F1 News
British media labels Imola as "dull", "soporific" and 'like a tax return'
Whilst it might have been another win for Max Verstappen, it didn't come easily for the Dutchman. In the last 15 laps or so, he struggled with his tyres, and battery, as well as Lando Norris who picked up the pace. For the British media, much of the focus was on Norris. Here's how the British media reacted to the race.
The Daily Mail
The British paper expressed how many fans were likely feeling about a race which was given a 100 per cent probability of a safety car, which never appeared: "One moment it was as exciting as a tax return – and then bang: an exhilarating late twist, with Lando Norris suddenly as hot down Max Verstappen’s neck as a dragon."
They also recognised the growing strengths of McLaren, who appear to be the team who could end Red Bull's domination: "McLaren are clearly the team, other than Red Bull, who best understand the technical requirements of this generation of ground-effect cars. They are a growing power, now minimally equal with Ferrari, and clearly hottest pursuers at tracks such as this which suit them well."
BBC Sport
The BBC described Norris' efforts as "valiant, but not enough", after he finished second: "The Briton's efforts enlivened the final laps of what had been a largely soporific race, in which the only position change in the top five was Piastri moving past the second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz with an earlier pit stop, after challenging the Spaniard closely throughout the first stint."
Sky Sports F1
Much like the BBC, Sky praised Norris for his efforts, and also recognised the strength McLaren has since their upgrades were introduced to both cars: "Norris continued to impress after sealing his maiden F1 victory in Miami, while McLaren could have been in an even stronger position going into the race had Piastri not been demoted from second to fifth on the grid for an unnecessary impeding violation in the first part of qualifying."
The Mirror
Finally, the British tabloid which labelled the race as being initally 'dull', once again recognised Norris' determination to secure his second victory: "A dull race at Imola burst into life in the final few laps as Lando Norris gave everything in his hunt for back-to-back Formula 1 victories. But he was unable to get the better of Max Verstappen who held on to return to winning ways. Norris spent the last 10 laps hunting down the Dutchman but couldn't get the overtake done on the tight Imola circuit."