Max Verstappen doesn’t rule out the possibility of conquering a fifth Formula 1 world title, after reducing the distance with leader Oscar Piastri in the drivers’ championship, thanks to his outstanding victory in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Two weeks after his triumph in Monza and with seven races remaining, Verstappen’s victory in Baku puts him 69 points ahead of Piastri, who, in a weekend marked by errors, suffered an accident in qualifying and another on the first lap of Sunday’s race.
On Saturday, in Baku, the classification was suspended on six occasions, which led to a mixed starting grid. Verstappen achieved pole position, while Norris qualified in seventh position.
On Sunday, with Piastri out of the race on the first lap, Norris was unable to take advantage of the opportunity to score points, finishing in the same position in which he started. This reduced the lead over Verstappen to 44 points.
The perfect weekend for the Dutch driver allowed him to achieve his sixth Grand Slam (pole, fastest lap, victory and leading all laps) in his career, equaling Lewis Hamilton in second place in F1 history.Verstappen added that this season has had ups and downs, but that at least he has had two consecutive very good weekends.This weekend has been incredible for us. Of course, last weekend was already great. But yes, for us to win here again is fantastic.
Max Verstappen
Verstappen explained that he prefers to focus on each race, trying to get as many points as possible, and that the result will be seen at the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. McLaren team boss Andrea Stella highlighted Verstappen’s consecutive victories. “Red Bull seems to have improved,” he commented after the race. “I think they have made a genuine improvement. They had updates in Monza. It seems they have found a way to exploit these updates with the setup. Max and Red Bull will be regular contenders for victories, and Max is definitely a contender for the drivers’ championship. We have a lot of work ahead. We need to stay focused, improve, and try again.”I don’t trust hope. There are seven races left and still 69 points. It’s a lot. Basically, everything has to be perfect on my part. And then I need a little luck on his side, so it’s still very difficult.
Max Verstappen
