?I Need 45 to Have Another Chance? – Max Verstappen Admits His 2022 F1 Title Hopes Have Dwindled Following Australian GP

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen is not having a gala time in F1. After giving it his all last season, Verstappen did not mind putting the same kind of effort again.

However, Verstappen’s car has been a real let down this season. Until now, he has already retired twice in the past three races and the pace does not come close to that of Ferrari’s.

Max Verstappen, scared for his title

Max Verstappen is obviously not happy with the results he has seen till now. The 24-year-old knows about the kind of dedication it takes to be a world champion. His concerns pertaining to the RB-18’s reliability are genuine because every single race counts. In a fight where he’s up against someone like Charles Leclerc or Carlos Sainz, Red Bull cannot afford to make mistakes like these.

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Verstappen’s anger and frustration are understandable. He said, “Of course, it’s a long season with 20 races to go, but at the moment I think I need 45 to have another chance, I’m that far behind in the championship. 46 points?”

“We need to get faster and we need to get more reliable. So I’m not thinking about the championship.”?

The Tifosi tyranny

Right now, Red Bull‘s main competitor lies in the Tifosi camp. However, they will have a target on their back in the form of Mercedes, who are slowly and steadily catching up. And no one would like to go up against Sir Lewis Hamilton. Moreover, a world champion losing faith in his car could be a serious issue and mentally draining for everyone.

Verstappen now sits almost double the points behind Leclerc and faces an uphill struggle from here on. He articulated his feelings and said, “The car is just not good enough. Not if you look at the reliability and not if you look at the balance and that surprises me.”

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“We are not on the right track. It doesn’t look like there’s a clear-cut solution either, so we have a lot of work to do. Ferrari is a lot better than us in many areas.”

Well, he does sound defeated. Though many tell him that there are several races left to catch up, Max simply knows the hard work it would take to claim his dominance once again.