Max Verstappen: "24 points gap is still a lot"

At one point in the Formula 1 season, to be exact after the home Grand Prix at Zandvoort, Max Verstappen was 104 points behind the leader, McLaren’s Australian Oscar Piastri, and 70 behind Britain’s Lando Norris, the other McLaren driver. Now his margin is 24 lengths from Norris and that from Piastri — zero, since the two are second ex-aequo. A comeback that already has legendary contours, but one that Verstappen, in the last two weekends of the season, could even complete.

“When I heard about the McLarens’ disqualification (in Las Vegas, for I thought that 24 points gap is better than 42, but in general I was more focused and satisfied with how the weekend had gone and with our performance – said the four-time world champion in a video interview with F1’s official website on the eve of the Qatar Grand Prix at the Lusail circuit – in any case, we still need a lapse by Norris to really get back in the fight because 24 points is still a lot.”

“We are still in the fight for the world title because of the mistakes made by others. If we had a dominant car like McLaren has, the World Championship would have been over long ago. The fifth title would not change my life, it is not that I will give more in these races because the title is up for grabs, I would give my all even if I had to fight for 12th position. The day I have to in the cockpit not feeling I want to give 100 percent I will think at that point it would be better to stop.”

Max Verstappen has won the last four world titles, always at the wheel of Red Bull, starting with the one in 2021, with the very controversial conclusion in Abu Dhabi, when he overtook both Lewis Hamilton in the standings and in the race on the last lap. He has won 69 rainbow Grands Prix plus 13 sprint races, also collected 125 total podiums, 47 pole positions and 36 fastest laps.