The seventh round of the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship got underway on Sunday with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, held at Italy's Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, better known as Imola.

Reigning champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing won the race, though only by a fraction of a second. McLaren's Lando Norris, fresh from his win at the previous Miami Grand Prix, delivered a late charge at Imola but Verstappen on fading tires kept his cool and managed to hold off his McLaren rival. Fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri also showed plenty of pace in Imola, and in previous rounds.

Verstappen is still the favorite to take home the title this season. He may also set some new records. He set two last season: the most wins in a single season with 19, and the most consecutive wins in a season at 10. With the 2024 season hosting a record 24 races, more records could certainly fall if Verstappen's domination continues.

Fellow Red Bull driver Sergio Perez continues to deliver a mixed performance and as a result remains well off the pace of his teammate. His frequent troubles during qualifying resurfaced at Imola where he failed to reach the third qualifying period, resulting in him starting the race 11th on the grid and finishing only three places better. He also crashed during final practice.

Like McLaren's Piastri and Norris, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have given Red Bull some serious competition this season. Both drivers have consistently fought for podium finishes and Sainz even took the win in the Australian Grand Prix, though Verstappen retired from that race due to car troubles.

Mercedes-Benz AMG, in contrast, has failed to deliver. The team, made up of drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, has struggled with the car so far this season, particularly in the high-speed corners. It's little wonder that Hamilton plans to switch to Ferrari next year.

There's still plenty of time for teams to make changes and for drivers to catch up with current leader Verstappen, as there are still 17 races to go in this season.

Below are the 2024 F1 Drivers' Championship standings:

1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing – 161 points
3) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari – 113 points
2) Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing – 107 points
4) Lando Norris, McLaren – 101 points
5) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari – 93 points
6) Oscar Piastri, McLaren – 53 points
7) George Russell, Mercedes-Benz AMG – 44 points
8) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-Benz AMG – 35 points
9) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin – 33 points
10) Yuki Tsunoda, RB – 15 points
11) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin – 11 points
12) Oliver Bearman, Ferrari – 6 points
13) Nico Hulkenberg, Haas – 6 points
14) Daniel Ricciardo, RB – 5 points
15) Esteban Ocon, Alpine – 1 point
16) Kevin Magnussen, Haas – 1 point
17) Alexander Albon, Williams – 0 points
18) Zhou Guanyu, Sauber – 0 points
19) Logan Sargeant, Williams – 0 points
20) Valtteri Bottas, Sauber – 0 points
21) Pierre Gasly, Alpine – 0 points

Below are the 2024 F1 Constructors' Championship standings:

1) Red Bull Racing – 268 points
2) Ferrari - 212 points
3) McLaren – 154 points
4) Mercedes-Benz AMG – 79 points
5) Aston Martin – 44 points
6) RB – 20 points
7) Haas – 7 points
8) Alpine – 1 point
9) Sauber – 0 points
10) Williams – 0 points

Below are the 2024 F1 season race winners:

Bahrain Grand Prix – Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Australian Grand Prix – Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
Japanese Grand Prix – Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Chinese Grand Prix – Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Miami Grand Prix – Lando Norris, McLaren
Emilia Romagna Grand Prix – Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Monaco Grand Prix – TBA
Canadian Grand Prix – TBA
Spanish Grand Prix – TBA
Austrian Grand Prix – TBA
British Grand Prix – TBA
Hungarian Grand Prix – TBA
Belgian Grand Prix – TBA
Dutch Grand Prix – TBA
Italian Grand Prix – TBA
Azerbaijan Grand Prix – TBA
Singapore Grand Prix – TBA
United States Grand Prix (Austin) – TBA
Mexican Grand Prix – TBA
Brazilian Grand Prix – TBA
Las Vegas Grand Prix – TBA
Qatar Grand Prix – TBA
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – TBA