Max Verstappen holds off rampant Lando Norris in gripping finale to win Emilia-Romagna GP with Mercedes off the pace

MAX VERSTAPPEN warmed up for his victory at Imola by winning a 24-hour race online.

The gaming-loving Dutchman took part in a marathon sim race in his motor home into the small hours.

Reuters

Max Verstappen extended his lead at the top of the F1 standings[/caption]

Getty

Lando Norris followed up his win in Miami by finishing second in the Emilia-Romagna GP[/caption]

He then jumped into the cockpit on Sunday and smashed the field to win his 59th Grand Prix.

The Red Bull driver has a full gaming simulator setup in his motor home to compete online with Team Redline.

Verstappen may have been thinking twice about his night time gaming sesh when he was hunted down by a late resurgence from McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Norris’ fight-back came a lap too late as Verstappen was able to hold on and win by under a second.

Norris said: “Unlucky! Almost. We lost too much in the beginning. Another amazing weekend, well done everyone. A lot of points, another trophy. Let’s keep it up.

“One or two more laps. That’s all I needed. It’s frustrating not to win. It feels more painful.

“It hurts me to say it but one or two laps and I would have had him. I just lost out to him too much at the beginning. One or two laps more and it would have been beautiful.”

It is the smallest margin that Verstappen has won by this season as Norris is proving to be the best of the rest after his maiden win in Miami last time out.

CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS

It was also the McLaren driver’s fourth podium this season.

Verstappen added: “I had to work for that. We had a great race considering how it started.”

Norris found himself under the cosh from the two Ferrari drivers at the start and by the end of the third lap, Verstappen had stretched his lead to over a second from the Miami Grand Prix winner.

Verstappen came within a whisker of taking out a chicane bollard, as he did in Miami but carried on bulldozing ahead.

Sergio Perez again failed to compete with his Red Bull oppo as he went off track on turn 17 and lap 17 due to an unforced error.

It was another dismal display by Mercedes who didn’t make any progress with Lewis Hamilton finishing in sixth and George Russell seventh.

Hamilton suffered a blow when he careered onto the gravel after under braking on turn 13 on lap 26 in his Mercedes.

Fernando Alonso was left sweating when his brakes on his Aston Martin caught on fire on his way out of the pits.

Getty

Verstappen crossed the line a second ahead of the McLaren star[/caption]

 Complete F1 2024 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix and start time this year