With his victory in Emilia-Romagna, Max Verstappen tightened the drivers’ championship heading into the Monaco GP, now just 9 points behind Norris and 22 behind Piastri.
The four-time Formula 1 World Champion, Max Verstappen, is not giving up in the fight for the 2025 Drivers’ Championship. In what seemed like a steep downfall for the Dutchman against McLaren, the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix saw Verstappen claim his second win of the season, setting the stage for a fiery battle at the Monaco GP.
A three-way battle
In a Grand Prix that seemed once again destined for McLaren, with Oscar Piastri starting from pole, it turned into a thrilling race where the Red Bull driver struck in Italy to defeat both papaya-colored cars—Lando Norris finishing second and Piastri third.
With this crucial win, Verstappen significantly closed the gap in the Drivers’ Standings, now sitting third with 124 points—just 9 behind Norris. Piastri remains in the lead with 146 points, only 22 ahead of Max, a gap that could be overturned dramatically in Monaco.
Recent history favors Red Bull in Monaco
A key statistic favoring Verstappen and the energy drink team is that Red Bull has won three of the last four Monaco GPs, with two of those victories claimed by Max himself. Meanwhile, the British team has not won in “Le Rocher” since 2008, when Lewis Hamilton drove for them and secured their last win in Monaco.
MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS IN MONACO!!! 🏁🏆🎉
The Dutchman wins a dramatic dry/wet race with Fernando Alonso finishing second and Esteban Ocon taking third with a stellar drive 👏👏👏#MonacoGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/09wqvTFp6f
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 28, 2023
Additionally, none of McLaren’s current drivers have ever won in Monaco—Oscar Piastri’s second-place finish remains their closest shot at victory in the historic race.
Cover photo: X (@F1)
