Max Verstappen is leading the driver’s championship, but Lando Norris is getting closer. Race after race, Norris proves that he is after the championship after being on the sidelines for all this time. After his first race, he now has the confidence that he can keep up with Verstappen, but is that going to be enough?

Ever since Miami, McLaren has provided the drivers with a car that can win races, and the drivers are giving it their all to fight for the win. Although Max Verstappen has led the Norris over the last few races, this time Oscar Piastri turned out to be the faster papaya. So when Max Verstappen was “carelessly” streaming simulator racing despite having an early sprint the next morning, McLaren showed him that he needed to be more prepared.

McLaren have Max Verstappen on their crosshairs

After Max Verstappen made the comment, “Who cares?” when his friend asked him when the race was, fans felt the cheeky confidence the Red Bull driver has. However, at the Sprint race, he realized that it wouldn’t be an easy weekend, as not only did Lando Norris pose a threat to him, but Piastri was also on the chase.

It was a close race till the end, with Red Bull singled out and targeted by McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes, as Sergio Perez did not score half the points the team wanted him to. Following the sprint, Verstappen realized that if he ignored McLaren again, they might just win the Grand Prix.

In the interview after the race, Verstappen said, “I need to have a look at the whole race. I was busy with myself, and we will look at the data to see where we can improve for tomorrow.” The talk around the paddocks is that Verstappen is faster than his car which is why Perez is found much behind on the grid. This begs the question if Red Bull made a mistake by signing Checo for 2025.

Was signing Sergio Perez for 2025 the right decision?

As of now, Red Bull is taking a beating in terms of points, as Sergio Perez has not scored enough points in half the races so far. Even at the Austria Sprint race, coming in P8 only brought in 1 point, compared to Max Verstappen’s 8. On the other hand, all their rivals are finishing higher the Checo. Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes are all scoring points together with Perez behind the lot.

Many are trying to understand why is the gap widening as Checo started the season with a 1-2 finish with Verstappen. Currently, the RB20 is not the fastest car on the grid, but it is faster than the Ferrari; however, Perez has failed to perform. When Red Bull signed Sergio Perez, they got him on a 1-year deal.

If Perez does not pick up his pace, his lack of points can lead to Red Bull losing the championship. All the other teams are coming on strong, as there is more than half the season left. Each team needs both drivers to score as many points as possible. Currently, Ferrari and McLaren are getting closer to Red Bull, however, Max Verstappen winning almost every race is keeping them in the lead.

That being said, do you think other teams will catch up to Red Bull, or will their dominance continue? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.