The city of Baku, with its historic streets and challenging circuit, was not just the scene of a tense Formula 1 race but the starting point for a new fire igniting within the championship battle. Max Verstappen, who seemed to have accepted his fate in second place, not only lit up the streets of Azerbaijan with his victory but also unleashed a fierce storm across the F1 world. Suddenly, the whispers long dismissed as fantasy were back with a vengeance: The championship is not over!

With two consecutive victories and Oscar Piastri’s unexpected downfall in Baku, Verstappen has clawed back a staggering 40 points from the leader. The pressure is now unbearable. Can he maintain this ferocious intensity as the season barrels toward its climax? And more hauntingly, what miracle of fate must unfold for Verstappen to be crowned in Abu Dhabi, with only seven races and three sprints left to decide destiny?

In Baku, Verstappen turned doubt into dust. The city that once brought him heartbreak became his stage of dominance. This was Verstappen at his most ruthless, a master at play on streets he adores. When Piastri was wiped out before the first lap had even found its rhythm and Norris was trapped behind Tsunoda, the Dutchman seized the void and stamped his authority with a devastating sixth career Grand Slam.

That achievement alone was monumental, tying Hamilton and moving closer to the legendary Jim Clark. But what was more intoxicating was that the door to the championship had creaked open again. Realistically, the idea carries a hint of wishful thinking, as Piastri retiring from races isn’t something anyone expects to happen regularly. Yet, fans can be forgiven for holding on to hope. Not every track on the calendar will play to the RB21’s strengths, with Singapore already looming as a potential stumbling block.

But the latest upgrades are proving their worth. The team’s focus purely on the technical side has given Verstappen more influence over how the car is shaped to his style. That trust has paid off. He looks genuinely content, even patting the car with approval after qualifying. At last, the machine feels built to his needs. And with Tsunoda securing P6 in Baku, it’s clear that Red Bull’s surge isn’t just a stroke of luck but the product of solid performance across the board.

Even so, Verstappen himself remains pragmatic and restrained when discussing whether he can truly chase down Piastri. The gap stands at 69 points. It is a steep mountain, though not unclimbable. From a mathematical perspective, Verstappen doesn’t need a McLaren disaster to clinch the championship. What he must do is outscore Norris by six points and Piastri by ten points at each round, which, thanks to the three remaining sprint events, may just be manageable if everything aligns for the reigning four-time world champion.

He expanded on the challenge, saying, “It’s seven races to go and it’s still 69 points. It’s a lot. Basically, everything needs to go perfectly from my side, and then I need a bit of bad luck from McLaren’s side as well. So it’s still very tough.”

Yet, for the first time this season, Verstappen is leaning on the performance of the RB21, thanks to the Monza upgrades. The introduction of a new floor ensured Red Bull’s strength on low-downforce tracks. Whether that holds true on high-downforce circuits remains to be seen, with Singapore looming as the first test. Although McLaren’s Andrea Stella was emphatic that Red Bull cannot be dismissed, Verstappen and Helmut Marko responded more cautiously.

Reflecting further, the experienced Austrian weighed up Singapore, noting, “I think that’s the optimism of Andrea. I hope it will be like that, but I will think about that after Singapore. If we are competitive in Singapore, then maybe we can start dreaming. It’s not only high downforce that’s challenging; it’s always bloody hot there, which our car doesn’t seem to like so much. So it will be the real benchmark as to where we are with the new upgrades.”

There are still more than 200 points up for grabs in Formula 1, and the landscape can shift suddenly. Still, expecting Piastri to suffer another calamity like Baku feels unlikely. This might instead be his one indulgent off-weekend, something every driver is afforded. And Norris only narrowed the gap by six points. Nevertheless, Red Bull must weigh the possibilities. The McLaren pair are about to intensify their intra-team duel. If not through a retirement, an on-track clash between them could create the opening Verstappen needs. Their determination to prove themselves to McLaren may backfire if contact takes them both out, giving the Dutchman a golden chance.

Some might argue this borders on fantasy. The point is that a combination of circumstances like Baku, along with Red Bull’s Monza upgrades, could reshape the outlook entirely. Verstappen recognizes this himself. Still, he knows his victories have come at tracks demanding less downforce. Whether those improvements carry over to high-downforce venues remains uncertain.

Speaking further, he explained, “It’s just a combination of a lot of things that have gone better in the last few weeks. We have understood a bit more about the car. Of course, they’re two low-downforce tracks, so we have to wait and see how we’re going to perform again on a high-downforce track. For now, we’re just very happy with what we’re doing, and then we’ll just find out in the upcoming races as to how that will go on other kinds of layouts.”

The calendar also provides critical clues. Red Bull should excel in Las Vegas, where the circuit resembles Baku in nature. But other stops will pose sterner tests. Singapore has historically tormented Verstappen and Red Bull, a venue where he has never triumphed, not even in a season where he dominated with 19 wins from 23 races. The Circuit of the Americas also emphasizes high downforce with its sweeping corners and long straights. Mexico presents another unique hurdle with its thin air at altitude, forcing teams to use heavy wings for grip, creating tricky trade-offs between downforce and efficiency. Still, Mexico is one of Verstappen’s favorite battlegrounds.

Looking further ahead, the closing rounds remain unpredictable. By the time Abu Dhabi arrives, the dynamics may be very different. Right now, what can be said is that Verstappen is still in contention, at least on paper. Should he maintain this form, he may not require misfortune from McLaren. However, expecting him to sweep all seven races and three sprint events is stretching belief. If he does manage it, though, it will mark him out beyond doubt as the greatest driver the sport has ever seen.

McLaren boss Andrea Stella remains adamant that Red Bull cannot be written off and argues that as long as Verstappen is present, he is always a danger. Pair that with the effect of the upgrades, which appear to have lifted the team into real competitiveness, and it becomes a problem the field cannot ignore.

Speaking in detail, Stella stressed, “Red Bull is a very serious contender to win races and a very serious contender for the drivers’ championship.” McLaren is concerned that Red Bull has found a “silver bullet” in their Monza floor upgrade, and given Yuki Tsunoda almost doubled his points for the season with the new component in Baku, something radical has happened to the previously lackluster RB21.

The tracks in Monza and Baku were predicted to be more Red Bull-friendly, where their car has previously proven it is quick in low-downforce mode and is slippery through the air on the long straights. Yet, the warning bells were sounded by Stella, who suggested his team’s analysis of the RB21 proved its capabilities were stronger in other areas. “We have already seen in Monza that they improved because the way they won Monza was something more in our assessment than simply a car that adapts well at low drag. They were fast in the corners—medium-speed and low-speed corners—fast on the straights, and we know that Max, when he has a competitive car, can deliver strong weekends.”

So, is Verstappen genuinely back in the hunt with 224 points still available? The answer is a resounding “Yes,” and that “Yes” was delivered in capital letters. Let us not forget, he is Max Verstappen, a four-time world champion in a rapid car. As highlighted, some races may see McLaren lose their edge. The real question is whether that crash in Austria will return to haunt him when the season concludes. Those rounds cannot be changed, but what lies ahead is a fight at the sharp end, with Verstappen needing to keep stripping points away from Piastri whenever possible. A 69-point gap feels enormous at the moment, but that margin can shrink quickly.

So, with all these factors in play, do you believe the reigning four-time champion can still lift the crown in 2025? Share your thoughts in the comments. Until next time, bye for now!