McLaren great in awe of Verstappen's brilliance: “it's just incredible”
Mika Hakkinen has praised Max Verstappen for staying in the title fight amid the difficulties he has faced in the RB21 car.
“The fact is that Max has done incredible work with the team to be able to maximise the performance of the car. It’s just incredible.”- Mika Hakkinen
The 57-year-old, who spoke via Fancode, touched on the possibility of Verstappen clinching the 2025 title while hailing the Dutch driver’s ability to keep performing at the highest level amid Red Bull’s struggles.
“It’s a mathematical possibility. The fact is that Max has done incredible work with the team to be able to maximise the performance of the car. It’s just incredible.”
The two-time Formula 1 champion also highlighted how Verstappen continues to charge for the title despite not having a teammate capable of matching his personal performance.
“Sometimes results are like a wave; it’s not consistent. Max is very much alone with the team. He doesn’t have a teammate who is pushing him to maximise his personal performance. So, it’s interesting to see how far Max can go. It’s very interesting.”
While the 2025 campaign has largely been dominated by the McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, Verstappen has continued to stake his claim for the title – particularly since the resumption of the campaign with the Dutch Grand Prix. The 28-year-old has cut Piastri’s lead atop the Drivers’ Championship to 63 points, clinching two race victories and multiple podium finishes.
McLaren driver weighs in on Verstappen’s title chances
Norris earlier touched on Verstappen’s title chances, explaining that the Red Bull Racing star is a real contender for the 2025 crown.
The 25-year-old highlighted that the upgrades brought by the Milton Keynes-based outfit in Monza have played a part in the resurgence the team has experienced in recent races.
With six races and three sprints left on the calendar, Verstappen has continued to close the gap to both Norris and Piastri atop the championship. The Red Bull driver has finished ahead of the McLaren pair in all races since the Italian Grand Prix.
Read also
GPblog paddock update
Looking to keep up with the fast-paced world of Formula 1? Our paddock update is all you need to stay in touch with the action.Follow our channels on YouTube and Spotify and never miss a moment of what happens within the F1 circle.
Check out the latest edition of our paddock update here 👇
Popular on GPBlog
F1 Today | Andretti's bombshell on Norris as 'McLaren mechanics caught'
Norris warned to 'better watch out' against Verstappen 'next time'
Andretti hits Ferrari boss with brutal faith claim and offers Leclerc F1 drive
