, calling the daring Formula 1 move “truly brilliant.”
Max Verstappen stated that his natural reaction was to “laugh” after overtaking Oscar Piastri at the start in Imola.
This move proved crucial for Verstappen, who went on to claim his second win of the season. He hinted that Piastri had been too focused on George Russell (Mercedes) to anticipate and defend against his attack.
Verstappen will be aiming to carry this momentum into the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend, but when asked about his breathtaking move at Imola, he admitted he had to watch it back once he got home.
“I did have a good laugh for a moment!”
However, Verstappen clarified that the laugh didn’t happen while rewatching the overtake on Piastri, but right after the move itself.
“No, not behind my television, but I laughed for a moment in Turn 3. I thought, ‘That was a good one!’”
After analyzing the situation on television, Verstappen concluded that Piastri was “in my opinion, very concerned about George approaching the chicane.”
That gave Verstappen the freedom and momentum he needed to make the move.
“I think, looking back at the situation, you can see he’s very focused on George, because he was running second. And I understand that. I took advantage of that momentum, of course. After that, there’s no time to react, because I already had the run.”
George Russell also praised Verstappen’s start in Monaco, acknowledging that the Dutchman had made “perhaps one of the best starts in Formula 1 history.”
“It was the overtake of the year, no doubt. To be honest, it was the best overtake I’ve seen in a very long time. I thought my start in Barcelona [in 2024, where he took the lead from fourth on the grid] was pretty good, but yeah, his was quite spectacular.”
“So it was a bit frustrating from my perspective, when I got a really good start and suddenly there was nowhere to go. At that point, I felt my only hope was to battle Max in that race – we were really wrong – just to see him fly past Oscar like a madman.”
“But that’s why he’s one of the greatest of all time – you can’t take that away from him. Even with our personal relationship, or whatever has happened in the past, there’s always respect for what he does on track. It was an incredible decision and he had an incredible weekend. The car was super quick and I think they caught everyone by surprise.”
- Discover More>Ferrari Eyes Rear Fix, Barcelona Key to 2025 Revival
- Following us on>Facebook and>Twitter