Overview

• Max Verstappen claimed victory at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, ending Oscar Piastri's three-race winning streak and closing the championship gap to McLaren.
• The FIA issued two technical directives before Imola, clarifying skid block materials and banning certain tyre-cooling devices, which Red Bull suggested may have impacted McLaren's performance.
• McLaren leadership denied making any changes to their car in response to the directives and attributed the result to track-specific factors and Red Bull’s upgrades.
• Red Bull introduced significant updates to their RB21 car, improving tyre management and addressing previous performance limitations, which contributed to Verstappen’s dominant race pace.
• Attention now shifts to the Spanish Grand Prix, where stricter front-wing regulations will be enforced, potentially altering the competitive balance further.