Coulthard: You can’t rule Verstappen out

Verstappen has two wins so far this season, while he has bagged four pole positions as he continues to drag his reluctant RB21 to positions it does not deserve, his talent making the difference in qualifying.

But then in races, the Dutchman is unable to keep up with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in their mighty MCL39s that boast superior race pace and have won a combined nine races for McLaren.

Verstappen is currently 69 points behind leader Piastri in the 2025 F1 drivers' championship, but Coulthard refuses to write off the four-time champion, insisting Red Bull can still sort out the issues of the RB21.

He said: “You can’t rule Max out. I think for the championship, we all know it’s going to take an upgrade to unlock some performance.

“Where Red Bull are right now, and if they were frozen, it’s difficult to imagine that the second half of the season circuits are suddenly going to suit the Red Bull better than the first half.

“It will take an upgrade from Red Bull to give him the consistency. Are they capable of doing it? Absolutely. Have they done it before? Yes. Is Max exceptional? Absolutely," he insisted.

Verstappen's chances of retaining his title in 2025 not only hinge on his team's ability to develop the car but also on the fight between Piastri and Norris, as they may end up taking points off each other.

But that may not be the case as Coulthard, a former driver for both McLaren and Red Bull Racing, touched on the intra-team battle at his previous team.

"If it was half a World Championship, Oscar’s won," he said. "I don’t think anyone could say he hasn’t deserved to be leading – he was leading before [the McLarens] came together in Canada.

"But if Lando turns it around in the second half of the season, he’s doing it against someone that’s a talented third year F1 driver.

"It’s a bit like 2021, where some people are still so vocal about what happened… only one driver could win. Both Max and Lewis drove like World Champions that year, but only one of them could have the title.”

The 54-year-old Scot hailed the manner in which McLaren have managed the competition between their drivers; he added: "I think McLaren have handled it really well.

"I think both their drivers are on the tamer side of animal than the wilder side of animal, so that probably makes it a little bit easier.

“But this could also be their only chance to win a world title; we don’t know what 2026 brings, we don’t know what the future is, so you’ve got to seize the moment.

“That’s why I’m really impressed with how Oscar has stepped up this year. But Lando’s response over the last two races is showing his quality as well.

"I think it’s going to be one of those things where both of them deserve it, but only one can get it," Coulthard concluded.

(Quotes from F1 Official Website)