Max Verstappen suddenly finds himself back in the conversation for the 2025 Formula 1 title, a scenario that seemed unlikely just a month ago.
Heading into the summer break, Verstappen’s hopes looked all but over. But since then, Red Bull’s new floor upgrade has shifted momentum. Meanwhile, McLaren appear less steady than before, and their drivers are feeling some of the pressure that comes with it.
READ MORE: Christian Horner linked with Haas role after leaving Red Bull in £807m shake-up
The gap between Verstappen and championship leader Oscar Piastri is now down to 69 points. What looked like a comfortable lead has started to shrink, and Verstappen only needs to gain about 10 points per race over Piastri to pull even by Abu Dhabi.
Ahead of Azerbaijan, Red Bull were unbeaten in Baku since F1’s last visit there two years ago. They stretched that run to three consecutive wins this year after Verstappen put together what might have been his cleanest race weekend of the season.
Max Verstappen details how he sees Red Bull’s progress
The Azerbaijan GP marked his fourth win on the bounce for Red Bull since their summer upgrades were introduced. With McLaren still trying to work out some issues with their floor changes before Spa-Francorchamps, momentum has clearly shifted back toward Milton Keynes.
“It was really smooth sailing for us,” he said. “We planned our strategy well at the start and used it throughout, sticking within DRS range so we could react if needed.”
“You always learn things from every race but honestly we had great pace throughout today,” he said. “And maybe I could have pulled away earlier from Norris – but why do that when you can stay within DRS range?”
Robert Doornbos: Verstappen’s radio message suggests he isn’t focused on closing the gap to McLaren
Verstappen has already spoken about his preferred path, and it may not be what fans were hoping for. He’s said he’d like to stay with Red Bull until the end of his current deal in 2028, and then step away from F1 entirely.
If he does find a way to win this season and pull off a fifth straight title against those odds, it would go down as one of the most remarkable turnarounds in championship history.
But Robert Doornbos told The Pit Talk Podcast that he doesn’t think Verstappen is all that concerned with trying to catch McLaren’s drivers.
“You noticed this already in Monza when he got the board radio. Or actually, he saw it on the screens that McLaren did their infamous swap back after a slow pit stop.
“They were like ‘What are they swapping for a slow pit stop?’ So, he sort of doesn’t care. He laughs about them, about the competition and not in an arrogant way because he’s only focused on himself.”
Why Verstappen’s 2025 title chase could hit a bump
There’s one track in particular that’s caused Red Bull more problems than any other, and it just happens to be the next stop on the calendar.
Singapore was the only race Red Bull didn’t win during their dominant 2023 campaign, and Verstappen still hasn’t managed to take a victory there. It remains the only circuit on this year’s schedule where he hasn’t come out on top.
If McLaren take another win there, it would be a significant blow to Verstappen, especially given how little room for error he has left in this title race.
Even though Gary Anderson is ‘sure’ Red Bull have made some quiet changes behind the scenes, those tweaks might not make much of a difference around Marina Bay when October rolls around.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
