McLaren so good title should be long over

(GMM) Max Verstappen’s (pictured) championship bid slipped further out of his hands on Friday in Qatar, as the Red Bull driver could manage only P6 in sprint qualifying – even ending up behind Yuki Tsunoda for the first time.

“Yeah, not good,” Verstappen admitted, blaming understeer and “bouncing” for his lack of pace.

Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies told Canal Plus the team was investigating whether an early off-track moment damaged the floor.

“It’s a bit early to say if there’s a problem, but we didn’t have the level of performance we would have liked,” he said. “We were a bit wide on the first run – very wide indeed,” he smiled. “Did that damage the floor? That’s what we’re focusing on.”

While Verstappen struggled, it was a perfectly timed boost for Oscar Piastri, whose form had dipped and whose relationship with McLaren is rumored to be under serious strain. The Australian took sprint pole.

“He’s lost confidence in the team,” reported Auto Motor und Sport correspondent Michael Schmidt. “Mark Webber told me there will be serious negotiations this winter.”

Championship leader Lando Norris will start only third for the sprint – behind Piastri and George Russell – but was frank about what that means.

“Overtaking is impossible, so I’ll probably finish third,” said the Briton, who leads both Verstappen and Piastri by 24 points with a sprint and two grands prix remaining.

Verstappen, meanwhile, scoffed at the fact that despite his difficult season, he is nonetheless still in title contention with the McLaren duo.

“If I’d had the McLaren this year we wouldn’t be talking about a championship anymore,” he told the AP news agency. “They won the constructors’ championship so early that – yeah – you can fill it in yourself.”

Observers have noted how relaxed Verstappen appears despite his shrinking chances, and the Dutchman again reiterated he is not tied to Formula 1 emotionally – even hinting he could walk away depending on the new 2026 regulations.

“My contract runs until 2028 but it will depend on the new rules in 2026, and if they are nice and fun,” he said.

“If they are not fun, I don’t see myself hanging around. Winning seven titles is not on my mind. It could be possible, but it’s not something I need to do before I leave.

“I can leave the sport easily tomorrow.”