Austin Grand Prix Highlights and Championship Implications

AUSTIN, Texas — As the saying goes, objects in the rearview mirror are often closer than they appear.

With that in mind, it’s fair to say that McLaren is closely aware of Max Verstappen’s looming presence in his RB21.

The four-time champion recently continued his strong performance at Austin, securing pole position for both the F1 sprint race and the main event. He earned all 33 available points over the weekend, narrowing the gap to second-place Lando Norris to just 26 points, and trailing the leader, Oscar Piastri, by 40 points.

This weekend might have even made a believer out of Verstappen.

After claiming victory in the F1 sprint race, he initially indicated he was taking it “race by race.” However, by Sunday night at the Circuit of the Americas, he seemed to have shifted his perspective.

“For sure, we have a chance,” Verstappen admitted following his win.

Following the Dutch Grand Prix, where Piastri claimed victory and Verstappen finished second, the Red Bull driver found himself 104 points behind in the title battle.

Since then, in the four race weekends that have followed Zandvoort, Verstappen has significantly reduced Piastri’s lead by over 60 points.

“We need to maintain this momentum for the rest of the season. We’ll do our best,” Verstappen mentioned. “This weekend was incredible for us, but we know the races ahead won’t come easy.”

“When you consider the entire race, Lando and I were quite close in pace. I think it was during the first stint that we made our move. I managed to close the gap, and we held on to that until the end.”

He added, “Managing tire wear was challenging in both stints, but we kept our lead. I’m really proud of the team’s performance.”

Piastri, for his part, avoided suggesting that McLaren should focus on either him or Norris for the title, despite Verstappen’s late-season surge.

“We’re still pretty anxious,” Piastri shared. “Both of us feel we deserve a fair shot at the championship. It’s just too close to call between us.”

Meanwhile, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella maintained a cautious optimism when speaking with the media, acknowledging Verstappen as a credible threat to the drivers’ championship for McLaren’s duo.

“This isn’t surprising, given the circuits we’ll encounter after Baku. If Max has what he needs to win, he’ll definitely be a serious contender,” Stella observed at McLaren’s hospitality suite on Sunday night.

“Thus, our perspective on the situation hasn’t changed,” he continued. “What we need to do remains the same. We have to keep optimizing our performance and ensure we have strong weekends. If you think about races like Spa, there were missed opportunities there.”

“We definitely have a significant chance; the outcome of this season, and the championship, lies in our own hands,” he noted.

“It’s not something determined by outside factors,” he reassured. “That’s the mentality we want to uphold, and I believe we actually possess it.”

Stella is spot on — the numbers work in their favor.

But as the sun sets over the Circuit of the Americas, it’s undeniable that the momentum favors Verstappen.