What Oscar Piastri learned from Max Verstappen’s ‘win it or bin it’ move

Oscar Piastri has vowed to learn from Max Verstappen’s audacious around-the-outside overtake at the start of the F1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Verstappen pulled off a spectacular move under braking to snatch the lead from McLaren’s Piastri at the first corner, before going on to claim a dominant victory at Imola.

Despite briefly dropping to third behind George Russell’s Mercedes on the long run down to Turn 1, Verstappen sent it around the outside and caught Piastri off guard.

Piastri admitted he braked earlier than he should have done and in doing so inadvertently gave the Red Bull driver an invitation he would regret.

“Yeah, I thought I had it pretty under control, and it was a good move from Max. So, I'll learn for next time, clearly,” said Piastri, whose championship lead has been cut to 13 points after a third place finish.

"Definitely would have done something different [in hindsight]. I would have braked 10 metres later probably. Yeah. That's all. Live and learn.

"But at that point, I wasn't overly concerned to not be in the lead. But then our pace just wasn't as strong as I expected.”

Russell was unimpressed that Piastri braked so early into Turn 1.

“**** Piastri, what is he doing?!” Russell lamented over team radio.

The Mercedes driver had been able to edge ahead of Verstappen on the inside but felt Piastri left the door open for Verstappen, adding “you know Max is going to take it”.

"That was a bit frustrating," conceded Russell, who was left bemoaning Mercedes’ lack of pace as he slumped to seventh.

"I was obviously boxed in, I made a really strong start, but the track's just too narrow for these big F1 cars these days, there's nothing we can do.

"He [Piastri] could've left the door open to me and braked very late himself and he'd have been leading, I'd have been second.”

How did Verstappen make stunning move stick?

Even Verstappen was surprised he was able to make the move stick.

“I was quite far back," the Dutchman explained. "At the time before braking, I was basically in P3. But, of course, I was on the normal braking line, but I still had to come from far.

"And as soon as I braked late and then came off the brakes, I felt like: 'OK, there might be a move on.' So, I just carried the speed in. And, luckily, it basically was sticking.

“It's not an easy move to make but, luckily, everything went well.”

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner praised Verstappen’s commitment, describing the move as “win it or bin it”.

"His start, and that first corner was kind of win it or bin it, the commitment that he had,” Horner said.

"Oscar was fair and gave him space. He's coming from a way back, and George is up the inside, but he just commits to the corner, and was given enough space by Oscar.

"And that was the last they saw of him."