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Initially throughout the championship, Max Verstappen said after the United States Grand Prix that claiming the title had become achievable

It felt like an important turning point, because until now Verstappen has been dismissing the idea

This seemed reasonable amid McLaren's strong performance through the early races until late summer

Remarkable Comeback

The numbers of the last four races show incredible progress

Following Zandvoort, he found himself 104 points back from the Australian in the standings, and 70 adrift of his teammate

Currently, he stands 40 points behind his rival, who now leads Norris has reduced to just 14 points

McLaren's Response

There are circuits ahead that favor to McLaren's strengths - Interlagos, Losail and Yas Marina, according to team analysis

However, the champion's current performance makes everything uncertain

During qualifying, the team boss noted that the champion with his car could be the fastest through the rest of the season

Racer Self-Belief

While the champion gains on both McLaren drivers, similarly Norris has reduced on his colleague - earlier 34 points behind after Zandvoort

He came after Norris in Monza, experienced difficulties at the Azerbaijan GP, and missed opportunities in Singapore

Organization Mindset

Norris, Piastri and McLaren as a whole are heading into unfamiliar ground

The drivers and the team haven't previously contested a drivers' title before, despite Norris challenging the champion previously

His current responsibility involves ensure the organization and racers on an even keel, to work through the stress while prioritizing the job in hand

We continue discussing the fact that what we are facing - involving close racing for victory, a close fight towards the championship crown - is what Formula 1 is about

If anything, it was anomalous during our easy one-two finishes, including those races, and additional circuits

We're learning to handle this level of tension, we intend to embrace maximum intensity and minimum stress

• Five grands prix to go the title fight
• Two will have sprint races
• The title battle continues fiercely competitive

Finally, should we discover our way again, find our pace, particularly for myself rediscover our speed, then I don't have any major concerns

Future endeavors are straightforward

We maintain our strong efforts and outcomes will automatically materialize