Verstappen Revives Championship Hope Despite Meaningful Points Deficit
BAKU, Azerbaijan – Max Verstappen’s recent victories are injecting renewed life into his Formula 1 championship aspirations, though a substantial points gap remains wiht seven races and three sprint events still on the calendar.The four-time world champion trails championship leader Oscar piastri by 69 points and second-placed lando Norris by 44 points, presenting a formidable challenge to a fifth consecutive title.
Despite the deficit, Verstappen remains focused on maximizing performance at each race. “I don’t rely on hope,” he stated in a post-race conference following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.”I just go race by race, what I have been doing basically the whole season – just trying to do the best we can, try to score the most points that we can. And then after Abu Dhabi, we’ll know.” To overtake Piastri, Verstappen needs to average 10 more points per race than his rival. A total of 199 points are available through remaining races and sprint events.
Red Bull’s recent performance gains, highlighted by a new floor introduced at the Monza Grand prix, have contributed to Verstappen’s back-to-back wins in Italy and Azerbaijan. This improvement has positioned him as a growing threat to the McLaren duo currently leading the championship.
Though, McLaren has faced recent setbacks. Since the summer break, Norris retired from the Dutch Grand Prix due to an oil leak, the team was embroiled in a controversial team order situation at Monza, and Piastri crashed out on the first lap in Azerbaijan.
“Max is in the contention for the drivers’ championship,” acknowledged McLaren team principal Andrea Stella after the Azerbaijan race. “We knew it and we got confirmation today.”
Beyond the drivers’ championship, Red Bull is also aiming to climb the constructors’ standings. Currently holding 272 points,the team needs to surpass Ferrari (286) and Mercedes (290) to secure second place. Verstappen has secured four race wins this season - in Japan, twice in Italy, and Azerbaijan – along with a sprint race victory in Belgium.
