By Alan Baldwin
AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) -Max Verstappen is seeking perfection as he chases a fifth successive Formula One title that may be back on after seemingly slipping out of reach.
Even if the odds look stacked against him, with the gap to McLaren's frontrunner Oscar Piastri at 63 points with six rounds to go, the Red Bull driver cannot be ruled out until the numbers say so.
McLaren boss Zak Brown is taking nothing for granted even at this late stage.
"Max is very much in the game. I think it would
be a big mistake to think Max wasn't part of this drivers' championship right now," he said on Friday, a warning he has made repeatedly of late.
THERE'S ALWAYS A CHANCE
The Dutch driver, who is third overall and has beaten both McLarens in the past three races, is not going to argue - even if he says he is still taking it one race at a time without getting carried away.
"One retirement (for McLaren) and you're fully back into it," Verstappen told Reuters before securing pole position for the Saturday sprint at Austin's Circuit of the Americas.
"There's always a chance, right? But everything needs to go perfect.
"I don't think positively about it or negatively," he added of the challenge.
"I just see it as every race weekend, we just need to maximise everything we can and then you walk up to (the final race in) Abu Dhabi and you see where you are."
While Piastri and second-placed teammate Lando Norris duel each other, Verstappen is the clear number one at Red Bull - both an advantage and disadvantage.
If teammate Yuki Tsunoda is not taking any precious points off him, neither is the Japanese getting between Verstappen and the McLarens - which would help reduce the gap much faster.
"I just think about myself, what I can do, what I have to improve on with the car, we're still in a phase where I think we can do better and that's what we just focus on," said Verstappen.
"Yes, our season of course has not been amazing at the start and we had some tough runs ... It's still I think a good achievement" to be in contention.
"But everything needs to go perfect to the end of the year to be able to have a chance. I think it's important to try and not overstress it, overcomplicate it also."
The example of 2007 - when Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen went into the final race third overall and nicked the title by a single point from McLaren's double champion Fernando Alonso and a rookie Lewis Hamilton - has been mentioned.
Verstappen is also chasing two McLarens but is much further back than Raikkonen ever was, even if he has slashed the gap from triple figures. He is now 41 points behind Norris, with 174 still to be won.
If the drivers' title proves a step too far, and the constructors' is done, the consolation prize of second overall remains a target.
Mercedes are second but only 35 points ahead, with Ferrari third and just eight clear of Red Bull.
"It's going to be tough because it looks like Mercedes is also a little bit on the up, and we need to outscore them every single race weekend from now onwards to have a good opportunity on that," said Verstappen.
"We'll see. The car is getting better. It's always impossible to know how good it is compared to the McLaren or whatever, but there's an opportunity to fight for second in the constructors' and that's what we'll try to do."
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by William Mallard)
