Max Verstappen had a rough start this season with two disappointing DNFs in the three races so far. But Dutch racing driver Tom Coronel believes that the reigning F1 champion still has the chance to return to the top.

The Red Bull driver had only finished one race so far, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He had to retire from the season opener in Bahrain due to a fuel pump issue. And he again retired last week in Australian GP. Verstappen could have easily finished P2 in those races, so not finishing them cost him around 36 points.

Fans are speculating that the Dutch F1 driver won’t be able to defend his title now. However, the motorsport analyst Tom Coronel believes Verstappen can still win because of his hunger for victory and his aggressive driving style.

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Coronel reported, “With other drivers, I might say that the chance has already been lost, but because of Verstappen’s attack mode, I am not saying that now. Giving up isn’t in his dictionary.”

What caused the DNF for Max Verstappen in Australia?

The 24-year-old Dutchman had to retire from the season opener in the Bahrain GP. Later, the Milton Keynes base revealed there was a vacuum in his fuel system that kept the fuel from going into the engine. But Verstappen redeemed the disappointing loss in Saudi Arabia, winning the second race of the season.

However, the fuel issues again haunted Verstappen in Australia. The Red Bull driver was chasing Charles Leclerc and had the possibility to overtake the Monegasque driver to win the race. But the Dutch driver experienced some issues with the car and had to pull over at the side of the track. And as Verstappen came out of the car, his RB18 caught fire.

After the race, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko revealed Max’s car had a fuel leak, but he stayed silent about the reason behind the leak. Instead, he said, “The matter is very complex, the problem is absolutely different from that of Bahrain.“

Verstappen is at P6 at the moment on the Drivers’ Standings with just 25 points which he won in Jeddah. Meanwhile, Ferrari driver Leclerc is leading the table with 71 points. So, Red Bull now needs to work on their reliability if they want Max to catch up to Charles in the title fight.

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The next race for the Dutchman is the Emilia Rogna GP, where Verstappen won the last time around. Would Max be able to win at Imola again? Let us know your predictions in the comments below.