Verstappen tempers title talk after Baku win: ‘I don’t rely on hope’

Max Verstappen may have reignited his Formula 1 season with a dominant Azerbaijan Grand Prix victory, but the reigning World Champion insists he is not entertaining thoughts of a late charge for the title, at least not yet.

The Red Bull driver delivered a flawless weekend in Baku – pole position, fastest lap, and a lights-to-flag win – to notch back-to-back victories for the first time in 2025. It was also his maiden triumph on the streets of Azerbaijan.

With Oscar Piastri crashing out on the opening lap and Lando Norris salvaging only seventh, Verstappen’s result cut the gap to McLaren’s title contenders. He now trails Norris by 44 points and Piastri by 69, with seven races remaining.

Hope Not a Strategy

Despite closing the gap, Verstappen was quick to play down the prospect of a fifth consecutive world title, stressing the scale of the task still facing him.

“I mean, I don’t rely on hope,” he said. “But it’s seven rounds left – 69 points is a lot. So I personally don’t think about it.

“I just go race by race, what I have been doing basically the whole season — just trying to do the best we can, try to score the most points that we can. And then after Abu Dhabi, we’ll know.”

The Dutchman acknowledged Red Bull’s recent upturn – two wins in three races since the summer break – but admitted the title picture remains out of his hands.

“Basically, everything needs to go perfectly from my side, and then I need a bit of [bad] luck from their [McLaren] side as well. So, it’s still very tough.”

Marko: Singapore Will Be the Real Test

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko praised Verstappen’s dominant Baku display but cautioned that Singapore will reveal whether the team’s resurgence is genuine and whether a title push is realistic.

“Verstappen always makes everything look simple, he dominated the weekend, but the team as a whole also performed very well, as Tsunoda’s race showed,” the Austrian told Sky Germany. “I believe we can aim for second place in the Constructors’ standings.

“Now comes Singapore, the only race Verstappen has never won. If we are competitive there too, then we can start thinking about the drivers’ championship, maybe.

“It will be a good test because the temperatures will be higher and that plays into McLaren’s hands. Nobody after Silverstone would have expected us to come back this strong.”

Read also:

• ‘Pretty straightforward’: Verstappen reflects on calm Baku triumph

For Verstappen, the message was simple: focus on each race, score as highly as possible, and let the championship table take care of itself.

But with momentum finally swinging his way, Baku may yet prove to be the turning point in a season that had once looked out of reach.

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