Should McLaren be worried about Max Verstappen? Lawrence Barretto shares his insights. Lately, discussions have focused on how Max Verstappen could return to the fight for the Drivers’ Championship. The McLaren team has dominated much of the season, but with rising pressure, the reigning champions are starting to show signs of vulnerability.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have made several mistakes over the last two races, allowing the Red Bull driver to claim back-to-back victories. Poorly executed qualifying sessions and race incidents have made the Papaya drivers feel the heavy presence of the four-time world champion, who is now aiming for his fifth consecutive title.
Until a few weeks ago, it seemed McLaren faced little competition from other teams, but with Verstappen, anything is possible. Could the 27-year-old Dutchman realistically get back into the fight for the championship?
Lawrence Barretto weighs in
F1 correspondent and presenter Lawrence Barretto shared his perspective on the situation. Currently, Oscar Piastri leads the Drivers’ Championship with a 25-point advantage over his teammate. Both Papaya drivers are in contention for what would be their first Formula 1 world title.
Verstappen sits third, 69 points behind, with seven Grands Prix remaining this season. Barretto was asked whether, despite the gap to the Papaya drivers, he believes the Dutchman can still win. It would take around three victories to close the gap, but Lawrence Barretto remains confident.
“I never said it would be easy, but Max Verstappen has the right momentum. He finished second at his home race in Zandvoort right after the summer break. Then he won in Italy and again in Azerbaijan, reducing the deficit from 97 to 69 points,” the presenter explained. “If he manages to recover the same margin over the next three races and then the following three, he could reach the finale only 13 points behind.”
These predictions also rely on McLaren continuing to make mistakes. When asked why he believes Verstappen could pull it off, Lawrence Barretto added: “Well, I don’t know if he’ll succeed, to be honest. But there’s no doubt that, starting from Hungary, Red Bull’s high-risk approach, introduced by new team principal Laurent Mekies to better understand their challenging car, has generally paid off.”
“It doesn’t work all the time, as shown by the extremely difficult weekend in Budapest, but it worked over the next three weekends,” he added. “Both Verstappen and his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, are now more comfortable with the balance and overall performance of the car.”
“The next race in Singapore, where Red Bull has only won once in the past nine years, could give us an idea of Verstappen’s ability to continue this comeback.”
Not impossible, but unlikely
What the F1 commentator tried to explain is that a comeback isn’t impossible, but neither is it very probable. Barretto knows this well: “Exactly. If Verstappen won all seven remaining Grands Prix – and all three Sprints – with Piastri finishing second each time, he would still end up 17 points behind.”
“This shows how tough the challenge ahead is,” he continued. “But the improbable can happen. In 2014, with seven races to go, Lewis Hamilton was 29 points behind his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg. He won six of the final seven races, ultimately claiming the championship with a 67-point advantage.”
“It was a margin of 89 points, although the gap was amplified because Abu Dhabi awarded double points that year. Even without the double points, he still secured a 64-point lead.”
Verstappen is the kind of driver who makes you believe in the impossible and has pulled off incredible feats on track before. “It could easily be argued that he has driven better this year than at any other point in his career. His win in Japan earlier this year was exceptional, as was his pole position at Silverstone.”
And what does Verstappen think? “In true Verstappen style, he’s not racing recklessly. He probably wants more proof that his Red Bull can deliver the same results on high-downforce circuits. Six of the remaining seven races fall into this category,” Barretto explained.
The threat to McLaren
Andrea Stella explained whether McLaren should fear Verstappen. After Baku, he was asked the question on everyone’s mind, and the Italian responded: “Yes, in capital letters.”
“We are talking about Max Verstappen, we are talking about Red Bull,” added the McLaren team principal. “We already saw in Monza that they improved. It seems they’ve taken a step forward with their car. The way they won at Monza was more than just a car suited to low-drag tracks, in our assessment.”
“We also knew that Baku would be a challenging circuit for us. So, we will now see in Singapore, which should be a track where we perform better. Hopefully, we can fight for the win again, and then see how the rest of the season develops.”
“But clearly, Max is in the Drivers’ Championship fight. We knew it, and Baku confirmed it,” Stella concluded.
Lawrence Barretto added: “Verstappen is a worthy opponent, but Baku was just a blip in what has so far been an extraordinary season for McLaren.”
He then commented on the Papaya team’s season: “They have won 12 of 17 races, achieved seven 1-2 finishes, and are undisputed leaders in the Constructors’ Championship. The last two events were cooler than expected, and McLaren tends to perform best in warmer conditions. Singapore will bring back the heat that their car thrives in.”
“It’s only Verstappen’s brilliance and Red Bull’s recent resurgence that make him a dangerous factor, though he’s still not part of the main fight.”
“McLaren is right to be wary of Verstappen, but they also have the confidence that comes from consistently giving their best. In theory, if their plan is perfect weekends, one of their drivers will claim the crown.”
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a remote possibility. But Verstappen and Red Bull’s form in the last three races has at least reignited the possibility of a three-way battle for the Drivers’ Championship. Their performance in Singapore will be decisive in showing if they can sustain such a challenge,” Lawrence Barretto concluded.
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