Mekies states that Red Bull will advocate for Verstappen's championship.

      "We will put forth every effort in the 2025 campaign."

      26 September 2025 - 11:26

      Max Verstappen has unexpectedly emerged as a contender for a fifth consecutive world title following consecutive victories at Monza and Baku. Just a few weeks ago, both Verstappen and Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko had downplayed their chances of winning the championship. However, with Christian Horner no longer in the picture, a new floor installed on the RB21, and McLaren's leading drivers starting to struggle, the Dutch driver has narrowed the gap to 69 points behind Oscar Piastri and 44 points behind Lando Norris.

      "It’s like we’ve pulled out the calculators, right?" joked former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos on the Pit Talk podcast. "This resembles what Vettel did in 2013. This F1 season has been unpredictable. After the summer break, they fitted a new floor, and he won in Monza with the largest margin of the season so far, then he followed it up with a Grand Slam in Baku."

      Doornbos attributed the breakthrough to the new floor. "This year, roughly 65 percent of your downforce originates from the floor. It plays a major role," he noted. "You can never afford to relax in Formula 1, but you can sense when you've discovered something significant. The base is there, and it seems they've found an advantage."

      He also remarked on a more composed Verstappen. "He seems to be enjoying the competition. It's not arrogance - he's solely focused on himself," Doornbos explained.

      Another former driver, Christian Danner, told Motorsport-Magazin.com that he refuses to count Verstappen out. "Regardless of how challenging things are at Red Bull, Verstappen is like a terrier. You can't easily shake Max off. It's not in his character to surrender."

      Sky pundit Ralf Schumacher stated that Baku revealed McLaren's vulnerability under pressure. "The McLaren simply didn’t have the grip window that Piastri is accustomed to," he mentioned. "Minor errors can occur that usually go unnoticed because they typically drive around them. Baku marked a pivotal moment."

      Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies emphasized that the team is still contending on two fronts. "We will put forth every effort in the 2025 campaign," he asserted. "Gradually, the work that Max and Yuki have been doing with the whole team has started to pay off, and at least here and in Monza, we are back in the contest."

      "We strive to learn as much as possible because, even though the 2026 regulations will be completely different, there’s always a lot we can take from this season."