Max Verstappen expressed his elation immediately after his dominant victory at the American Grand Prix in Austin, describing it as an incredible weekend. “This was hugely impressive. Very, very good,” Verstappen celebrated. Particularly with regard to the World Championship standings, Max Verstappen could not have wished for a better weekend. He gained a substantial 23 points on World Championship leader Oscar Piastri and 15 on his McLaren teammate Lando Norris.
With five race weekends remaining (including two more sprint races in Brazil and Qatar), a title defense for Verstappen suddenly seems far from utopian, especially if the McLaren drivers make a few more slip-ups. In other words, the pressure is on. Verstappen’s deficit to World Championship leader Piastri has shrunk to 40 points.
“There is a chance,” Verstappen confirmed on the grid in his first reaction to interviewer Martin Brundle. “We need to keep ensuring weekends like this until the end of the season. We will do everything we can to make that happen.”
Verstappen drove a solitary race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin. He led from start to finish, but particularly in the final stages, he had to pull out all the stops to keep his soft tires alive. “The difference in speed between me and Lando was minimal. I think we made the difference in the first stint. Managing the tires was not easy, but we did a great job.”
