Max Verstappen knows he is back in the Formula 1 title fight and is waiting to “pounce like the lion that he is” on Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, according to Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz.
Verstappen claimed his second successive victory with a dominant display in Azerbaijan on Sunday, while Drivers’ Championship leader Piastri crashed out and his McLaren team-mate Norris only finished seventh.
The result saw Verstappen, who is chasing a fifth successive drivers’ title, close to within 69 points of Piastri with seven rounds of the season remaining, while he is now just 44 points back from Norris.
On the latest episode of Sky Sports’ The F1 Show, Kravitz said that he believes Verstappen is in position to carry out a plan to pressure the McLaren pair, who are both seeking a maiden drivers’ crown.
“He knows he’s back in it because he’s got the car, that’s the thing,” Kravitz said.
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Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was pleased after securing successive victories in Azerbaijan, although refused to get carried away with title hopes
“Had he had the car all along, his plan and Red Bull’s plan was always to stay within touching distance of the two McLarens and then wait until precisely this moment in the season when 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 championship-wise kittens, who haven’t actually been in contention for a world championship at the sharp end of a season, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
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Title challenger Lando Norris failed to overtake Yuki Tsunoda on the final lap as Max Verstappen eased to victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
“And it was only the car that dissuaded him, or disappointingly for Max, that he wasn’t going to be able to do that.
“Now he’s got the car again, then I think he can go back to plan A for the season, which was, ‘let’s just keep within touching distance of McLaren, and then let’s wait until it’s squeaky whatnot time at the end of the season, and then we’ll show them what pressure means going into the end of the year’.”
Chadwick: Max has a spring in his step again
Sky Sports F1 pundit and former W Series champion Jamie Chadwick believes Verstappen has a “spring in his step” after his strong run of results.
Verstappen had been on a streak of four races without a podium before the summer break, with a particularly poor Red Bull performance at the last of those events in Hungary raising doubts over whether the Dutchman would be able to compete for victories at all over the remainder of the season.
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Watch the moment that Max Verstappen took a shock pole at the Azerbaijan GP
However, he claimed a solid second place at his home race in the Netherlands before claiming pole and victory in both Italy and Azerbaijan.
Chadwick said: “Max was phenomenal. 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 a car that he can compete at the front.
“But even when it’s tough, he always seems to excel. And that’s what makes him, in my opinion, and the current crop, the greatest we have. It’s incredible to see.
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Red Bull’s Max Verstappen wins the Italian Grand Prix
“It’s interesting now, the title fight, because it’s a lot of points. It’s 69 points away, I think there’s just under 200 left, so it’s a big, big ask, 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. I think there was a lull in his atmosphere and vibe earlier in the year and now it’s game time again. He’s got that kind of spring in his step and he wants to go after it.”
The 2025 Formula 1 title fight continues under the lights at the Singapore Grand Prix on October 3-5, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
