Tension in F1 World Championship

Verstappen: “I would have said he was an idiot!”

Max Verstappen(Bild: AFP/APA/GABRIEL BOUYS)

After the home race in Zandvoort on August 31, Max Verstappen was still almost hopelessly 104 points behind Oscar Piastri. He would not have believed that he would have made up 64 points four Grand Prix later and be in the thick of the Formula 1 World Championship battle if anyone had predicted it to him at the time, the Red Bull driver assured us after the race win in Austin in his typical manner: "I would have told him he was an idiot." Now the chance of winning the title is alive again.

The numbers and results speak only one language at the moment - that of the defending champion: victory in Italy, victory in Azerbaijan, second place on the actual Red Bull problem circuit in Singapore, victory in the sprint and in the main race in Austin. 101 points in four weekends. Piastri, who finished fifth on Sunday, scored 37 points in the same period, while his McLaren colleague Lando Norris, who finished second in Texas, scored 57.

"Piastri and Norris are trembling five races before the end," commented the Italian "Corriere dello Sport". The Swiss newspaper "Blick" even asked: "Is Verstappen now the world championship favorite?" He is still 40 points behind Piastri, who has completely lost the coolness of the first half of the season. The 24-year-old Australian is making mistakes and seems insecure. "It looks more and more as if the 2025 Formula 1 season will experience an incredibly spectacular climax," predicted the Dutch newspaper Telegraaf. Verstappen is 26 points behind second-placed Norris.

(Bild: APA/AFP/RONALDO SCHEMIDT)

Marko sees excitement building
Verstappen could mathematically be at the top of the standings in just under three weeks' time - it would be the first time this season. "Five races, two of them sprints - if we can maintain this form, it could be really exciting," said Red Bull's motorsport consultant Helmut Marko. "The opportunity is definitely there," chief driver Verstappen clearly confirmed after his 68th career victory.

"Now we have to interrupt their momentum somehow," emphasized McLaren's managing director Zak Brown. Piastri declared that he still had full confidence in his ability to win the world championship. And despite the difficult weekend in Texas, he has no major concerns. "This weekend was obviously tough, and the gap has shrunk a little in recent weekends." Ultimately, however, you win the title with performance - and not by looking at the points score. "The faster you drive, the more points you get. And that's what I want to focus on."