Max Verstappen is relentlessly pursuing perfection as he targets an extraordinary fifth Formula 1 championship. Following his utterly dominant weekend at the United States Grand Prix, the Red Bull ace believes that anything is now within reach, stating, “The chance is there. I think it is exciting, and I’m really just very excited for the end. I think we need to be perfect until the end.”
What once seemed like a lost season has dramatically turned into a thrilling hunt, with Verstappen setting his sights firmly on McLaren’s formidable duo, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. His triumphant return to the podium in Texas on Sunday unmistakably signaled that he has seized control of this title race and has no intention of relinquishing it.
Verstappen’s recent string of commanding performances has seen him slash the points deficit to current leader Piastri from a massive 104 points down to just 40 in a mere four races. He now trails Norris by a slim 26 points, showcasing an incredible comeback.
With five remaining races and two sprint events on the calendar, the pressure is mounting. The next stop is the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, a track where Verstappen has previously celebrated victory five times. Should he succeed, Verstappen would become only the fourth driver in F1 history to claim five world titles, and astonishingly, only the second, alongside the legendary Michael Schumacher, to win five in consecutive seasons. His post-race declaration to the BBC, “We’re just going flat out,” served as a clear warning to his rivals.
While McLaren has already secured the constructors’ championship due to their consistent performance earlier in the season, the momentum has undeniably swung towards Red Bull. However, McLaren remains confident they can reverse this trend. Verstappen acknowledges that the McLaren cars are still incredibly fast and their drivers hold the top positions in the championship. “We caught up a lot,” Verstappen conceded, “But at the same time, you know, the gaps (between cars) are very small.”
McLaren is keen to avoid any signs of wavering confidence. Piastri, despite a challenging weekend in Texas that included a sprint race crash and a fifth-place finish in the main event, emphasized his continued championship lead. “I’d still rather be where I am than the other two,” Piastri stated. “My mentality hasn’t changed, and it certainly won’t now. I’m just trying to do the best job I can every weekend and naturally, the results will take care of themselves.” Indeed, Piastri’s own missteps have inadvertently created openings for Verstappen’s resurgence, notably his crash in Azerbaijan where Verstappen won, and his collision with Norris in the Texas sprint race, which allowed Verstappen to maximize his points.
Remarkably, over the five races since the summer break, Verstappen has accumulated a staggering 119 points, matching the combined tally of both McLaren cars. Lando Norris could also emerge as a significant challenger, potentially thwarting Verstappen’s title bid even if Piastri’s championship hopes fade. Norris’s second-place finish in Texas brought him within just 14 points of his teammate. His strategy is straightforward: “It’s quite simple: Just try and beat both drivers and life’s easy,” Norris quipped.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella’s earlier warnings about Verstappen becoming a serious title threat, which were initially met with skepticism, now ring true. “When I say something, I mean it,” Stella asserted. “For me, there’s no mystery. We know that when Max has the material to win, he becomes a very serious candidate to win.”