Max Verstappen decision reversed after Azerbaijan Grand Prix revelation

Reigning champion Max Verstappen proved once again on Sunday in Baku that he should never be ruled out in F1.

After snatching pole position at a track that is considered one of his worst on the current calendar, the Dutchman maintained his lead and went on to win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with a disaster for McLaren switching up the title narrative.

Ever since the Woking-based F1 outfit came out with all guns blazing in Melbourne to kick off the season, the paddock and F1's media alike were all aboard the papaya championship bus, completely abandoning Verstappen as a contender.

The Red Bull star may have endured a tumultuous year with poor results and a restructuring of team leadership, but with four consecutive championships to his name, he was never out of title contention.

And after his victory in Baku marked two wins on the trot, it seems the paddock has been struck by the revelation that Verstappen could make a comeback with seven races to go.

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In just his fifth race as Red Bull's principal, Verstappen's new boss Laurent Mekies admitted after Sunday's race that it was a positive his team 'at least had the pace to fight' amid an era of McLaren dominance.

The papaya squad could have wrapped up the constructors' title in Baku but after a shock DNF for Oscar Piastri and only a P7 finish for his team-mate Lando Norris, the cracks are starting to show.

Red Bull brought an upgrade package to Monza that seems to have worked a treat for two races now, with the Azerbaijan GP handing the team the most points they have scored since China last year.

So what did Mekies make of Verstappen's title chances after two race wins in a row? "We take it race by race" he insisted when asked by the Sky F1 team following the Azerbaijan GP.

But the fact remains that after picking up 50 points across the last two race weekends, Verstappen is now 44 points behind Norris and 69 points behind championship leader Piastri.

Whilst a fifth back-to-back title victory may seem like a dream, it still isn't off the cards.

Verstappen could even finish the campaign sandwiched between the papaya pair and for the first time in 2025, McLaren and their driver duo may have woken up to realise that the threat of the flying Dutchman is still very real.

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