Happy Verstappen edging closer in F1 drivers' championship: Coulthard's view

Verstappen has been able to bridge the gap to championship leader Oscar Piastri by 41 points in the past three race weekends, leaving the gap at 63 points after the Singapore GP with six Grands Prix and three Sprints left to go on the F1 2025 calendar.

Earlier in the season Verstappen found himself often battling with his own car's defficiencies, but now, after the hardships, he finds himself in with a shot, albeit a slim one, to clinch his fifth world title on the trot.

“He’s exceptional," Coulthard said to Channel 4. "There have been other exceptional drivers in Formula 1 over the history of the sport; the others are merely great at what they do.

“It’s like he can see the grip before the others feel the grip," the Scot added.

But for all the talent in the world, Verstappen has been forced to concede since Bahrain that he's out of contention for the title, given the overall issues the RB21 was engulfed with.

He said: "He’s kind of mentally gone, ‘Well, I’m probably not going to win the world championship this time, but that’s fine.

With the Red Bull car now proving its competitiveness on all layouts, Coulthard sees Verstappen closing up on championship leader Oscar Piastri and runner up Lando Norris.

“And I think that’s what a race driver wants, you just want to feel that you’re part of a movement and clearly, he’s moving himself ever closer to being part of this championship battle,” he concluded.

After the Singapore Grand Prix, Verstappen thought Red Bull were not doing what they needed to do to get back into play for the title: winning. Had he taken the top spot then the blow to Piastri's lead in the standings would have been a total of 13 points instead of 6, a points-haul Verstappen believes will not see him defend his championship successfully.

The gap to the top now stands at 63 points with six race weekends left to go. Has Red Bull's re-awakening come at the right time? Or have the Austrians left it too late? Vote in our poll below and let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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