Zero to 100%? Norris and Russell weigh in on Verstappen title chances

Securing back-to-back victories in Monza and Baku, Max Verstappen cut his championship points deficit to 69 points, but the Red Bull driver is by no means out of the equation having taken 35 points out of Oscar Piastri’s lead in two races.

Lando Norris says his chances of overhauling the McLaren teammates aren’t zero, while George Russell joked that it’s as a good as “100 per cent”.

Lando Norris is ‘very concerned, very worried, scared… No’

McLaren looked to be cruising to a one-two in the Drivers’ standings as Formula 1 broke for its annual summer break in August on the back of four successive one-two results.

Piastri went on to add a seventh grand prix victory to his tally at the Dutch Grand Prix, winning on a day when Norris retired with an engine issue and promoted Verstappen to second. However, with Piastri taking the win, Verstappen’s deficit in the standings grew to 104 points.

Today that’s down to 69.

The 28-year-old clinched back-to-back wins at the Italian and Azerbaijan races to close the gap to Piastri with Verstappen clawing back 25 points in Baku alone when he took the win while the championship leader crashed out on the opening lap.

F1 2025: The season’s winners and losers

👉 The results of the F1 2025 championship

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McLaren team principal Andrea Stella declared after qualifying in Baku that Verstappen was a “very serious contender”, adding after his lights-to-flag win on the Sunday: “I used the capital letters already yesterday, when I said yes in capital letters, and today, I think it just confirms.”

But 69 points down with 199 in play, Verstappen would have to overturn a monumental deficit to win his fifth successive World title.

Even still, Norris says it could happen.

“I mean there’s a chance, so more than zero,” he told the media during Thursday’s press conference for the Singapore Grand Prix. “I don’t know, there probably like actual stats so I don’t know. Yeah there’s a chance.”

“We all know Max,” said Esteban Ocon, “and know how dangerous he is when there’s something to grab. So, yeah, there’s a good chance that if he’s got a competitive car till the end of the year, he can catch back.”

Pressed for a number on Verstappen’s title chances, Russell answered “100 percent” before laughing.

“Good friend,” was the response to that.

On a more serious note, Norris was asked if Verstappen was a genuine challenger to the McLaren teammates.

“Genuinely a challenger,” he insisted. “I think if you go back to the beginning of the season, they [Red Bull] were challenging the first six, seven races for race wins, challenging us in the Drivers’. And then we bought some upgrades. Improved a little bit.

“Couple weeks ago, they bought us some upgrades, and it seems like that’s kind of put them back on the same level as us.

“So I think we still come into every race with the ambition and with the goal of winning and wanting to dominate as a team and continue the form that we’ve had all season.”

But while Verstappen could yet win the title, McLaren continues to holds down a one-two with Piastri 25 points ahead of Norris.

Asked if he could overhaul his teammate, the Briton made it clear he was tired of being asked that question.

“You ask me this question every time, and it’s the same answer,” he said. “Come up with something new.

“Just play the clip from last time, I guess.”

He’s also not worried that McLaren will prioritise Piastri in the title fight now that Verstappen has closed in, sarcastically saying: “I’m very concerned. Yeah, very worried about it, and scared, frankly.

“So yeah, I was happy you asked that, actually.

“No.”

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