Max Verstappen makes Red Bull demand as F1 title hopes boosted

Max Verstappen has declared Red Bull must be “perfect” across the next two grands prix if it wishes to seal the drivers' championship.

Verstappen was not considered a threat in the title fight for much of the year, however a strong uptick in form after the summer break saw him emerge as an outside contender.

A double disqualification for McLaren last time out in Las Vegas allowed Verstappen to further close the gap, as he now sits just 24 points down on championship leader Lando Norris.

While the possibility of a once-unlikely title is now within reach, Verstappen declared he is simply approaching the scenario one race at a time.

“The points in the championship have got closer after Vegas however, as we go into Qatar, we will still approach the weekend the same way we have always done and just take it one race at a time,” he said.

“We go into each weekend focused on maximising as many points as we can and extracting the best performance out of the car possible, which is exactly what we will be doing for this race too.”

With a sprint weekend scheduled in Qatar this weekend, more points are up for grabs.

But with McLaren still expected to have a strong package to see out the season, Verstappen asserted Red Bull can't afford any slip-ups in its pursuit of the title.

“It is a sprint weekend so there are even more points to win here and we can only afford to have a perfect weekend,” he said.

“Lusail is a demanding circuit, the heat means tyre management is key and we need to make sure we execute everything right with the mandatory two stop. 

“We are focused on keeping the positive momentum going and the Team are pushing as hard as we can to bring the best performance.”