Max Verstappen delivers 'idiot' verdict on McLaren title race

Max Verstappen has expressed his disbelief that he is back in the F1 title fight after his win at the United States Grand Prix.

The four-time world champion produced a dominant performance in Austin last weekend, where he secured both sprint and qualifying pole, which he managed to convert into a sprint race and grand prix win, leaving with the maximum 33 points.

As a result of a double McLaren DNF in the sprint, Verstappen is now 40 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri and in with a realistic chance of the title if he continues his winning form.

The fact Verstappen is still in with a shot of winning the title, despite Red Bull’s spectacular dip in form earlier this year, left the champion in awe as he assessed still being in the race with both of the McLarens.

Asked what he would’ve replied to someone who said he was in a championship race back in the summer, Verstappen joked to F1 media: "I would have told him he was an idiot. But, yeah, we found a good way with the car. It’s simple as that.

"Of course, we put some upgrades on the car, but we understood our car a bit better - where we wanted it to perform better. And every weekend we try to achieve it.

How can Verstappen and Red Bull still win the title?

Red Bull have gained serious ground since the summer break, with Verstappen winning three of the past five races.

In fact, McLaren have not won a race since the Dutch GP in August, as Red Bull have pushed forwards while ushering in a revised floor and front wing.

Red Bull chief Helmut Marko has even teased an additional upgrade from Red Bull in the final five rounds of the season, as they continue to place emphasis on Verstappen’s fifth world title rather than the regulation changes in 2026.

"I mean, like I said before, it’s super close, and just attention to detail will make the difference," Verstappen added of his competitors.

"Trying to get the best set-up on the car every weekend and then try not to make mistakes. So that’s what we’ll try to do."

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