How Verstappen cut a 104-point F1 title deficit to Piastri to 40 in four races

Max Verstappen was 104 points adrift of Formula 1 championship leader Oscar Piastri following the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August – and looked almost out for the count.

Less than two months later, the four-time champion is now just 40 points behind Piastri and 26 behind Lando Norris. Red Bull’s revival in recent races and Verstappen’s brilliance puts him on the cusp of turning the tide in the title race.

In closing out the win at the United States Grand Prix, Verstappen made his first tacit admission that he was firmly ensconced in the title race – noting that “there’s a chance” following his victory lap around the Circuit of the Americas.

Let’s remind ourselves of how Verstappen clawed back the gap.

Dutch GP: Verstappen finishes second to Piastri after Norris failure

Verstappen’s gap to Piastri post-race: 104 points

There was a slight sprinkling of fortune for Verstappen as Lando Norris suffered an oil leak in the latter stages of the Zandvoort race, which cost the Briton a chance to clinch second and mitigate the damage to Piastri in the title race. Verstappen thus clinched the runner-up spot on the podium behind Piastri, where his deficit grew into triple figures.

Still, Red Bull looked moderately revitalised after the summer break and Mekies helped to facilitate a series of improvements found back at the team’s Milton Keynes base.

McLaren largely ran rampant at Verstappen’s home race, but the Dutchman’s expectations of a podium finish had not been particularly high; he suggested that the Red Bull team might even struggle to finish in the top five. However, big things were in store at Red Bull’s factory…

Italian GP: Victory for Verstappen as McLarens struggle to match Red Bull’s straightline speed

Verstappen’s gap to Piastri post-race: 94 points

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

After a dismal Italian Grand Prix in 2024, Red Bull was determined not to suffer a similar fate this time around. Part of Red Bull’s issues last year centred around the lack of a bona-fide low-downforce package, the suggestion being that tight budgeting under the cost cap had led to a compromised solution to trimming out the rear wing.

Red Bull also added further developments to the RB21, introducing a series of revisions to the floor. These were more forward-thinking changes, aiming to ensure that the car was also stronger at some of its weaker circuits – including Baku and Singapore – by mitigating the car’s sensitivity over bumps and producing more stable levels of downforce.

Verstappen streaked to a record-setting pole position, officially the fastest average-speed lap ever recorded in Formula 1, just under a tenth quicker than Norris’ best Q3 effort. And, while Verstappen had to cede the lead to Norris after bundling over the kerbs to retain position, he soon reclaimed it – McLaren didn’t really have an answer for him.

McLaren’s decision to repay Norris for a slow pitstop by swapping drivers, having intended to preserve the order of Norris and Piastri in second and third, indirectly helped Verstappen’s cause; he was now ‘just’ 94 points adrift versus Piastri at the close of the European season.

Azerbaijan GP: Piastri’s horror show gives Verstappen a free hit

Verstappen’s gap to Piastri post-race: 69 points

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Photo by: Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images

While Verstappen was excellent in Baku, having emerged through a chaotic qualifying position to claim pole by almost half a second from Carlos Sainz, Piastri had a dreadful trip to the Caspian Sea.

First, Piastri hit the wall in qualifying and only started ninth, but that was only the start of his woes. The Australian jumped the start, checked up to compensate, and then fell to the back of the field. He then hit the wall at Turn 5 while attempting to pass Esteban Ocon around the outside.

Norris struggled too after only qualifying seventh, and got stuck in a train behind Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda as overtaking proved difficult on the Azeri streets.

At the front, Verstappen cruised to an uncontested win – slashing Piastri’s lead to within the margin of three grand prix wins.

Singapore GP: McLaren sparring helps Verstappen claim second

Verstappen’s gap to first post-race: 63 points

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Shameem Fahath / Motorsport Network

Although Verstappen made up just six points on Piastri’s lead, every little helps. The race victory at Marina Bay was wrapped up by George Russell, as Verstappen spent the latter stages just keeping Norris at bay as the McLaren driver tried to prise open a gap at the Turn 16-17 chicane.

Verstappen had been left annoyed by Norris in the final stages of qualifying, blaming the McLaren’s dirty air for denying him a shot at pole. Regardless, Verstappen paid him back with some excellent hold-up play, forcing Norris into a series of retreats and charges back in an effort to reverse the order.

Norris had made contact with Piastri on the first lap of the race at Turn 3, while bundling through into third place. Piastri finished fourth, limiting the scope of how much ground Verstappen could make. Nevertheless, McLaren claimed the constructors’ title – but the drivers’ title picture looked a lot less clear.

United States GP: Verstappen dominant, Piastri suffers sprint-race non-score

Verstappen’s gap to Piastri post-race: 40 points

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Bryn Lennon / Formula 1 via Getty Images

McLaren’s disastrous first corner in the Circuit of the Americas sprint ensured that polesitter Verstappen – who fended off an early challenge from Russell – could knock another eight points out of Piastri’s lead with little resistance.

Verstappen then secured a second pole of the weekend, and was kept protected from a Norris challenge as the soft-shod Leclerc got a better run out of the first corner than the McLaren. The Red Bull driver reckoned his pace had been similar to Norris throughout, but the 11-second gap he’d been able to curate courtesy of Leclerc’s defence had given him a substantial lead.

This was cut down to six seconds after the stops had shaken out, but another inspired defence from Leclerc – who got the undercut on Norris – nullified any further worries.

Piastri, meanwhile, struggled for grip and confidence throughout qualifying and the race – perhaps having been hurt more by the lack of running in the sprint race than Norris. He finished fifth, just over a second behind an ailing Hamilton at the close of the race.

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