Max Verstappen gave his Formula 1 title defense a big boost with victory at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix after a daring overtake on standings leader Oscar Piastri at the start.

Max Verstappen held off Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to win his fourth consecutive Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

McLaren opted not to order Piastri to allow Lando Norris past in a bid to challenge Verstappen but the British driver ultimately made a brave move on his team-mate with five laps to go to finish second. Piastri’s lead to Norris was cut to 13 points, with Verstappen now 22 points behind the Australian.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has hinted that the Formula 1 world drivers’ championship is far from over, and that the current order could be shaken up later in the year. ➡️ READ MORE Red Bull boss issues update on Max Verstappen future amid 'noise' Christian Horner has provided an update on the future of star driver Max Verstappen as 'outside noise' continues to build.

Red Bull Racing appeared to be struggling on Friday, but things took a sharp turn during qualifying. Max Verstappen closed the gap to the McLarens and ultimately extended his lead during Sunday’s race.

Jos Verstappen says it is "absolutely important" that Red Bull's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix upgrades prove effective for Max Verstappen to retain the World Championship in F1 2025. As

Max Verstappen “Even Esteban, he's got still lots to prove. He's focused. What's the benefit of them racing in another race? “I think they're pretty lucky that they're driving an F1 car for their job. That's lots of fun, I think. “Honestly ...

Verstappen’s decision was even called out by former F1 driver turned pundit, Ralf Schumacher. “If I had been the team principal, I'd have asked Verstappen if he's still all there,” he said on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast.