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With Max Verstappen claiming a superb F1 Azerbaijan GP victory, Motorsport Week asks: Will McLaren now feel the title race is back open?
With Max Verstappen’s impressive win at the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the question arises: Will McLaren view the title race as now being wide open?
McLaren went into the Azerbaijan GP weekend needing only nine points more than Ferrari to secure the Constructors’ Championship for the second year in a row. However, Max Verstappen’s consecutive victories have thrown a spanner in the works for the papaya team.
Although McLaren is likely to clinch the title again, with Verstappen closing the gap to Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, there are still seven races left in the season.
Verstappen, often pragmatic, acknowledged the challenge of catching up but left the possibility open.
The Red Bull team’s resurgence post-summer break, marked by Verstappen’s two wins, suggests that their recent success is not a fluke.
Under the leadership of Laurent Mekies, Red Bull’s engineering improvements have been instrumental in their current performance, causing a sense of unease for McLaren.
