Max Verstappen delivered a consummate performance throughout the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix weekend. His nous to grab a slipstream off Nico Hulkenberg in qualifying paid dividends in a knife edge fight for pole, whilst his error-free drive on Sunday brought home the victory against Lando Norris, who once again showed stronger race pace.
This was a weekend where Verstappen was really under pressure and required all of his skill to keep Red Bull on top. It also highlighted a perennial issue for Red Bull: when Verstappen is pushed this hard, Perez is often not near enough to help him out at all.
/16x9%20single%20image%20-%202026-02-13T060600.278.webp?w=218&resize=218,150&ssl=1 "LIVE COVERAGE: Day 3 of pre-season testing in Bahrain")
/Palmer-Imola-2024.jpg?resize=1920,1080&ssl=1&description=A few races ago it looked like Perez was doing enough to retain his drive for next year, but what Red Bull really need from him at the very least is some support for Max when he needs it – or to be picking up the pieces when Max hits trouble...){kind=link}