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A bad start saw the RB driver lose two spots from a season’s best seventh on the grid – and in a bid to protect his position, the team pitted him early to leave him with a monster final stint on the hard.
Tsunoda kept his cool and managed his pace impressively to hold on for the final point of the day. That was his fourth points finish in the last five Grands Prix.
Losers: Alpine
Alpine do seem to be getting better from one weekend to the next, but they simply lacked the pace to compete for points in Imola.
READ MORE: Vettel pays tribute to Senna and Ratzenberger with emotional Imola demo run
They tried something different with an alternative strategy for Pierre Gasly, starting the Frenchman on the soft, but the race didn’t unfold in a way that rewarded that risky starting tyre choice.
Very early on, they started receiving blue flags, which naturally stunted progress. As a result, they couldn’t build on their maiden point of the season, scored last time out in Miami.
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/imola-winners-losers-header-2024.png?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1&description=On paper, it looked like just another Max Verstappen victory but the reigning world champion had to absorb some intense pressure from friend and McLaren rival Lando Norris to take the spoils in Imola. The duo will leave Italy in good spirits – but the same can’t be said for others in the field. As ever, Lawrence Barretto picks out his winners and losers from the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix…){kind=link}