Max Verstappen was left baffled by a journalist’s query about whether or not a return to the F1 title race in 2025 would have been attainable had Christian Horner nonetheless on the helm.
Laurent Mequise changed Horner forward of the Belgian Grand Prix earlier this yr.
The Briton has spearheaded Crimson Bull’s F1 efforts over the previous 20 years, main the group to eight drivers’ titles.
Horner’s departure coincides with Verstappen’s affirmation that he’ll stay at Crimson Bull in 2026, ending hypothesis that he would be part of Mercedes.
New boss Mekies has allowed Verstappen to have extra affect over the automobile set-up, notably on race weekends.
Consequently, Crimson Bull’s type has improved, with Verstappen successful three of the final six races.
On the FIA press convention on the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Verstappen was requested a query he described as “actually unusual”.
The four-time world champion was requested: “With Christian Horner nonetheless in cost, is it attainable to remain on this championship competition and combat again for the title?”
Verstappen mentioned: “I feel that is a very unusual query. I do not know the way we out of the blue closed the hole by 49 factors. I do not know. You may make up for it your self. I feel we have achieved job in the previous few races.”
“What else can I say? We’re making an attempt every thing we will. The automobile has been good in some locations, not so good in others. That is it.”
Verstappen talks about his possibilities of successful the F1 title
Verstappen is 49 factors behind Lando Norris with three rounds remaining.
The British driver is on a roll as he appears to be like to win back-to-back titles.
Verstappen insists his strategy stays the identical and insists he’ll want some luck to win a fifth title.
“It is the identical as all the time. Nothing a lot has modified,” Verstappen defined. “I don’t actually give it some thought as a result of it’s an enormous quantity of factors, there’s not a lot I can do.
“You want loads of luck on the finish to get an opportunity. Personally, I do not give it some thought.”
Even when Verstappen would not win the title, it was one other spectacular marketing campaign for the Dutchman.
Max Verstappen, Crimson Bull
©XPB Pictures
He has put in some memorable performances, notably wins in Japan and Imola.
Verstappen believes he and Crimson Bull must be happy with their comeback, provided that they trailed Oscar Piastri by greater than 100 factors after August’s Dutch Grand Prix.
“It was definitely good. We try to get higher each season,” he added. “It’s not all the time straightforward, however we attempt to make it straightforward and attempt to optimize every thing we will do with the automobile as a lot as attainable.
“I feel we actually did it more often than not, so I am proud of that. It wasn’t the state of affairs I needed to be in a lot of the season. In any other case you are preventing for the title and we weren’t. The excessive moments and the wins we scored had been positively enjoyable, however on the identical time the low moments weren’t nice.”
“On the identical time, even after the summer season break, the purpose distinction was nonetheless over 100, and it seemed like that hole would solely get wider.
“At one level we had been just about overshadowing that quantity. We had been a bit bit fortunate in some locations, however to nonetheless have consequence on the finish of the season is one thing to be happy with.”
