05/08/2025 13:48
Following Max Verstappen's lowly ninth-place finish in the
Hungarian Grand Prix, Red Bull's Helmut Marko claimed a fourth
straight title defence was "impossible" for the Dutchman. The two
points Verstappen hauled for P9 moved him onto 187 points for the
season, but with Oscar Piastri finishing second and earning 18
points, the Australian pulled out another 16 points over the
reigning champion. It means heading into F1's summer break,
Verstappen finds himself 97 points behind Piastri and 88 points
behind second-placed Lando Norris. There are a total of 274 points
left on the table once the season resumes at Zandvoort, giving
Verstappen 177 points to play with before he is mathematically out
of title contention. But given the huge changes coming to F1 for
2026, it is unlikely Red Bull will introduce any more significant
upgrades at the risk of damaging the RB22 of '26. Verstappen has
only won two races this season and has scored just one podium in
the last seven - second in Canada - as his four-year reign looks to
be coming to an end. But do you agree with Marko that Verstappen's
position is "impossible?" Simply let us know what you think in the
comments and by voting in the poll below!
