Red Bull chief dials up the pressure on Oscar Piastri by revealing upgrade plan for Max Verstappen

Follow us on Google Discover

Max Verstappen may have re-entered the fight for the 2025 Formula 1 championship with Red Bull’s recent resurgence.

The Dutchman looked out of the running during the summer break as Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris had established a lead over the field. McLaren looked almost guaranteed to win the drivers’ title when the former was sitting 104 points ahead of Verstappen before the Italian GP.

However, Red Bull have seen an upturn in form in recent races, with Verstappen winning at Monza and Baku in dominant fashion. McLaren suffered a disaster at the Azerbaijan GP as Piastri crashed out on lap one, while Norris could only finish P7.

Subsequently, the four-time champion is 69 points behind Piastri and 34 points behind Norris in second with seven races to go. McLaren fear that Red Bull have caught them in development, and things could be about to get tougher for the Woking outfit.

Pierre Wache says Red Bull will upgrade Max Verstappen’s RB21 if he can win the title – Oscar Piastri should be worried

New Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has made significant changes since replacing Christian Horner. His new approach with technical development, as well as giving Verstappen more freedom with setup, has dramatically improved their fortunes.

Red Bull’s floor upgrade at Monza is believed to have propelled them up the order and alongside McLaren in terms of development. It has now given Verstappen the possibility to challenge Piastri and Norris for the title.

Technical director Pierre Wache has hinted that they may not stop there. According to Auto Motor und Sport, the Red Bull chief says that the team will upgrade the RB21 further if it is necessary for Verstappen to win the championship.

He said: “If we see an opportunity to win a world championship and development steps are still necessary to achieve that, then we’ll do it. We’re not giving anything away.”

This should be a major worry for Piastri, especially after his rare slip-up in Baku. McLaren boss Andrea Stella already fears that Red Bull have levelled them in development; further upgrades could see Verstappen suddenly having the fastest car.

With seven races to go, there is still every opportunity for the Dutchman to claim his fifth consecutive title. The pressure is on Piastri to keep a level head and stay in front of his rival after his crash in Baku, but Wache has just placed even more on him with the threat of further Red Bull upgrades.

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

Can Max Verstappen really win the 2025 F1 title?

With Verstappen’s back-to-back wins at Monza and Baku, and with seven races and three Sprints to go, McLaren’s drivers’ title is not as guaranteed as it once was. The 28-year-old will try everything he can to retain his crown.

In some ways, he finds himself in the same situation Norris was in last season. The Brit tried to mount a late challenge, but Verstappen had built too great a gap before the summer break; 69 points is still a huge buffer to make up.

Jolyon Palmer says Verstappen must succeed in Singapore if he wants to stay in the running for the championship. A McLaren victory might put an end to his chances before they had just gotten revived.

Charles Leclerc would be surprised if Verstappen won the title, as the Ferrari star still believes it will be either Norris or Piastri for the title. Jacques Villeneuve thinks Verstappen can be champion, but he is worried about Singapore and how inconsistent the team have been there.