Schumacher sees Verstappen as Norris’ unexpected ally in title chase

The Dutchman has thrown himself back into the world championship discussion after back-to-back wins at the Italian and Azerbiajan Grand Prix.

After championship leader Oscar Piastri crashed out on lap 1 in Baku, and while Norris could only take P7, Verstappen raced to victory, cutting the distance between him and Piastri at the top of the standings to 69 points. However, it is the Brit who could be the biggest beneficiary of this, according to Schumacher.

"Lando sees a bit of light at the end of the tunnel again. Max is here, and he can now take points away, which wasn't the case before," the German said on Sky Sport Germany's Backstage Boxengasse podcast.

"Nevertheless, unlike his teammate, he drove a flawless race. He tried, but didn't take any risks. So, hats off to him. Lando was also pleased that Oscar, who has occasionally thrown some jabs at him, made a mistake himself," continued Scumacher.

Coming into the Grand Prix weekend in Azerbaiajn, all eyes were on McLaren and their opportunity to seal the constructors' championship with seven races remaining.

However, their title-winning chance was derailed after a disappointing qualifying session for Norris, who could only manage P7, while a lap 1 crash for Piastri has resulted in the season taking yet another turn.

Along with the inconsistency from McLaren, a trait that has not been seen at all in 2025, the return to form for Verstappen and Red Bull has brought him back into title contention.

McLaren now appears to be looking over their shoulder once again, with team boss Andrea Stella stating that the four-time world champion is definitely back in the title fight.