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If that was to be Imola’s last race on the  calendar for the foreseeable future, the sport will be better for it.

With this being the last race on the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari’s current arrangement with the FIA, this year’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix saw overtakes at a premium, as Max Verstappen took the chequered flag for a fourth successive time at Imola.

Over the course of 63 laps, opportunities to pass were largely restricted to pit stops and safety cars, as the Dutchman getting past McLaren’s Oscar Piastri on the first lap was enough to seal the world champion’s second win of the season.

made up one place to finish 14th after being on the on Sunday. Given the circumstances, the result was as much as Lawson could have asked for, as he aims to rediscover his form following his .

“I’m just pretty disappointed, for everybody,” said Lawson post-race.

“We just got caught out by [virtual safety cars] and safety cars today, and unfortunately that’s what’s put us down the back.

“[It was] just a difficult weekend. I try not to believe in luck, but it’s been pretty difficult recently.

“As I said yesterday, I’ll keep working hard and hope that it turns around.”

However, the Kiwi’s results continue to be bettered by Racing Bulls teammate , who crossed the line ninth after an impressive qualifying performance on Sunday.

Regardless, Lawson remains one of four drivers - five if you count the axed Jack Doohan - to score a point in 2025 so far.

McLaren’s Lando Norris finished second, while Piastri was left to rue the attempt to undercut with his first pit stop, taking third place having qualified on top of the pole.

While still leading the drivers championship, Piastri emerged from the pits in traffic, and was unable to challenge Verstappen after losing his lead at the first corner.

Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda also did well to claim a point after starting from pit lane, but whether or not his team accepts those results as his teammate takes wins and podiums remains to be seen.

Piastri sits at the top of Formula One’s drivers standings with 146 points, although his lead has been cut by both Norris (133) and Verstappen (124).

McLaren continue to surge in the constructors championship, with their lead over Mercedes now at 130 points.

Given Imola’s tight nature and difficulty to overtake, the first lap was always going to be vital in Lawson’s attempt to make his way up the field.

Starting on medium tyres, Lawson was unable to make up any places in the opening lap, but stayed hot on the heels of Gabriel Bortoleto’s Sauber in 14th.

On lap three, Pierre Gasly came off the track at turn 9 and sandwiched himself between Lawson and Bortoleto, as the Kiwi fell more than a second behind the Alpine, and therefore out of range of using his Drag Reduction System (DRS).

With opportunities to pass on track limited to say the least, pit strategy was always going to be vital for drivers to make up positions.

On lap 10, Gasly pitted and saw Lawson gain his first place in the Grand Prix, before the Kiwi did the same one lap later, looking to undercut the drivers in front of him, and emerged in 20th.

Now on a set of fresh hard tyres, the undercut saw Lawson finally get around Bortoleto when he pitted on lap 13, and got around the Haas of Esteban Ocon two laps later by using his DRS on the main straight.

A Franco Colapinto stop on lap 23 had Lawson rise to 17th, before Ocon was forced to retire on lap 29 and trigger a virtual safety car.

That virtual safety car, though, wiped any slim chance Lawson had of more overtakes, as the cars who had yet to pit - including Hadjar - were given the safety of being able to stop with the rest of the field reduced to a crawl.

Lawson also pitted behind the virtual safety car, and emerged in 18th on a new set of hard tyres, looking to go to the end without stopping again.

That became 17th when Haas’ Ollie Bearman pitted again on lap 33, before Alpine team orders to switch Gasly and Colapinto on lap 44 gave the Kiwi hope of reeling in the Argentine.

Another retirement, this time for Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli on lap 46, triggered a full safety car, triggered another wave of pit stops, and saw Lawson climb to 13th as other drivers changed their tyres.

With the field closed for the final nine laps, Lawson’s older tyres told, as Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin got around the Kiwi.

And tasked with defending the second Aston Martin - Lance Stroll - to close out the Grand Prix, Lawson did just that to cross the finish line 14th in an otherwise uneventful race.

The 2025 Formula One season continues next week with the Monaco Grand Prix, as the second of a block of three races in three weeks.

However, given Monaco follows Imola’s example in being a difficult track to pass on, don’t be surprised for more of the same in a week’s time.

Emilia Romagna Grand Prix finishing order

1. Max Verstappen - Red Bull

1. Lando Norris - McLaren

1. Oscar Piastri - McLaren

1. Lewis Hamilton - Ferrari

1. Alex Albon - Williams

1. Charles Leclerc - Ferrari

1. George Russell - Williams

1. Carlos Sainz - Williams

1. Isack Hadjar - Racing Bulls

1. Yuki Tsunoda - Red Bull

1. Fernando Alonso - Aston Martin

1. Nico Hulkenberg - Sauber

1. Pierre Gasly - Alpine

1. Liam Lawson - Racing Bulls

1. Lance Stroll - Aston Martin

1. Franco Colapinto - Alpine

1. Ollie Bearman - Haas

1. Gabriel Bortoleto - Sauber

Did not finish: Kimi Antonelli - Mercedes, Esteban Ocon - Haas

 is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.