Verstappen relishing ‘no pressure’ underdog role in F1 title fight

Max Verstappen insists he feels “no pressure” heading into the final stretch of the 2025 Formula 1 season – even as he remains within striking distance of McLaren’s duelling title contenders, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

The reigning World Champion has clawed back a staggering 68 points since Zandvoort, turning what once seemed a lost cause into a genuine late-season fight.

With four races to go and a 36-point deficit still to overcome, Verstappen says he’ll give it his all but will be content whatever the outcome.

“For me there is no pressure,” Verstappen told reporters in São Paulo on Thursday.

“Even if I don’t win it, I still know that I drove a really good season. I can happily say that to try and replicate the season that I’ve done with people on the grid I think it will be very tough.

“You just need to be realistic in the chances that we had throughout the season. To still be talking about being in this fight I think is already remarkable in the first place. It has to do with the turnaround of the team. They never gave up and that’s the strength of the team.”

Nothing to Lose

Despite Red Bull’s revival, Verstappen admits the odds remain stacked against him. He joked that if this were 2023, he’d fancy his chances of overturning the deficit with ease – but the grid is far more competitive this year.

“I mean, we had some good rounds where the gap of course came down, but now to the end with four races, it’s still a pretty big gap,” he said. “I need to score a lot more points every single weekend, which is not that straightforward.

“If you would give me the 2023 season with how everything was and you tell me I’m 36 points behind with four races to go, I’m like, yeah, no problem, easy.

“But this season, of course, has been a little bit different, so it comes down to us optimising everything and nailing the weekend. And besides that, probably we need a little bit of luck on one round to create a bigger offset, but we’re going to give it all.

“And if that’s going to be enough at the end of the year, I don’t know, but there’s also not much to lose. I mean, worst case we have P3 and best case you can win a championship.”

‘Just give me the fastest car’

With McLaren balancing two championship hopefuls, Verstappen acknowledged the advantage of having Red Bull’s full focus behind him – but made clear where the real edge lies.

“I think in a way of course it’s nice,” he said. “But of course being part of the team already for a very long time you get to know each other really well. We’ve had already a lot of success together. There is an opportunity of course that we can win it, so we are going for it all in.

“For sure the distraction maybe is a little bit there at McLaren between the two drivers but at the same time they still have a very fast car. So if you would tell me what I would like to have, give me the distraction, I don’t care anyway.

“Just give me the fastest car and I’ll drive it as fast as it needs to be.”

Verstappen arrives at Interlagos as last year’s winner – and while the odds may be long, the Dutchman’s confidence, as ever, remains unshaken.

Read also: Palmer sees Las Vegas as Verstappen’s potential jackpot

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