Verstappen doesn’t rule out a fifth Formula 1 title after his victory in Azerbaijan
Max Verstappen does not rule out the possibility of conquering his fifth Formula 1 world championship, after reducing the distance with the leader, Oscar Piastri, in the drivers’ championship, thanks to his dominant 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, amidst the chaos in Baku, with a classification suspended on six occasions, leading to an unusual starting grid, Verstappen secured pole position, while Norris placed seventh. On Sunday, with Piastri out of the race on the first lap, Norris couldn’t take the opportunity to score points, finishing in the same starting position and seeing how the advantage over Verstappen was reduced to 44 points. The impeccable weekend of 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.When asked about the possibility of fighting for the drivers’ championship, Verstappen replied:This weekend has been incredible for us. Last weekend was already great. But, winning here again is fantastic.
Max Verstappen
McLaren team boss Andrea Stella has highlighted Verstappen’s consecutive victories. “Red Bull seems to have improved,” he declared after the race. Stella added that Red Bull seems to have found a way to exploit the improvements made. “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 rely on hope. There are seven races left and there’s still a 69-point difference. It’s a lot.
Max Verstappen
