Championship leader Oscar Piastri admitted to the media during the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend that he was surprised by Max Verstappen's resurgence into contention for the 2025 Formula 1 world title.
Just four rounds ago, the Dutchman trailed Piastri by 104 points, and many believed he was out of the running, leaving the battle solely between Piastri and his teammate Lando Norris. However, following the introduction of a new floor at Monza, fortunes turned for Verstappen and Red Bull. He has since secured three victories in the last four races, clawing back a significant 64 points from his deficit to Piastri.
As a result, with five races and two sprint events remaining this season, Piastri, Norris, and Verstappen are now separated by a mere 40 points, promising a fiercely contested battle right up to the championship finale in Abu Dhabi in early December. Speaking to the media in Mexico, Piastri confessed that Verstappen and Red Bull's comeback had caught him off guard, especially given the Dutchman's substantial deficit after his home race at Zandvoort. However, the Australian was quick to point out that, unlike McLaren, Red Bull continues to develop their car.
"Yes, I suppose so, but I think everyone thought the same," Piastri replied when asked if he believed the title fight would be solely between him and Norris after the Dutch Grand Prix. "Max's form since Monza has definitely been surprising. Earlier in the season, there were flashes of brilliance, but also significant dips. Now, however, his consistency is much greater, which is a bit unexpected. We know they continue to bring new parts to the car in an effort to improve it, so to some extent, it's not entirely surprising. But I do think he's returned to the title fight quicker than anyone anticipated. Nevertheless, I won't change my approach. The gap has closed in recent races, but for me, the focus is on being as fast as possible and extracting the maximum from every weekend, which sometimes works out and sometimes doesn't. So, I'm focused on that. I believe if I do a good enough job and perform well every weekend, then the overall picture won't matter," Piastri explained.