Max Verstappen stormed to pole position and victory in both the sprint and grand prix at the Circuit of the Americas, wiping off 23 points from Oscar Piastri's advantage in the process.
The four-time F1 drivers' champion took a sizeable step towards an improbable fifth-consecutive crown, having cut his deficit to the Australian in the standings from 104 points to just 40 in the past four rounds.
Therefore, it should come as no surprise at all that three in every four F1 fans believe the Dutchman is now firmly back in the title fight, as found in a recent poll by RacingNews365.
Red Bull has significantly improved the RB21 since the summer break, and Verstappen is squeezing every ounce of performance from it, with the United States Grand Prix just more evidence that the 28-year-old can never be counted out.
Now, with five rounds — and two sprints — still to run, the McLarens of Piastri and Norris are looking increasingly vulnerable — can they outlast the resurgent Verstappen?
Check out the full results from the latest poll by RacingNews365 below! Let us know what you think in the comment section!
Is Max Verstappen now firmly in F1 world championship contention after US GP win?
| Answer | Share or vote |
|---|---|
| Yes - it's game on and McLaren beware! | 75.58% |
| No - 40 points is still too many | 19.27% |
| Not sure | 5.15% |
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