Tom Coronel tells Max Verstappen how likely he is to win the F1 world championship this season

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Max Verstappen faces his toughest battle yet to claim a fourth consecutive Formula 1 championship for Red Bull.

Competing against a relentless McLaren, who have continued to upgrade their car throughout 2024 is a very tricky challenge.

They have out-developed the entire grid and given Lando Norris a car capable of dominating – showcased by winning the Singapore Grand Prix by over 20 seconds.

Red Bull have fallen behind and need to do something to shake their season up, starting with some upgrades at the United States Grand Prix which are hoped to turn their season back in the right direction.

Max Verstappen should have ‘trouble sleeping’ as title fight dwindles away

The Dutchman felt guaranteed to win the title halfway through the season but has failed to win any of the last eight races.

That’s a shocking run that no one could have predicted after Red Bull raced out of the blocks during the early portion of the season.

But they haven’t progressed how they would have liked to, and that could be partially attributed to the departure of design genius Adrian Newey.

READ MORE: Lando Norris mocks Lewis Hamilton after reading Toto Wolff’s Singapore Grand Prix comments

Speaking to RacingNews365, another Dutch racing driver in Tom Coronel questioned how the reigning champion sleeps at night with the current woes.

“Yes, worse. I say 80/20 for Norris,” he said. “Not that he will close the entire gap in one go, but the difference between the cars is really too big at the moment. I would have trouble sleeping.”

Will Verstappen take his magic elsewhere for 2026?

With the way things have been heading in 2024, next season could be even more bleak for Red Bull if they fail to get their act together.

Not only could that translate to a poor standing in both championships, but it may also mean the risk of losing Verstappen to a rival team.

Mercedes have shared interest in him for a while and could make a move for him if their car continues to improve in the right direction.

READ MORE: ‘Phenomenal’ £14.5m-a-year driver is ‘top’ of Red Bull’s list to replace Max Verstappen

He has shown before in 2021 that all he needs is the second best car to be in contention for victory every weekend and he can make things happen.

It may also mean that he has to go up against a tough young teammate in the form of Andrea Kimi Antonelli – which would be pure box office.