By F1 correspondent Michael Butterworth

BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Max Verstappen claimed his second victory of the 2025 Formula One season on Sunday, passing Oscar Piastri on the opening lap and withstanding late pressure to win an entertaining Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola.

Starting from second on the grid, the Red Bull driver swept around the outside of polesitter Piastri at the Tamburello chicane and never looked back, maintaining control through strategic pit stops and two caution periods.

Piastri, who led the field into Turn 1, was among a handful of drivers to pit early, while Verstappen and McLaren's Lando Norris stayed out on medium-compound tires. The strategy backfired for Piastri, who struggled to make progress on fresh rubber as the mediums held up better than expected.

A mid-race Virtual Safety Car, triggered by Esteban Ocon's retired Haas, allowed Verstappen to make a pit stop without surrendering the lead. The Dutchman built a comfortable 19-second advantage over Norris before a full Safety Car erased his gap following Kimi Antonelli's breakdown.

Verstappen, however, controlled the restart and gradually pulled away from both McLarens over the final laps.

"The start itself wasn't great, but I stayed on the normal line and thought, 'I'm going to try it around the outside,' and it worked," Verstappen said.

"That move gave me the lead, and once in front, the car was really good. I could manage the tires and the pace."

The Dutchman credited his team's flawless execution: "The Virtual Safety Car came at the right time for us. Even after the restart on the hard compound, the pace was strong. I'm incredibly proud of the whole team. Strategy, pit stops, everything was spot on."

Norris passed Piastri with five laps to go to finish second, having preserved his tires for a late push. The Australian, who had led the championship heading into the weekend, cut a frustrated figure at the end of a race that never fully came to him.

Lewis Hamilton finished a strong fourth after qualifying 12th, delivering a solid recovery drive for Ferrari on home soil. Williams' Alex Albon produced one of the standout performances of the day, finishing fifth.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc followed in sixth, ahead of George Russell, who faded to seventh after running third early in the race. Williams capped a successful day with Carlos Sainz finishing eighth, while Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar took ninth.

Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the top 10 for Red Bull, recovering from a pit lane start after a heavy qualifying crash.

Piastri remains atop the drivers' standings with 146 points, but his lead has narrowed. Norris climbs to 133 points, with Verstappen close behind on 124.

In the constructors' championship, McLaren extends its advantage with 279 points. Mercedes sits second on 147, with Red Bull third on 131.

The eighth round of the season is next weekend's Monaco Grand Prix, on May 25.