Verstappen dominates after pulling off dazzling manoeuvre

What better way might Max Verstappen have marked his determination to stay resolutely in the title fight than with an emphatic victory at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, appropriately ensured with one of the best overtaking moves of his career.

- Giles Richards

He has always maintained that, despite Red Bull's struggles with their car, his commitment was unwavering and he demonstrated it with a piece of relentlessly controlled dominance to take victory at Imola.

Behind him, what had looked like a weekend to forget for Ferrari, after the devastation of what Lewis Hamilton described as a woeful qualifying for at their home race, turned to perhaps the unlikeliest of celebrations. The Briton was finally able to revel in a shared joy with his team that has been truly short on the ground this season.

He returned fourth place, his best grand prix finish this season, from 12th on the grid after a race where Ferrari made the absolute most of their strategy and the seven-time champion ducked and dived, making pass after pass with an enthusiastic verve that hints at just what he might do if the team could deliver a better ride.

A buoyant Hamilton was understandably in fine spirits afterwards, taking pleasure in his first race for Ferrari in front of the tifosi.