Photo: Race Pictures

'Lion' Max ensnared Piastri and Norris? 'Now he's got the car'

15:19, 24 Sep

byNorberto Mujica

Max Verstappen is back in the championship fight against Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, at least according to Sky Sports F1's Jamie Chadwick and Ted Kravitz.

Photo: Race Pictures

He knows he's back in it because he's got the car.

- Ted Kravitz.

Chadwick had no notes for Verstappen following his 6th F1 Grand Slam and second back-to-back win in Baku. "I think that's obviously where he thrives in those tricky conditions.

"But still they've clearly found something with the car, which is great because that's given him sort of a car that he can compete at the front."

Chadwick, though, believes Verstappen's ability can be seen on display even when he experiences difficulties with his car. "That's what makes him, in my opinion, on the current crop [of F1 drivers] the greatest we have."

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Now Verstappen has eked closer to Oscar Piastri in the Championship standings, with the gap after Baku closing from 94 to 69 points following the Dutchman's win and the Australian driver's costly DNF.

"I think it's incredible to see. It's interesting now the title fight, because it's a lot of points. I think it's 69 points away. I think there's just under 200 left. So it's a big, big ask."

Yet, neither she nor the Dutchman himself, Chadwick believes, are ruling the four-time world champion out of the fray.

"But I would never rule him out. And also he's not ruling himself out. He kind of smiled about it at the weekend and said, it's a lot of points, but never say never. And I like that. I think he's got this sort of spring in his step again."

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With the podcast host adding: "He thinks he's back in it," Kravitz took the cue and said: "He knows he's back in it because he's got the car.

"Had he had the car all along, his plan and Red Bull's plan was always to kind of let McLaren stay within touching distance of the two McLarens and then wait till precisely this moment in the season.

"The pressure is on, crazy races, unusual tracks, like Baku, like Singapore, like Qatar, like Austin, like Las Vegas, and then pounce like the lion he is on the two who haven't actually been in contention for a world championship at the sharp end of a season, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris."

According to Kravitz, Verstappen would have been disappointed to find out earlier on in the season that his car was not up to the task. That, however, has now changed, the British journalist opines.

"Now he's got the car again, then I think he can go back to plan A for the season," he concluded.

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