Verstappen Downplays Title Fight Return Despite Recent Victories in Monza and Baku
Despite recent wins, reigning Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen is tempering expectations about a potential resurgence in the 2025 title fight. The Red Bull Racing driver secured consecutive victories at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza and the azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, but remains focused on a race-by-race approach.
Verstappen’s team appears to have overcome a mid-season slump, with the Dutchman’s dominant performance in Italy signaling a meaningful shift in form.He followed this up with a commanding win in Baku, securing pole position in challenging track conditions on Saturday. This improved performance, attributed to an upgraded floor and revised setup philosophy, has led some to believe Verstappen is back in contention for a fifth consecutive championship.
The resurgence has even prompted a rival team boss to acknowledge Verstappen’s continued threat. according to reports, a McLaren team official declared Verstappen remains a title rival alongside mclaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. The McLaren drivers, however, experienced a tough weekend in Azerbaijan, allowing Verstappen to close the gap to championship leader Piastri to 69 points with seven race weekends remaining.
When questioned about his hopes for a fifth title, Verstappen offered a pragmatic response. “I don’t rely on hope.But it’s seven rounds left – 69 points is a lot – so I personally don’t think about it,” he stated. “I just go race by race, what I have been doing basically the whole season. Just trying to do the best we can,try to score the most points that we can. And then after Abu Dhabi, we’ll know.”
The victories in Monza and Baku were especially significant for Red Bull, as both circuits presented challenges for the team in the previous season. “Monza has never really been a particularly strong track for us, so to do that was already a big plus,” Verstappen explained. “Baku has been alright,but never amazing – apart from maybe ’21,’22,I guess.But the rest has always been a bit difficult. So, to have a weekend like this, it was very vital.”
However, the team acknowledges that their biggest test lies ahead. In two weeks, the Formula 1 circuit heads to Singapore, a notoriously difficult track for Red Bull in the past and a traditional stronghold for McLaren. “Singapore is a completely different challenge again with the high downforce, so we’ll see what we can do there,” Verstappen added. “It’s difficult to say at the moment, but the last two race weekends have been amazing for us.”
Why: Max Verstappen, after a mid-season slump, sought to regain ground in the 2025 Formula 1 title fight.
Who: The key players are Max verstappen (Red Bull Racing),Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris (McLaren),and team officials from
