Two weeks after receiving a drubbing in Miami, Red Bull bounced back by defeating McLaren on merit at the F1 Imola GP. What happened?

McLaren opted for an early pit stop with Piastri on Lap 14, while Verstappen chose to stay on track. This decision backfired after Esteban Ocon had to stop on Lap 29, resulting in a VSC that allowed those who hadn't pitted, including Verstappen, to change tires without losing much time. When he rejoined, Verstappen led by around 20 seconds.

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.