Mind Games? No Need When It’s Piastri And Norris, Says Max Verstappen Ahead Of Mexico GP

Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen (AP)

Regardless of how the F1 title race unfolds, Max Verstappen has made one thing clear — he’s back in the hunt, and firmly on McLaren’s radar.

Ahead of this weekend’s action, Verstappen reflected on how his mindset in 2025 contrasts sharply with his infamous title battle against Lewis Hamilton in 2021.

After four years of unbridled dominance by the Dutchman all through, the dynamic has shifted this season.

While Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have been at the centre of several intra-team flashpoints at McLaren, Verstappen’s resurgence has reignited the championship fight, and raised the pressure across the grid.

The Dutchman’s recent run — three wins and two second-place finishes in the last five rounds — has exposed McLaren’s inconsistency.

Neither Piastri nor Norris has stood atop the podium since Zandvoort, with unforced errors from both the drivers and the pit wall compounding their struggles.

“Back then, I’d never won a title — now I have a few”

Verstappen told De Telegraaf that experience, not aggression, defines his 2025 title push:

“That’s hard for me to say. Back then [in 2021], that was also the game I played a bit. Will I do that again? I don’t need to.

“Back then, I’d never won a world title, and now I have a few. And they [Norris and Piastri] don’t.

“You’re naturally more nervous if you haven’t become world champion yet than if you already have those titles.”

With Red Bull optimizing the RB21 late in the season, Verstappen knows the door remains open, but the maths isn’t in his favour.

Even if he wins every remaining race and sprint, he still needs Piastri to slip. A string of second-place finishes would be enough for the Australian to retain his 40-point cushion.

Momentum with Max, Pressure with Piastri

Verstappen arrives at Round 20 with all the momentum, having cut a 104-point deficit since August down to just 40.

Meanwhile, Piastri has been beaten by Norris in the last four races and hasn’t won since the Dutch Grand Prix. But the 24-year-old remains composed amid rising scrutiny.

“I know there’s people in this fight, I know that it’s going to be tight, but I’ve known that for a very long time,” Piastri said.

“The stakes do go up closer to the end of the season… but if you’re fighting for anything worth fighting for, there’s going to be nerves and pressure involved.”

(with Reuters inputs)