Max Verstappen: My F1 2025 Turnaround Prediction Would've Been 'Idiotic'

Max Verstappen secured his fifth F1 victory of the year at the United States Grand Prix, with three of these wins coming after the summer break. This strong performance, including two pole positions and two wins in Texas (one in the sprint race), has significantly ramped up the pressure on McLaren's drivers in the championship battle. Verstappen has slashed his deficit to a mere 40 points, having gained 64 points on Oscar Piastri over the last four race weekends—a turnaround he admits he would never have believed possible.

Why it matters:

• Verstappen's dominant post-summer break form has reignited the championship fight, transforming what seemed like a lost cause into a tight contest.
• His ability to consistently extract peak performance from the Red Bull, even when not entirely satisfied with the car's balance, highlights his exceptional skill and adaptability.
• This resurgence challenges McLaren's recent dominance and sets the stage for a thrilling conclusion to the F1 season.

The Details:

• Unexpected Turnaround: When asked if he would have believed anyone predicting this scenario after his home Grand Prix, Verstappen responded, "No. I would have told him he was an idiot!"
• Car Understanding: Verstappen credits the improved performance to a better understanding of the car and effective upgrades. He noted, "We found a good way with the car. It's simple as that. Of course, we put some upgrades on the car, but we just understood our car a bit better as well — where we wanted it to perform better."
• Austin's "Perfect Weekend": Despite a "perfect weekend" in Austin, Verstappen emphasized that the performance gap to McLaren was much smaller than the results indicated.
• Crucial First Stint: He highlighted the importance of the first stint in the race, where he built a crucial gap. "What was crucial was the first stint in which I could build a bit of a gap," the Red Bull driver added. "After that, it basically stabilized pretty much after the pitstop until the end."
• Tyre Management: Tyre management was critical due to varying grip and balance throughout the race. "Tyre management was very important, and it wasn't very straightforward because there were some laps where you had a very different feeling or balance, grip — better or worse. It's one of those days when you just need to try and make no mistakes."
• Norris-Leclerc Battle: Verstappen admitted that the battle between Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc helped him by creating breathing room and allowing him to manage his tires effectively.
• Narrow Gap to Norris: Had Norris maintained his position at the start, Verstappen believes the race would have been much closer, with very even pacing. "Every time that Lando was in clean air, we were very evenly matched. Maybe at times he was a bit faster as well. So it wouldn't have been the gap that it was at the end."

What's next:

Verstappen acknowledges that Red Bull needs to be flawless for the remainder of the season to have a shot at a fifth consecutive title, a feat only achieved by Michael Schumacher. "We need to be perfect until the end to have a chance," he insisted. "We caught up a lot, but at the same time, the gaps are very small. Every weekend you need to try and be perfect, and that's what we'll try to do until the end."

The championship fight is poised for an intense conclusion, with Verstappen's relentless pursuit keeping McLaren on their toes. The focus for Red Bull will be on maintaining their newfound understanding of the car and delivering consistent, error-free performances in the upcoming races.