Oscar Piastri admits what there is ‘no denying’ about Max Verstappen’s revived 2025 F1 title hopes

Follow us on Google Discover

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri did not expect what he has seen from Red Bull racer Max Verstappen amid their fight for the 2025 F1 title, with only 40 points separating them.

Piastri has led the F1 drivers’ championship since he won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix back in round five of the 2025 season in April. The 24-year-old dethroned his McLaren teammate, Lando Norris, and he has so far weathered his papaya pal’s efforts to take the top spot again.

But Piastri has seen Norris and Verstappen cut his lead atop the F1 drivers’ standings in each of the past four rounds. The Australian held a 34-point lead over Norris and a 104-point lead over Verstappen after August’s Dutch Grand Prix, yet their deficits are now 14 and 40 points.

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix and United States Grand Prix in rounds 17 and 19 of this year’s 24 were especially profitable for Verstappen’s title bid. Piastri crashed out of the Azerbaijan GP, which Verstappen won to gain 25 points, and COTA saw a 23-point gain for the Red Bull star.

Oscar Piastri cannot deny Max Verstappen’s surprising consistency has made him a title threat

Verstappen won the COTA Sprint and United States GP last weekend, as well, to continue his remarkable recent run of results. The four-time reigning champion had not won a Grand Prix in eight rounds before he won in Italy, Azerbaijan and America through the past four rounds.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Piastri admits he did not expect to see Verstappen re-join the title fight so soon when he left Zandvoort holding a 104-point lead over the Dutchman. But the Australian cannot deny that Verstappen’s surprising consistency has been key to the 28-year-old becoming a real threat.

“I think he’s been very consistent in the last few weekends and been strong, as well,” Piastri said, via quotes by Autosport. “There’s no denying that.”

Piastri added: “The run of form that he’s had since Monza has been a bit of a surprise. There were flashes of that kind of performance at certain points earlier in the season, but there were also some pretty big dips.

“So, to now be consistent, I think that has been a bit of a surprise. We know they’ve still been throwing a lot of things at their car, trying to improve it. So, in some ways, it’s not a huge surprise. But he’s just come into the fight quicker than I expected.”

Red Bull’s recent upgrades have made the RB21 a match for McLaren’s MCL39

Red Bull debuted a floor upgrade at Monza, which helped Verstappen win the Italian Grand Prix and end his eight-race winless run from pole position. Also, Red Bull fitted an upgraded front wing on Verstappen’s car in Singapore, where he came P2 in front of Norris and Piastri.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Oscar Piastri’s life outside F1 from height to girlfriend

Piastri crashing into Norris in the COTA Sprint, for which McLaren have removed the sporting repercussions they placed on the latter, also helped Verstappen to take further points out of the Australian’s lead. Now, some see the Dutchman as the favourite to win the 2025 F1 title.

Red Bull are all-in on Verstappen’s title hopes, too, with Yuki Tsunoda playing the team game as the Japanese racer also strives to secure a seat on the 2026 F1 grid. Piastri and Norris will not enjoy the same treatment at McLaren, with both drivers fighting to win the title in 2025.

Additionally, Red Bull plan to debut further upgrades at the Las Vegas Grand Prix in round 22 of this year’s 24. The Milton Keynes outfit have chosen to continue to design updates for the RB21, while rivals McLaren stopped developing their car to focus on F1’s 2026 regulations.