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Fifth title on the cards for Verstappen? Former driver sees battle being elsewhere

10:24, 23 Jul

byHidde Korte

Max Verstappen has had a challenging season at Red Bull Racing, and is behind the two McLaren drivers in the standings. Is a title still on the cards for the Dutchman? Former driver Riccardo Patrese gives his verdict.

In an interview with a betting site, Patrese stated that Verstappen's chances for a world title are dwindling and the battle will be between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Verstappen battling against Piastri at the Miami Grand Prix

"Until two races ago Verstappen could have been a danger to them. And from the management point of view, it could have been dangerous to let them race free. But now that Verstappen cannot win the championship, we will see a championship until the end with open fighting. So, they can determine their championship inside the McLaren and we will see who is the strongest one."

"The last two races, Lando did a good job. Now he's very close in points. So everything is open. I don't think that they will give priority to Lando or to Piastri. They will let them free to fight for the championship," said Patrese.

Marko does not give up

Red Bull had earlier announced that Verstappen would get a number of updates to his car. These are small updates, as GPblog earlier reported.

Despite this, Marko is yet to give up on a fifth world title for Verstappen, with plenty of points available in 2025. However, if he cannot outscore the McLarens, the championship is expected to be definitely over.

Currently, the defending world champions trails Oscar Piastri by 69 points in the world drivers' standings.

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