Max Verstappen isn’t trying to be too ‘clever’ like Oscar Piastri and it could win him the F1 title

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Max Verstappen has emerged as an outside contender to steal the 2025 F1 title away from Oscar Piastri, and Tom Coronel has shared the reasons why the four-time world champion is looking more likely to achieve it with every passing race weekend.

McLaren’s current F1 car has looked vulnerable in recent races, which has allowed the Dutchman to claw his way back into the title fight.

The 28-year-old now has half a chance of securing a fifth consecutive world championship if the papaya-adorned F1 cars continue to slip up and lose points through unforced errors.

Verstappen is now 63 points away from Piastri at the top of the standings.

It’s still quite a sizable gap, but if each championship protagonist continues with their current form, the likelihood of four titles becoming five for the Red Bull man could compound.

READ MORE: How Max Verstappen privately feels about his 2025 F1 championship chances ahead of the United States GP

Tom Coronel thinks Max Verstappen’s mentality is exactly what he needs to challenge McLaren for the title

Jenson Button has noticed a worrying change in Piastri’s mentality following his team radio outburst at the Singapore Grand Prix, which is of stark contrast to the mentality change that F1 pundit Tom Coronel has seen in Verstappen.

Speaking on RacingNews365’s podcast, Coronel alluded to the fact that Verstappen is now enjoying his time at the wheel of the RB21 again.

When asked if Norris and Piastri have been shaken by his reemergence as a contender for race wins, the Dutchman said, “Well, they’ve already dealt that blow and had a long time to think about it, as naturally, three races have passed.

“But it’s consistency, and this is also how you see Max in it, too: he just doesn’t care. He just takes it race by race. That’s the mentality you need. This is Max’s style: win all races, and they’ll tell you when you’re champion, instead of counting points and trying to be clever.

“Just race, and at the end, you see if you made it or not. Importantly, Red Bull is back. Red Bull has found the speed again, and the fun factor is back.

“I’m always talking about Max’s twinkling eyes, which are returning a bit. Otherwise, you just get grumpy if you are fighting for third place, that’s just completely crazy.”

David Coulthard has noticed a change in Verstappen as well, with the former Red Bull man highlighting that the team’s progress with the performance of the RB21 has managed to help him return to his ‘happy place’ in the cockpit.

READ MORE: Fernando Alonso rates Max Verstappen’s 2025 F1 title chances if he drove for Racing Bulls

Max Verstappen has refused to answer one question about McLaren throughout the 2025 F1 season

Given McLaren’s dominance and Red Bull’s regression during the first half of the current campaign, many have wondered what Verstappen would have been able to do in the same machinery as his title rivals, Norris and Piastri.

Dutch journalist Erik van Haren recently revealed that Verstappen has refused to answer his question on the topic throughout the current term, due to the fact that the answer would most likely make its way onto ‘every headline everywhere’.

Previously, Verstappen was asked about his competitiveness in a Racing Bulls F1 car, to which he rubbished claims that he would be able to win a race in the sister team’s car.

It would certainly be fascinating to see the 28-year-old at the wheel of a car that has been built outside of the Milton Keynes factory, given the fact that he has spent the majority of his career in the pinnacle of single-seater motor racing at the wheel of a Red Bull.