Yesterday at 12:45
Max Verstappen has watched his slim F1 title chances slip further
away in recent rounds, having scored a meagre 41 points over the
past five grands prix. In that span, championship leader Oscar
Piastri has taken 88 points and Lando Norris has secured 93,
meaning the McLaren team-mates are 69 and 61 points ahead of the
Dutchman, respectively, at the halfway stage of the campaign. The
Red Bull driver has continued to put together impressive displays
across the season, but has also cost himself points, something he
rarely did in 2024, as he charged towards his fourth-consecutive F1
drivers' title. As the calendar enters its second half, there is
considerable change at the Milton Keynes squad. Christian Horner is
out as team principal, and Laurent Mekies has been promoted from
Racing Bulls. The heavy speculation linking Verstappen to Mercedes
continues to add a serious dose of intrigue to F1's silly season,
but whether the shock change of boss can help the 27-year-old
sustain his championship aspirations remains to be seen. One saving
grace for the 65-time grand prix winner is the intra-team battle at
McLaren. Whilst it has stayed civil throughout the campaign thus
far, could the rising tension of the title fight open the door for
Verstappen? It would not be unprecedented. Alain Prost snatched
away the championship from the dominant Williams pair of Nigel
Mansell and Nelson Piquet in 1986, and Kimi Raikkonnen pinched it
away from Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso in 2007. However, F1
fans have delivered an overwhelming verdict for Verstappen, one he
will not like, despite having already ruled himself out of the
title equation. In a recent poll by RacingNews365 , over
three-quarters of respondents judged the RB21 to be too slow to
compete with the MCL39, no matter what happens between Piastri and
Norris. Check out the full results below, and let us know what you
think in the comments section. Will Oscar Piastri-Lando Norris
tension allow Max Verstappen to steal F1 title?
