Is it realistic for Verstappen to still take the F1 championship away from McLaren — and what would it take to do so?

“If someone had said I would be fighting for the title, I would have called them an idiot.”

What seemed like a joke not long ago is becoming a reality in Formula 1. Max Verstappen is back in the title race against the McLaren drivers who dominated the early part of the season.

After the Dutch Grand Prix, Verstappen was 104 points behind Oscar Piastri, but now he is only 40 points behind. In the last four Grand Prix races, Max has won three times (plus the sprint in Austin) and finished second once, making up 64 points.

Meanwhile, McLaren has had a string of problems: accidents, loss of positions, and even internal collisions. In the US, they had a double retirement in the sprint, while Verstappen scored another victory. There are five races to go, and Max needs to make up 40 points to become champion again.

It will be difficult, but possible. If Verstappen wins all the races and sprints until the end of the season, and Piastri finishes below second place at least once, the title will return to Red Bull. Analysts are already modeling scenarios where the Dutchman’s victory will be decided by the number of races won.

McLaren boss Andrea Stella acknowledges that Verstappen is back in the game:

“If the car allows it, he’s always a contender.”

Max himself jokes:

“If someone had said four races ago that I would be fighting for the title, I would have called them an idiot.”

Piastri insists:

“We both want to win fairly. It’s too early to choose one driver.”

Red Bull prefers not to look too far ahead:

“We’re not counting Max’s chances. We’re just working to the maximum,” says team principal Laurent Mekies.

With five races to go, the fight for the title is once again becoming the main intrigue of the Formula 1 season.