How Max Verstappen makes the impossible seem possible after Baku win

Max Verstappen said he is not focusing on the title even after back-to-back wins in Italy and Azerbaijan brought him back into contention.

The Dutchman’s run of four consecutive Championships had looked likely to end this season but a dramatic improvement on the performance of the Red Bull coupled with errors from McLaren have brought him 69 points off top spot and an undeniable contender with seven rounds remaining.

Max Verstappen talks title chances after Baku win

You only have to go back to the Austrian Grand Prix to find Red Bull representatives waving the white flag when it came to Verstappen’s title chances as Helmut Marko said it was “almost impossible” to close the gap, but nearly three months later that impossible task seems a lot more possible.

Verstappen trails championship leader Oscar Piastri by 69 points but just two races ago, the gap was 104.

And while previously being realistic about his Championship chances, Verstappen has now opened the door to a title charge, saying he does not rely on “hope” but that Red Bull will do its best to overturn the gap.

“I don’t rely on hope, but it’s seven rounds left,” he said. “69 points is a lot, so I personally don’t think about it, but 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.”

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was a typical Verstappen win in that, after the opening lap, the Dutchman was an almost anonymous presence on the TV broadcast as he disappeared to a 67th career victory.

The 27-year-old said the RB21 was feeling the best it had done all year following victory in Baku and Monza.

“I think overall, just a great weekend for us,” he reflected. “I think for sure starting up front was key, especially in the beginning, just managing your tyres to go long, but overall, very happy with how the race was going.

“Monza has never really been a particularly strong track for us so to do that was already a big plus. And I guess, all in all, for me, in here in Baku, it’s been alright, but never amazing, apart from maybe ’21, ’22 I guess.

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“But the rest has always been a bit difficult. So to have a weekend like this was, it was very important.”

Piastri also opened the door to a possible Verstappen title fight by saying he would not “rule him out” for the rest of the season.

“I’m not going to rule him out,” said the championship. “But I’m honestly not too concerned with that.

“I’m just trying to bounce back from this weekend and put in the best performances that I can.

“I know that if I get back to where I know I can be, then I’ll be more than okay, so that’s what I’m going to focus on.”

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