P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Max Verstappen has a 69-point deficit to recover with 12 races remaining, should he want to claim a fifth consecutive F1 drivers’ title.
Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer believes Max Verstappen is no longer in the drivers’ title fight due to a string of “bad luck” in recent races. The current four-time world champion enters the Belgian Grand Prix weekend 69 points behind Oscar Piastri, who narrowly leads his McLaren teammate Lando Norris by just eight points. Verstappen needs a remarkable second half of the season to get back into contention, or for both McLaren drivers to have non-scoring finishes. Despite having a weaker car, Verstappen had managed to keep himself in the championship fight until recent setbacks— a 10-second penalty in Barcelona, a collision in Austria, and unexpected rain in Silverstone cost him crucial points. Palmer suggests external factors have hindered Verstappen’s performance, setting up a potential McLaren battle for the title.
