Max Verstappen ‘ready to pounce’ on Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in F1 title combat, says Ted Kravitz

Max Verstappen is aware of he’s again within the System 1 title combat and is ready to “pounce like the lion that he is” on Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, in line with Sky Sports activities F1’s Ted Kravitz.

Verstappen claimed his second successive victory with a dominant show in Azerbaijan on Sunday, whereas Drivers’ Championship chief Piastri crashed out and his McLaren team-mate Norris solely completed seventh.

The outcome noticed Verstappen, who’s chasing a fifth successive drivers’ title, near inside 69 factors of Piastri with seven rounds of the season remaining, whereas he’s now simply 44 factors again from Norris.

On the most recent episode of Sky Sports activities’ The F1 Present, Kravitz mentioned that he believes Verstappen is in place to hold out a plan to strain the McLaren pair, who’re each in search of a maiden drivers’ crown.

“He knows he’s back in it because he’s got the car, that’s the thing,” Kravitz mentioned.

“Had he had the automobile all alongside, his plan and Pink Bull’s plan was all the time to remain inside touching distance of the 2 McLarens after which wait till exactly this second within the season when the strain is on, loopy races, uncommon tracks like Baku, like Singapore, like Qatar, like Austin, like Las Vegas.

“After which pounce just like the lion he’s on the 2 championship-wise kittens, who have not truly been in rivalry for a world championship on the sharp finish of a season, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

“And it was only the car that dissuaded him, or disappointingly for Max, that he wasn’t going to be able to do that.

“Now he is acquired the automobile once more, then I believe he can return to plan A for the season, which was, ‘let’s simply preserve inside touching distance of McLaren, after which let’s wait till it is squeaky whatnot time on the finish of the season, after which we’ll present them what strain means going into the top of the 12 months’.”

Chadwick: Max has a spring in his step once more

Sky Sports activities F1 pundit and former W Collection champion Jamie Chadwick believes Verstappen has a “spring in his step” after his robust run of outcomes.

Verstappen had been on a streak of 4 races with no podium earlier than the summer time break, with a very poor Pink Bull efficiency on the final of these occasions in Hungary elevating doubts over whether or not the Dutchman would be capable to compete for victories at all around the the rest of the season.

Nonetheless, he claimed a stable second place at his residence race within the Netherlands earlier than claiming pole and victory in each Italy and Azerbaijan.

Chadwick mentioned: “Max was phenomenal. I think that’s obviously where he thrives in those tricky conditions, but still, they’ve clearly found something with the car, which is great because that’s given him a car that he can compete at the front.

“However even when it is powerful, he all the time appears to excel. And that is what makes him, in my view, and the present crop, the best we now have. It is unbelievable to see.

“It’s interesting now, the title fight, because it’s a lot of points. It’s 69 points away, I think there’s just under 200 left, so it’s a big, big ask, but I would never rule him out.

“And likewise, he isn’t ruling himself out. He type of smiled about it on the weekend and mentioned, ‘it is numerous factors, however by no means say by no means’.

“And I like that. I think he’s got this sort of spring in his step again. I think there was a lull in his atmosphere and vibe earlier in the year and now it’s game time again. He’s got that kind of spring in his step and he wants to go after it.”

The 2025 System 1 title combat continues underneath the lights on the Singapore Grand Prix on October 3-5, reside on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime