After a commanding victory at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, Max Verstappen has addressed swirling accusations of cheating following Red Bull’s return to dominant form at Imola, and the FIA has now officially responded to the public uproar.

Verstappen launched his race with a daring move around the outside of pole sitter Oscar Piastri at Turn 1 and never looked back, controlling the pace through Virtual Safety Car and full Safety Car periods to seal his second win of the season—and Red Bull’s 400th Grand Prix with a flourish.

However, Red Bull’s sudden speed boost raised eyebrows across the paddock and among fans online, with some social media users accusing the team of exploiting a technical loophole or running an illegal setup. The noise grew so loud that Verstappen felt compelled to respond. “Cheating? That’s just noise from people who don’t understand how much work went into this,” Verstappen said post-race. “We struggled on Friday. We changed everything, the car felt transformed by Sunday. That’s not cheating—that’s racing. That’s engineering. That’s what this sport is about.”

The Dutchman emphasized that Red Bull’s performance gain was due to setup changes and strategic execution, not any breach of regulations.

“Look, it’s easy to talk when you’re not on the inside,” Verstappen added. “But we play by the rules. Always have.”

In light of the accusations circulating online, the FIA issued a public statement late Sunday evening confirming that Red Bull’s car had undergone additional post-race checks and passed without issue.

“All post-race technical inspections were completed as per the standard protocol,” the FIA stated. “The Red Bull Racing RB20, along with other randomly selected cars, was found to be fully compliant with the 2025 Formula 1 Technical Regulations.”

The governing body further warned against “baseless accusations” that could damage the reputation of the sport and its competitors.

Red Bull’s win narrows the gap in the constructors’ standings and gives Verstappen fresh momentum heading into next weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, where he’ll aim to close the gap to championship leader Oscar Piastri.

For now, Verstappen is letting his driving do the talking.

“We earned this win. And we’ll keep fighting – no matter what people say.”