'He knows he's back in it': Ominous Max Verstappen resurgence casting shadow over Oscar Piastri's title bid

Max Verstappen has been tipped to "pounce like the lion he is" as he stalks from a long way away, but within striking distance, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in the Formula 1 drivers' championship.

McLaren boss Andrea Stella left all and sundry stunned when he declared after qualifying at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the weekend that Verstappen was a genuine chance of clinching his fifth title on the bounce.

At that point, after all, Verstappen was trailing Piastri by 94 points.

READ MORE: Trick play to exploit Panthers' glaring weakness

READ MORE: Shock swansong looms for Cobbo

READ MORE: TJ rips AFL over Snoop Dogg snub

But Piastri then crashed out on lap one in Baku, and Verstappen cruised to his second win on the trot, and third podium finish in a row, to make the Australian pay dearly.

Now, with seven rounds to go, Verstappen is trailing Piastri by 69 points, and Norris by 44 points.

Sprints included, there are 199 points up for grabs over the remaining rounds, starting in Singapore next weekend and wrapping up in Abu Dhabi in the first week of December.

Verstappen is a long shot. Importantly, however, he is a shot.

Sky Sports F1 pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz is among the sport's respected figures not writing off the Dutchman's comeback bid.

"He knows he's back in it because he's got the car — that's the thing," Kravitz said on the Sky Sports F1 show.

"Had he had the car all along, his plan and Red Bull's plan was always to stay within touching distance of the two McLarens and then wait until precisely this moment in the season when the pressure is on, crazy races, unusual tracks like Baku, like Singapore, like Qatar, like Austin, like Las Vegas, and then pounce like the lion he is on the two championship-wise kittens, who haven't actually been in contention for a world championship at the sharp end of a season, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

"And it was only the car that dissuaded him, or disappointingly for Max, that he wasn't going to be able to do that."

Prior to the mid-season break, the Red Bull car seemed certain to keep floundering through the championship.

Since then, it's looked renewed.

Red Bull heavy hitter Helmut Marko has even used the term "rebirth" to describe the car's notable improvements.

"Now he's got the car again," Kravitz added, "then I think he can go back to plan A for the season, which was, 'Let's just keep within touching distance of McLaren, and then let's wait until it's squeaky time at the end of the season, and then we'll show them what pressure means going into the end of the year'."

Stella said after qualifying in Azerbaijan: "Red Bull are a very serious contender to win races and a very serious contender for the drivers' championship."

Asked if he was serious about his take on Verstappen's title chances, the McLaren boss was unequivocal.

"A firm YES," Stella said. "Can you write it in capitals? Because it was quoted in capitals."