Verstappen is third overall in the standings, 61 points behind Piastri who leads Norris by 15, and chasing his third win of the campaign to make up for retirement in Austria last weekend.
Verstappen, who had started alongside Norris on the front row, was leading by lap three and could then build a buffer and take control.
Verstappen starts new Red Bull era with Spa sprint win
Present rivalries and past collisions hang over Red Bull's home Austrian Grand Prix as Formula One braces for the next round of Max Verstappen v George Russell and more title-chasing drama at McLaren.
Alcaraz ends Tarvet fairytale to reach Wimbledon third round
Verstappen collided with Leclerc and twice with Mercedes' George Russell after the safety car restart.
The Serbian's determined performance ensured he became only the second man to win a century of matches at the Parisian Grand Slam
George Russell took Mercedes' first win of the Formula One season in Canada on Sunday while McLaren's Oscar Piastri went 22 points clear in the championship after teammate Lando Norris smashed into him and retired.
Red Bull are concerned about their constructors' title defence being weakened at a time when McLaren are emerging as a threat
Novak Djokovic moved to the brink of his 100th tour-level title after recovering from a second-set blip to beat British qualifier Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-1 in the Geneva Open semi-finals on Friday.
Leclerc brought out the red flags when he hit the wall at the second chicane with 45 minutes remaining, causing extensive damage to his Ferrari.
F1 leader Oscar Piastri seized pole position from teammate and title rival Lando Norris by a hefty margin as dominant McLaren locked out the front row in Spanish Grand Prix.
The win from fourth on the grid was Australian Oscar Piastri's third in a row, after Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, and fourth of the season. McLaren have so far been beaten only once.
Renata Zarazua, the only Mexican player in the US Open main draw, pulled off a stunning upset by beating sixth seed Madison Keys in the first round.
Canadian Open champion Shelton was locked in an entertaining contest with Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in the day's opening match on Louis Armstrong Stadium when his tournament suddenly unravelled.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner said the 2025 F1 season was turning into a two-horse race between the McLaren drivers after his team had a home Austrian Grand Prix to forget on Sunday.
Carlos Alcaraz, 22, reached his eighth Grand Slam semi-final and will continue his quest for a third successive Wimbledon title.
Russell fastest in first Austrian GP practice as Dunne shines
Second seed Coco Gauff overcame early problems on serve to cruise past China's Wang Xinyu 6-3, 6-2, keeping her composure despite eight double faults in the first set to book a meeting with Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska in the third round.
Australian Piastri, winner of four of the last five races, lapped the Imola circuit with a fastest time of one minute 16.545 seconds on the softest tyre compound with Norris 0.032 slower on a sunny afternoon.
Max Verstappen celebrated Red Bull's 400th Formula One race with a fourth win in a row at Imola on Sunday.
Lando Norris capitalised on a bit of good fortune to win the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday
Days after the Red Bull driver and partner Kelly Piquet welcomed daughter Lily, his first child, the four-times champion set a blistering lap of one minute 26.204 seconds around the Hard Rock Stadium.
Carlos Alcaraz demolished Mattia Bellucci to banish memories of last year's shock early exit at the US Open on Wednesday.
Tenth seed Lorenzo Musetti rallied from a set down to beat Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round of the US Open on Tuesday even as Carlos Alcaraz mauled big-serving American Reilly Opelka and veteran Venus Williams made an emotional exit.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri celebrated his 50th Formula One race with a pole-to-flag win in Bahrain on Sunday that sent him second overall.
Verstappen crossed the line in his Red Bull for his 64th Grand Prix victory to a huge ovation from the 115,000 crowd some 1.4 seconds ahead of McLaren's championship leader Lando Norris in second place.
George Russell put his Mercedes on pole position in Canada for the second year in a row on Saturday with Red Bull rival Max Verstappen alongside on the front row.
Novak Djokovic notched his 99th career French Open win with a clinical 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 defeat of Austrian qualifier Filip Misolic to reach the fourth round on a memorable Saturday night in Paris.
Coco Gauff forgot to bring her rackets to the court but reminded her rivals of her French Open title ambitions with a commanding win while Daniil Medvedev lost his composure on a cold and blustery Tuesday as he crashed out in the opening round.
Australian Oscar Piastri roared back from season-opening disappointment in his home race by winning the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix from pole position in a McLaren one-two with championship-leading teammate Lando Norris on Sunday.
Formula One leader Oscar Piastri put his McLaren on pole position for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola on Saturday
The 18-year-old, preparing for only his sixth Grand Prix weekend, lapped with a best time of one minute 26.482 seconds to pip McLaren's championship leader Oscar Piastri by 0.045 seconds.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri celebrated pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix, his 50th Formula One race, while dejected championship-leading teammate Lando Norris qualified sixth and said he had been "clueless on track".
Australian Oscar Piastri won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday to take the lead in the Formula One world championship
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris topped the times for McLaren as four red flags, two caused by trackside grass fires, wreaked havoc with the second practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix on Friday.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll collected a one-place grid drop for Sunday's race after stewards ruled the Canadian was to blame for the collision with Leclerc running into him at the hairpin.
Britain's Cameron Norrie fought back from a set down to beat world number two Carlos Alcaraz 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 in the Rio Open final on Sunday.
George Russell said he was driving better than ever and ready to fight for a Formula One championship with Mercedes after taking the team's first win of the season in Canada, but this year still looks a long shot.
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