Max Verstappen has admitted that he now has a real chance at claiming the 2025 Formula 1 Drivers' Championship after winning the United States Grand Prix.
It was a flawless weekend for the four-time World Champion, who started from pole and led all 56 laps around the Circuit of the Americas to claim victory in dominant fashion.
Verstappen got off the line well to maintain the lead into the first corner, and pulled out a four-second gap by the end of lap 12, which grew to well over ten seconds by the time those around him started to pit.
When the Red Bull driver came in for fresh rubber on lap 34, he was able to come out still in P1. From then on, it was a relaxed Sunday drive for Verstappen who ultimately saw the chequered flag almost eight seconds ahead of anyone else.
The Dutchman was markedly faster than both McLaren drivers, with Lando Norris finishing in second after a race-long battle with the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, and Oscar Piastri struggling for pace and crossing the line in a lowly P5.
Verstappen has now finished ahead of the McLaren pair in four successive Grands Prix, and a gap that was once 103 points to the Championship leader is now just 40.
It seemed next to impossible just a few months ago, but a record-equalling fifth straight Drivers' crown now doesn't seem entirely unlikely.
Speaking immediately after the race, Verstappen first reflected on what was a brilliant weekend for himself and Red Bull.
He said: "It was an unbelievable weekend for us. I knew the race would not be super straightforward.
"If you look at the whole race, the pace between myself and Lando was really close."
Verstappen was keen to stress that it wasn't all plain-sailing though, as his ultimate race pace wasn't any better than that of Norris.
He continued: "In that first stint we made a difference, I could eek out a bit of a gap and that was the gap until the end.
"It wasn't easy to manage the tyres in both of the stints. We kept it in the lead and I'm incredibly proud of everyone to deliver a weekend like this."
Up until recently, Verstappen had remained tight-lipped when asked about his Championship chances, following a slump in form from his two McLaren rivals.
But after the US Grand Prix, the defending Champion finally admitted that he now has a shot at adding a fifth Drivers' Title to his name.
He stated: "Yeah for sure, the chance is there. We just need to try and deliver these weekends until the end.
"We will try whatever we can. It's exciting and I'm very excited until the end."
Verstappen currently sits third in the Drivers' Standings on 306 points, with the current leader Piastri on 346 points. Norris is sandwiched between the two, with a total of 332 points. The Title fight is well and truly on.
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