Max Verstappen makes key McLaren 'acknowledgement' in F1 title defence struggles

Max Verstappen has insisted that McLaren must be "acknowledged" for its staggering F1 season so far, as the Dutchman looks set to suffer a title defence failure for the first time.  Since becoming world champion in 2021, Verstappen has successfully defended his drivers' title for three consecutive seasons; however, a fourth defence looks highly unlikely.  After finishing in ninth in the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, the 27-year-old slipped to 97 points adrift of championship leader Oscar Piastri, with 10 rounds remaining.  Whilst mathematically possible, becoming a five-time champion this campaign depends on Piastri and his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris suffering several non-point scoring results.  Red Bull found itself hugely off the pace at the Hungaroring, leaving Verstappen unsure, when asked, if further wins were possible this season. "I don't know," Verstappen told select media, including RacingNews365 . "After a weekend like this [in Hungary], very difficult to say, but you never know. There might always be surprises or whatever." Since before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Verstappen has continuously downplayed his title chances due to the strength of McLaren.  A championship charge looked possible following victories in Japan and Imola, although four consecutive races without a podium have dropped him out of realistic contention. Asked if the season has been worse than expected, Verstappen replied: "I never... I just stay neutral and everything you know, so I don't become overly optimistic or pessimistic or whatever.  "So I was like, 'Well, we'll see. I hope, of course, that we can still win some races here and there.' And, I mean, we still did that. We still won two races.  "But, yeah, it is tough. But at the other end, you need to acknowledge that McLaren has done a fantastic job, from last year to this year, and then, from our side, it's been a bit more difficult."