Initially all year, Max Verstappen said post-US GP that securing the crown could actually happen
This represented a significant moment, as before this Verstappen has been dismissing such thoughts
That made sense through McLaren's dominant period from the beginning of the year to the end of the summer
Remarkable Comeback
The statistics from recent grands prix are quite remarkable
Post-Netherlands race, the champion trailed by 104 points adrift of Piastri in the standings, while being 70 behind his teammate
Presently, he's 40 points behind his rival, who now leads his colleague has reduced to just 14 points
Rival Team's Reaction
Multiple venues ahead that favor to McLaren's strengths - these specific circuits, according to team analysis
However, the champion's current performance puts all predictions in doubt
During qualifying, Andrea Stella was saying that the Verstappen-Red Bull combination could be the fastest on all upcoming circuits
Racer Self-Belief
While the champion gains on the competing drivers, likewise the British driver has narrowed the gap to his teammate - previously trailing by 34 points after Zandvoort
The Australian placed behind his teammate during the Monza race, had a very poor weekend in Baku, and missed opportunities in Singapore
Squad Approach
The drivers and their team are moving into new territory
The racers with their team haven't previously contested a drivers' title before, even though the British driver pressured his rival in the past season
His job now is to ensure the organization and racers on an even keel, to attempt to ignore the pressure and focus on the job in hand
We keep talking about the fact that what we are facing - which is a tight competition for race wins, a close fight towards the championship crown - is what Formula 1 is about
If anything, it was anomalous when we secured simple front positions, like in Barcelona, in Bahrain, and some other places
It's a process of getting used to this kind of pressure, that we aim to experience maximum intensity and minimum stress
- Five races remain the title fight
- Two will have sprint races
- The title battle continues fiercely competitive
Ultimately, if we can find our rhythm once more, regain our speed, particularly for myself rediscover our speed, then I don't have any major concerns
Future endeavors remain simple
We continue performing quality work and achievements will naturally follow
