Verstappen jokes about another title comeback: 'There are more races left than last year'

Around the summer break last year, the four-time world champion found himself as many as 104 points behind Oscar Piastri, only to come within touching distance of the title by the time the championship reached Abu Dhabi. The story has followed a similar path so far this season, albeit with more drivers involved, as Verstappen reduced Kimi Antonelli's lead by three points in Austria and now trails the championship leader by 98 points with two-thirds of the season still to run.

Asked whether he believes he can mount another title comeback like the one he produced last season, Verstappen admitted the situation remains difficult despite there being more races left than at the same stage a year ago.

While he praised Red Bull's outright pace, the Dutchman stressed the team is still dealing with too many issues, ranging from race starts to internal procedural matters, and insisted those problems must be resolved before a genuine championship challenge can become realistic. He added that everyone within the team is aware of the areas that need improving and expressed confidence Red Bull can become more consistent again, although he acknowledged there is still work to do before reaching that point.

Speaking after the race, Verstappen described it as a very positive afternoon for Red Bull, highlighting the entertaining early battle before the focus shifted to tyre management. He explained the RB22 performed well for roughly the first half of the Grand Prix, but later developed a few issues that prevented him from finding a consistent rhythm. Despite that, the Dutchman was pleased to finish second and end the race within striking distance of victory, describing the result as an encouraging one for the team.